Restaurant Review - Jean Georges, New York City

New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and the restaurants here are no exception. Going out to a fine dining establishment here practically requires a home equity loan, or so it seems. However, Jean Georges, the flagship restaurant in star-chef Jean Georges Vongerichten's NYC empire (and one of the best French restaurants in the city) has a little secret - they offer their dinner menu at lunchtime, for a fraction of the price. Prior to my first visit this spring, I had been planning to try Jean Georges for ages but had never been able to stomach the bill. However, when I found out about their lunch special, I jumped at the chance. I brought my parents and boyfriend along to share in my first visit.

Located in the Trump Tower at Columbus Circle, Jean Georges is a breathtakingly gorgeous restaurant. The décor is simple and sleek yet inviting, with a beautiful, cool dove grey and white color scheme, comfortable tables and romantic nooks, and a dramatic modern chandelier. Every patron is made to feel like royalty, and the service is incredible. The view of Columbus Circle isn't bad either! There is no dress code at lunch, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable in anything less dressy than business casual.

Upon reviewing the menu, it became obvious that $28 truly was going to be a bargain. Jean Georges offers some of the most luxurious, imaginative cuisine I've ever seen. We ordered duck confit, goat cheese gnocchi, parmesan crusted chicken, skate wing, garlic soup with frog legs, and short ribs, among other things. In addition, we were served a complementary amuse-bouche to start, delicious bread throughout, and mignardises to finish, making the $28 price tag seem even more reasonable.

As for the food, it was simply impeccable. The duck confit, which was a deep-fried interpretation that looked like an egg roll, was spectacular. Short ribs were another standout, with perfectly succulent meat accompanied by rich pea puree. All of the fish dishes were excellent, especially the skate wing, simply sautéed and served with a heavenly sauce of vin jaune. Even the amuse, a cube of mango with black olive dust, was divine. We decided to splurge on dessert (only an extra $10) and sampled an impressive apple and fennel sorbet. Across the board, each dish was beautifully presented and featured only the freshest, highest quality ingredients. There were a couple of missteps (overly salted chicken, unpalatably bitter chocolate gnocco), but overall it was easily one of the five best meals I've had in NYC.

I would love to go to Jean Georges for dinner as well, but given the incredible value at lunch, I may just become a lunchtime regular instead! If you've ever wanted to try out one of New York's finest but just can't face the tab, go to Jean Georges at lunch - you won't be disappointed.

Address: 1 Central Park West (entrance on east side of Trump Tower)
Website: www.jean-georges.com
Phone: 212-299-3900
Hours: Lunch M-F 12-2:30, Dinner M-Sat 5:30-11pm
Price Range: lunch 2-course prix-fixe $28, dinner 3-course prix-fixe $98