Tucked away on 16th street between Park & Irving is an inventive New American in the old Candela space. Although I commented to my fellow diners that the rustic decor and waitstaff outfits looked a bit "theme park" (Old America meets Bavaria), the service and food are true to the interesting decor. A solid approach to traditional dishes, including much seafood and game (no beef here), is very well-executed.
The appetizers include several seafood dishes and some salads / vegetarian options, as well as a terrific grilled quail married with cheese grits. All well-prepared and quite tasty. For entrees, most of my party opted for seafood options, and everyone was delighted. The Monkfish (whilst a bit small on portion size), Cod and Artic Char were all excellent. The Duck was seasoned with some spicey-ness, and cooked perfectly. In particular, the Artic Char was some of the best I have had, prepared medium rare at the chef's recommendation. Side dishes are recommended (even though each entree comes with its own small sides, they are small).
The global wine list has limited old world (read: french) selections of note, but has a solid selection of excellent pinot noirs that pair well with the entire menu. The prices across the wine list are also very reasonable for a high-quality NYC establishment.
To sum it up, I would quote a dining companion who noted "adventurous, limited menus require great execution - and they nailed it".
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