NEW YORK

Elevated cuisine in a Midtown oasis
Even on a humid Friday in August, when much of Manhattan has started its weekend exodus, Gabriel Kreuther attracts a power crowd. Three international bankers discuss the elections at one table, a trio of tech types erupts in laughter at another, a couple of real estate brokers celebrate a pending deal nearby. All have come for the rustic sophistication and calm of the restaurant’s dining room, which looks out at Bryant Park; but even more, they’ve come for executive chef Gabriel Kreuther’s creative take on Alsatian food. Lunch might start with a sturgeon and sauerkraut tart imbued with applewood smoke that gets released when the server lifts its glass cover (shown above) and end with a panna cotta set amid 10 flavors of sorbet. In between, the Michelin–starred and James Beard Award–winning Kreuther will provide plenty of reasons to miss that ride to the shore.
Contact: 41 W. 42nd St., 212.257.5826, gknyc.com
Cost: $52 for two savory course prix fixe; $78 for three savory course prix fixe
The Classics: Le Bernardin, Michael’s, 21 Club