Best Keith McNally Restaurant

Minetta Tavern 
113 MacDougal Street
New York, NY 10012

After dining at most of Keith McNally's restaurants in New York, I was resigned to the fact I would always leave his restaurants wanting more. Sure, the decor at Schiller's is inviting and it's a great place for a cocktail; the brunch at Balthazar is yummy (minus the wait) but the dinner is underwhelming; the pasta at Morandi is satisfying but nowhere near the bar set by other Italian places in NYC; and Pulino's is a good go-to when other spots on the Bowery are booked for brunch. Overall, I felt that Keith McNally was a restaurateur so successful that he had settled for mediocrity in his restaurants counting on his reputation to keep them busy... and then I went to Minetta Tavern. Minetta Tavern is Keith McNally's shining star, his golden nugget. My friend Ari and I arrived at Minetta Tavern an hour early for our 9pm reservation. Within fifteen minutes we were enjoying a martini, and were offered the option of eating at the bar. Even though we decided to wait it out for a table and the full experience, I made a mental note of the availability and efficiency of eating at the bar for my next visit. The full experience at Minetta Tavern started with our pre-dinner drink and intense people watching - the restaurant was packed on a Monday night and there was a constant stream of handsome people moving in, about, and out of the restaurant. We were seated promptly at the time of our reservation and started with a glass of Beaujolais that was served chilled - it was light-bodied and fit perfectly with our anticipation of a heavy dinner. We began our meal by splitting the mesclun salad with warm goat cheese and roasted bone marrow with baguette soldiers and shallot confit. Both dishes were classic - simple yet packed with flavor. Next came the black label burger with caramelized onions and pommes frites. Our waitress insisted that as first-timers, we had to try our initial bite of the black label burger "naked" - and we ended up devouring the entire thing sans ketchup or any other fixings. You can always find a good burger in NYC - Shake Shack, Bill's Bar and Burger, Fanelli's Cafe, Burger and Barrel - but the black label burger is on an entirely different level. Overall, we were so impressed with Minetta Tavern from start to finish - and if you are ever looking for a classic NYC restaurant experience, head to this Keith McNally favorite, the Best I've Ever been to.