VUE

N O T J U S T F A R M T O T A B L E While the building and its history may have appeal, the progressive American menu at One White Street is what keeps customers coming through the door. The basis for each plate is seasonal local ingredients that are grown at the owners' Hudson Valley farm, Rigor Hill and composed into simple dishes that maximize unique flavors from unexpected combinations. The grilled scallop skewers offered tender scallops wrapped around roasted squash and served with pumpkin seeds and a farm pesto. Next was melt in your mouth glazed potato gnocchi bathed in brown butter and tossed with toasted hazelnuts, squash, and Mimolette cheese--a combination so tempting we used spoons to make sure no sauce was left behind. Salads may generally be seen as an afterthought, but the shaved fennel salad was the star of the meal served with a yuzu vinaigrette, blue cheese, and candied pistachios. There was not a strand of fennel left on the plate. A goat cheesecake with a balsamic reduction, figs, and bee pollen rounded out the evening. The food at One White Street will wow, but the drink menu and wine list are also exceptional. Start with a cocktail--a classic martini or negroni. Or be more adventurous and try a Farm Cocktail that mixes ingredients like cucumber, carrot, and apple with bar standards like Bourbon and Vodka. There are also options from the "Nutopian Twists" list that offer a bit of a surprise in each glass. The wine list is specially curated by Sommelier, Audrey Frick, who greeted us tableside to see if we had questions and share a bit of her background and training. Frick's selected wine list features small family-owned wineries from around the globe. Don't expect to find typical cabernets and chardonnays, but rather more unusual and enticing grapes like Sancerres, Garnacha, and Barolo. New York wines are represented and join vineyards from France, Spain, and Germany, as well the western U.S. Lending to the friendly casual vibe of One White Street, Frick, and General Manager Jessica Friedman both visited our table and struck up conversations about our lives and theirs. By the end of the evening we were on a first-name basis with most of the staff and as we saw them bid goodbye to other patrons, we recognized why visiting One White Street seemed like coming home. There are two options for dining. The first floor and outside, either on the patio or under a covered structure, features small plates and seating is on a first-come-first-served basis. Inside on the upper floors, six-course tasting menus are provided and reservations are required. No matter which option you choose, you can be assured of a memorable meal, a staff that makes you feel like an old friend, and a dining experience that will make you want to linger and swap just one more story. Just remember there are always others waiting for your seat. V U E N J .C O M 68

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