Solamente Solo

Solo, situated in the atrium of the SONY building (550 Madison Avenue; New York, NY 10022; Telephone: 212.833.7800), is the brainchild of Joey Allaham creator and owner of the acclaimed Prime Grill. It is a high-end upscale restaurant featuring a fusion of exotic Mediterranean & Asian cuisine.

The dining room at Solo is the epitome of modern chic with its cool modular abalone-like mosaic panels & sand carved glass partitions, Mediterranean stuccoed walls, corkwood flooring, and bespeckled leather seating. It’s the perfect place for corporate pow wows, or when you want to impress.  I just loved the beautifully lit wall of gold olive oil bottles. Solo’s got an exclusive Club/VIP Room, and 3 private dining rooms available with plasma TV screens and controlled sound and lighting features with a seating capacity of up to 20. The VIP room connects to the kitchen allowing private dining with Chef Dan who incorporates Asian, French, and exotic Spanish influences in his exciting cooking style.

Now… to the food! It’s basics with a clean fresh twist. Presentation is elegant, artistic, bare yet precise, very Feng Shui balanced.

CS, the guy who says he doesn’t like fish, started with a Salmon appetizer while I ordered the Panko Crusted Veal Sweetbreads, with field greens, tomato, onion and citrus. Both were great choices. He followed it with a Solo USDA Prime Cowboy Steak which came with polenta fries, Chimichurri and green peppercorn sauce. I had the Beer & Plum Braised Beef Short Ribs (a feast for the palate AND the eyes) with turnip puree, sun dried tomato and pepper gastrique and crispy shallots. Both main selections were outstanding!

For dessert I took the very luscious looking, very aromatic, absolutely delicious Baked Pear with Strawberries in Raspberry Sauce while CS went for the the Caramelized Banana Tart which came with vanilla ice cream.

Our wine selection, a 2005 Benyamina The Cave was superlative and a more than fair complement to this superb meal. Eka, our waiter, was very friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He did not stir us wrong! We loved everything, Both Chef Dan and the Pastry Chef outdid themselves, BUT we wish the portions were somewhat more generous.

SYR