Primped and primed, but not quite ready for the runway – A Review of SD26
“Primped and primed, but not yet ready for the runway” - A Review of SD26
BY CAROLYN ONOFREY
SD26
19 East 26th Street
Madison Square Park
Flatiron District
212-265-5959/sd26ny.com
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to get a reservation at the, barely three month old, SD26. Located at the southeast corner of Madison Square Park, I made my way with my two dinner dates to SD26. When you first walk in, you are greeted with a modern, yet cozy wine bar setup with high sleek stools at the bar, and low booth space on the opposite wall. The hostess led us through the bar (which I wouldn’t have minded staying for a drink in) and into a large lofted dining room with an open kitchen complete with Chef’s Table.
Our hostess dropped us off at our table and we were promptly greeted with a glass of Prosecco, a computerized wine list and a selection of homemade breads (very, very good bread). Not only was it a fun and novel way to choose a wine, but with about 1,000 labels in their cellar a computer was also the only way I would ever want to look at a wine list that large. I finally decided on a modestly priced glass of red wine at $13.
Computerized, Touch-Screen Wine List at SD26
The menu was comprised of small plates (some of which were available in larger sizes). Our waiter suggested we order 3 to 4 plates per person. My party decided to share five plates between us, one being a dessert. We went with the Spinach and Pear Salad with Grana Padano ($9) to start, followed by the Butternut Squash Gnocchi with chicken liver and fried sage ($13), Octopus Carpaccio with sundried tomato and herbs ($14.50), and the Pan Roasted Guinea Hen with chestnuts and leeks ($15.50). For dessert we ordered the Panna Cotta, which we devoured in seconds and were left wishing we had ordered three more.
My favorite dish we ordered was the Octopus Carpaccio. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender with spot on flavor and texture composition. I highly recommend this dish. My least favorite was the Butternut Squash Gnocchi. For me, this dish fell flat with the gnocchi having a strange, slightly chewy texture and the flavors of the dish tasting like the gnocchi was bathed in a sauce strangely reminiscent of SpaghettiOs. Must have been the chicken livers. The other two dinner plates were forgettable with the Guinea Hen dish tasting a bit too similar to the Thanksgiving dinner I ate with my family only a few weeks before.
Octopus Carpaccio at SD26
Overall, I was not terribly impressed with the food, but if what you’re interested in is wine and impeccable service, than this is your place. Our waiter Jorge was knowledgeable and friendly and even gave us a tour of the place when we were finished. The owners, Marisa and Tony May were also there, thanking everyone for stopping by to try out their latest baby.
I will most likely be back to SD26 one day, if not to give dinner another chance, then to certainly have a wine, meat, and cheese tasting. I wish Marisa and Tony the best in making their newest adventure a success!
Very informative!
I went there off of your review and man were you right with the octopus it was very good and I am a wine head so when they gave me the computer I was like a kid in the candy store thanks for your insight hope to hear more thanks