Manhattan's Upper East Side

Servings

Instructions

There really isn't anything I can say that others already haven't about Daniel. This restaurant oozes with class and sophistication. On that note it wasn't stuffy and nose in the air arrogant like some very well known restaurant can be in NYC. It was very welcoming and refreshing!
This restaurant is defiantly a higher priced restaurant used for special occasions. We went to Daniel to celebrate Tanner resigning with the NY Jets. Also, there is a dress code! The guys must wear slacks and a jacket. No jeans or flip flops here fellas.
We parked a couple blocks down, huge mistake, because there is a 24 hour parking garage on 65th street next to Daniel. So girls...if you are wearing nice heals and don't want to walk very far, there is near by parking when going to this restaurant. Lucky for me, that night was nice and I didn't mind the walk. Actually the walk was quite nice after the amount of food we ate, ha!
Ok, so we walked in and the hostess was so welcoming. I called ahead to let them know we would be late because of traffic and they were very understanding. She just smiled and said, "it happens all the time, thank you for letting me know you were going to be delayed." Y'all this doesn't happen in NYC. It's a hustle, and in a restaurant like this they could have easily gave our seat to probably 100 plus people wanting to dine there. That alone set the tone for a great night.
We sat down in a spacious two top table. Again, doesn't normally happen in NYC restaurants because they use every inch in a restaurant for seating. The sommelier (wine specialist) came over and gave some great suggestions for wine. I was thankful he could play off of what I liked and recommended a great bottle to try. This wine book, not list, was massive. There was NO WAY I could choose one on my own.
After drinks they chef sent out a small tasting that he prepared. It was a one bite delight. Knowing that was the caliber we were dealing with made me so excited to look at the menu and decide what to order.
Next our server came and spoke about the menu. When you order you can do a prefix seven course tasting menu or order four courses of your choosing. Tanner and I did the four course and were not disappointed. Mind you...Tanner is a large man and needs to eat a lot. He was concerned the small portions were not going to fill him up, and that wasn't the case at all! Our server also realized Tanner played for the Jets and loved talking football all night. He was a Giants fan, but I think we created a small love of green after dining with them.
My favorite dish out of the night was Wagyu. It was an imperial wagyu beef tenderloin, bone marrow "soubise", California carrots, cipollini onions, and "bordelaise sauce." Best thing I've ever ate. It literally melted in your mouth when you ate it. There are no words, and yes my mouth is salivating as I think about it right now! ***TIP: I apologize I didn't take a photo, I was too busy eating!
On to dessert. Dessert never ended. There were like 8 different things they brought out on top of what we ordered for dessert. It was unreal. Not to mention our server and the chef had a little fun with us on one of our dessert plates. Again, they were so personable and delightful at Daniel I couldn't get over it.
To end the night they send you off with two little boxes filled with a small cake. Tanner had both of ours devoured by the Lincoln tunnel!
Again, this is a restaurant you take someone for a special occasion. Only Oprah could eat here every night. But when you do splurge, really take it all in. Enjoy the experience Daniel has to offer, because it is one you will never forget!