99 Bank Street (corner of Hudson St.)
212-597-9099
American. Approaching The Mary Lane, I glanced inside. Panoramic floor to ceiling windows made that blissfully inevitable. Struck by how warm and inviting it all looked, I couldn’t wait to enter.
The host was beyond welcoming and solicitous. Her graciousness set the tone for the evening, seconded by the highly enthusiastic and knowledgeable server.
I hoped the meal would live up to the pitch perfect staff, and it did in every way.
Each dish is well thought out and executed far beyond expectation. I began with the Jonah crab salad, an insanely inspired combination of mutsu apple, charred avocado, radicchio and radish.
Equally compelling, but in a completely different way, the king trumpet mushroom tartare. Magically minced amidst capers, truffle-dijon aioli and crispy sunchokes, the ideal veggie infusion.
Surprising absolutely no one, the second courses are as divine as the first.
The Hampshire pork loin is rosemary brined to perfection with caraflex sauerkraut, marble potatoes and pear mostarda.
While the sautéed halibut, of Nova Scotia provenance, a masterwork graced by roasted market grapes, leeks and bon shimeji mushrooms.
For dessert, I indulged in both the pear & quince crisp (oat streusel, ginger ice cream) and chocolate cake with espresso buttercream plus toasted hazelnuts. Choosing a favorite? Just impossible.
The easy choice? A visit to The Mary Lane. You’ll get your first taste from down the block. And each one after that is paradise, pure and simple.