This summer, I reached out to my Instagram followers to ask if anyone could recommend a restaurant or two either in mid-town or on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We were in the city over Labor Day and although the primary reason for our trip was to attend the US Open, we also planned to enjoy some fun meals in the city.
My young follower and friend, Mallory responded with a couple of recommendations. Thank you Mal! We secured a reservation at one of her suggestions and I was really excited to have a local’s first-hand experience guide our dining decision…
Located in a brownstone on the Upper East Side, The East Pole is an intimate restaurant that feels like it is a neighborhood favorite for many or a place where New Yorkers might have a special date. A small area for outside seating is nestled behind the plantings for warmer months. A meaningfully sized bar greets you as you enter the restaurant, where I imagine locals pull up a stool after work for drinks and a bite before heading home…
The dining room is relatively small and seating is cozy as the four of us snuggled into a corner booth. The restaurant wasn’t particularly busy when we were dining as it was the Friday of Labor Day weekend but I imagine it’s quite bustling otherwise. This actually worked out well for us as we had to delay our reservation due to a long match we were happily enjoying featuring one of my faves, Rafa Nadal!
Service was attentive and relaxed. We nibbled on complimentary radishes tossed with a bright and tangy tapenade…
Before telling you more, I want to give a shout out to our friend Jim who was dining with us. He happens to be a professional photographer and the lighting in the restaurant was not surprisingly quite dim. Through the magic of a white napkin he used as a diffuser (with my husband’s assistance) and the flashlight from his phone we were able to secure fairly decent photos of our meal. We laughed the whole way and my poor husband was wondering how in the world he was going to be my “diffuser” and light man in the future!
Anyway, The East Pole has a farm to table focus and the summer menu was designed with local ingredients including lots of fresh fish and vegetables. Starters ranged from Heirloom Carrots prepared with parsnip, bok choy and avocado to various crudos, and salads.
Jim ordered the Market Lettuces (no picture) that were tossed with avocado, radish and a delicious sesame vinaigrette. Sarah wanted to try the Grilled Avocado Squash & Heirloom Tomatoes that were served with a kaffir lime aioli. The squash was shaped liked an avocado, thus the name. Sarah really enjoyed the salad although she didn’t love the squash…
My husband and I both gravitated to the Corn Gazpacho served with creme fraiche and cilantro. He ended up ordering it and I took a few tastes. This was absolutely fabulous, made with late summer corn. Very light and refreshing…
I ordered the Maplebrook Farms Burrata that was served with grilled peaches, basil and baguettes slices that had been toasted. The entire dish was drizzled with a balsamic glaze. The cheese was creamy but not overly so as some burrata can be and the peaches were smoky and sweet. Just a delicious combination that would be pretty easy to serve at home…
Main dishes range from The East Pole Macro Bowl ($24) which includes quinoa, beans and lots of vegetables, to Diver Scallops, a dinner sized Kale Caesar with bacon and an egg ($24), The East Pole Cheeseburger ($24) and a Heritage Pork Chop served with a corn succotash ($39).
Sarah chose the Saffron Reginetti, a pasta tossed with squash ribbons, cherry tomatoes, ricotta and toasted pistachios ($29) that she said was excellent…
Jim ordered the Roasted Goffle Road Chicken served with baby kale and turnips ($33), another winner…
My husband ordered the Fossil Farms Skirt Steak with chimichurri, purple potatoes, cherry tomatoes and asparagus ($41) that he enjoyed…
And I loved my Long Island Striped Bass that was served with a generous portion of grilled baby squash and kale pesto ($33). The fish was light and delicate and I loved the texture of the squash that was grilled to perfection – not limp and overdone. The pesto was also very tasty and the whole dish just felt like a last gasp of summer to me…
Sides of Grilled Shishito Peppers, Thick Cut Truffle chips and Sauteed Broccoli Rabe among others were also available to order a la carte.
We definitely didn’t need dessert but we ordered two. We were warned by our server that the Chocolate Bread Pudding was a really decadent dessert and proceeded to order it anyway. Slices of the pudding were served with cream and an espresso creme anglaise. He wasn’t kidding. One or two bites were all we needed as it was so rich…
The other dessert that was truly amazing was the Meyer Lemon and Bee Pollen Custard that was served with an Amaretto Shortbread and Blueberries. All the feels for this delightful ending to the meal…
Inside tip – a couple came and sat next to us and an order of mini grilled cheese sandwiches appeared at their table. I asked our server about the sandwiches and he told me they came from the bar menu that is also available in the dining room. They looked really fun and tasty!
Hopefully your travels will take you to New York soon and you can check out The East Pole for yourselves!
More restaurants and the hotels we stayed at in a future post!
Enjoy and until next time…
One Year Ago: Review of Comedor in Newton, Massachusetts
Two Years Ago: Where Women Cook Magazine
Three Years Ago: Outstanding in the Field Dinner at Wishingstone Farm
Four Years Ago: Cherry’s Tomato Tart
Yum Val! Definitely on the list for next trip to NYC!
Yay!