European Chic in Washington Heights – Review of Plum Pomidor
4009 Broadway near 168th St.
Washington Heights, New York
212-781-3333
plumpomidor.com
“Excellence in everything!”
Plum Pomidor
Plum Pomidor describes itself as “European chic” and it does not disappoint. Its elegant facade stands out visibly from this part of Washington Heights, often characterized as an “emerging” neighborhood. I first visited Plum Pomidor, the newest of the Musabegovic family restaurants in the Columbia Presbyterian area, when it had first opened four years ago, and it is still going strong. The restaurant caters largely to the sophisticated clientele of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. The décor is chic (in summer, boxes of bright green wheatgrass paired with bright green apples), huge vases bearing bouquets of flowers and vines, and neighborhood painters’ art on the walls all year round. Plum carries live music in the evening on the weekends and there is also a weekend jazz brunch.
My sister in law and I dropped in late yesterday afternoon for a quiet late lunch. We began with glasses of Malbec—delicious, mellow, lingering on the tongue. So good that we wouldn’t let the waiter take away our almost-empty glasses until we were really done!
Once we spied the fact that the place makes its own pasta we both decided to try it. I am choosy about pasta and it’s often either soggy or crunchy. But this was fresh, rich, cooked perfectly. Her choice was a wonderfully smokey, ample, lightly sauced Tagliatelle Paglia e Fieno with Green Peas, Smoked Idaho Bacon, Root Vegetables and Cream. I sampled it and was sorely tempted to try more. However, my choice– Ravioli with Butternut Squash filling—was sweet, rich, almost too rich, but in any case irresistible. We finished with Valhrôna Chocolate Cake with Raspberry and Strawberry Compôte – for which there was a polite battle– and a terrific House-made Tiramisú. Two caffe lattes took a little of the edge off the sweetness- a perfect ending. My sister-in-law, who had a long trip back home to Connecticut, sighed contentedly knowing that she would not have to depend on the train’s café.. Service was a little slow but courteous and thorough, and our waiter seemed pleased with our enjoyment of the meal.
This was of course the luncheon menu. The dinner menu is lengthy and covers the waterfront as does the wine and cocktail listing, and reservations are advised.
As one might imagine, there are stories behind Plum Pomidor. The president of the family chain, Muntaz Musabegovic, came to Washington Heights from Yugoslavia where he was a supersonic pilot flying M16s and M29s. His wife led the way. Physicians from Columbia University Medical Center invited her, a leading child psychologist with a PhD, to come to the U.S. to work. Musabegovic followed her and the children to America in December 1993. After he arrived, by good fortune Muntaz landed a job as head of security at the Four Seasons Hotel which provided him with a unique experience to study the hospitality business at first hand. He decided he wanted to run his own business.
After 9/11, when Musabegovic began looking for space, he realized that his wife was already located at CUMC, which has a huge population looking for meals at all hours of the day and night. His wife first spotted the space for their first restaurant, JouJou. Musabegovic and his sons totally redesigned the space. At the opening the store was entirely full! And it’s thriving, 24/7. The Musabegovic family attribute their success to the primacy of customer service; hard work and long hours; meticulous cleanliness; standards of perfection in everything. This is as true of JouJou, a healthy fast food restaurant, as it is of Plum Pomidor.
But of course it is the food that creates the ambience of Plum Pomidor. The food, like the décor, is exquisite, delicious and upscale. The building is so lovely that it has set new standards for the neighborhood, and Musabegovic believes it has begun to bring up the overall quality of construction and reconstruction in Washington Heights. Block by block!
