THEQUEENOFHEARTS

[EAT] Gemma @ The Bowery Hotel, NYC

The above images were taken earlier today during a late lunch that I shared with a friend at Gemma, located inside of The Bowery Hotel. Today's lunch was my first time eating at Gemma, a magnet for celebrities and socialites but I was just there truly for the food. Here are some details to accompany the above food porn images:

Insalate. Beets, Mizuna, Goat Cheese, and Pistachios. 

Absolutely delicious -- I'm really into salads with goat cheese and beets, so if you're into the combination as well, then I highly recommend you order this salad. The mizuna was delectable, a nice change of greenery pace for me (former arugula addict). The pistachios were a brilliant and unexpected addition to the soft textures and sweet flavors of the salad. The salty + crunchy of the pistachios added the perfect balance. I think that the lunch portion of this salad should definitely be doubled. 

Paste. Pappadelle with Oxtail Ragu. 

I thought this dish was pretty unusual considering it's a pasta with oxtail. For those of you who don't know what oxtail is, it is basically the gelatinous meat located in the tail of an ox. When oxtail is prepared correctly, it is mouth-watering delicious. I think the chef did a decent job with the dish as a meat sauce pasta, but I wasn't in love with it. I was hoping for a pasta dish that really featured the flavors of the oxtail. Unfortunately, the ragu was a bit of a disappointment in that regard and I probably won't be ordering this dish again. 

Dolci. Torta di Cioccolato. 

The dessert was a recommendation from our waiter. The torta was very rich and tasty -- a warm chocolate cake with a small scoop of vanilla gelato on top. Although I wasn't able to finish the dessert, I seriously regretted it as soon as I returned home -- definitely a dessert for chocolate lovers. 

Overall, I'd have to rate the food, service and the experience at Gemma with a B+. My waiter was attentive but he failed to read us the specials (I overheard him gushing them to Amber Tamblyn, who was dining directly behind me) and that bothered me. If I heard the specials, then maybe I would have selected a better entree. The salad and dessert were very delicious but the oxtail ragu was not mind-blowing. I would most certainly eat at Gemma again and think that if any of you guys are in the area (note the first image for the location of the restaurant + hotel), then you should definitely stop by for a bite! Oh and if you do, please feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.