BY CAROLYN ONOFREY

Tao
42 East 58th Street
Midtown East
212-288-2288/taorestaurant.com

Having never been to Tao before, a place known in Manhattan for its see and be seen atmosphere, its delicious Asian fare, and of course, its giant Buddha, when invited I jumped at the chance.

Appetizer spread at Tao

I was surprised at how crowded Tao was, walking in to it on a Wednesday night. Not a table or seat in the place was free, and while waiting for our table (which we made reservations for about a week in advance), we sat (or stood, rather) in the equally, if not more crowded lounge area.  The cocktail list was enticing with plenty of Asian inspired martinis at $12.50 a piece.  I settled on the Jade Blossom, a mix of Midori, pear flavored vodka, and sparkling sake that was so good, I had to go back for seconds. [Read more...]