American Brass — Restaurant in New York

This place is Amazing! It’s our second visit here since New Year’s Eve. We had such a great experience that we decided to come back last night to celebrate our son’s birthday. Since we avoid indoor dining, being able to eat with your party in the greenhouse is a great option. It was literally freezing last night. So much so that the heater was not able to warm up the greenhouse. About a half hour into our dinner, we asked for an additional heater and then it was perfect! I guess when you talk about fine dining, this is it. The presentation and service is excellent. When my son did a semester abroad in London, we had the fortunate experience of eating at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant. Yes, the food was delicious there. It is also a 3-star Michelin restaurant. But truthfully, American Brass is equal to (if not better) than what we had there. Service and how you are treated in a restaurant equals or surpasses food quality. In this instance though, American Brass knocked it out of the park in both respects. We all ordered from the Prix-Fixe menu. One thing though, that I did not like was that if you choose Prix-Fixe, then your total party must order that also. This does not make sense because it can cause a problem if you’re dining with a large party. Every diner should be allowed the flexibility to order what they want. In our case, though, it didn’t make a difference because what we wanted was on the Fixe menu anyway. My husband ordered a half dozen oysters as an additional appetizer, which was not included in the Fixe menu. They were reasonably priced and he said they were incredibly fresh and delicious. The three of us ordered the Butternut Squash Velouté (soup) which was truly amazing. Fresh Sourdough Focaccia comes with the Fixe menu. It is served fresh out of the oven in a small iron skillet. The bread is a highlight of their menu and I recommend it to everyone. My husband and I ordered the Roast Chicken with Red Wine Sauce that came with two Chicken Sausage Roulade. Not kidding when I say that this was the best chicken that I have ever had. The wine sauce was so delicious! Our son had the Dry Aged Burger with Cheddar and Bacon Jam. This came with the most delicious Hand Cut Fries. Our son kept saying how delicious it was! The Fixe menu comes with dessert also which was very good. My husband and I ordered the Apple Tarte with Vanilla Gelato and our son ordered the Red Wine Velvet Cake. Truthfully, I cannot say I loved the apple tarte. I found the outer crust a little on the tough side. They should’ve given us a knife because it was hard to cut. I would’ve like it flakier. But, that’s my taste. My husband loved it. Our son said his dessert was delicious. The presentation of his dessert was excellent. So, overall, I have to say American Brass is an amazing restaurant. The food is Michelin star worthy. The service is excellent with attentive servers. And, the view is the best. I mean you’re looking at the Manhattan skyline. What more can...

Mother’s Day Mayhem at American Brass – A Masterclass in Mediocrity

If you’re looking to ruin a perfectly good Mother’s Day and spend $500 doing it, look no further than American Brass—a restaurant so indifferent to service, it felt like we walked into a training facility for customer neglect.

Let’s set the scene: we arrive, full of hope, hungry, and ready to celebrate the moms in our lives. What we got instead was a server who didn’t so much as look up at us. No smile, no greeting—just eyes glued to his screen, typing in orders like he was programming a nuclear reactor. When we tried to speak? He barked at us for talking too fast. Charming.

He finally shuffled over to the table, grunted out a “What do you want?” like we were bothering him at a DMV on a holiday weekend. The energy? Hostile. The hospitality? Nonexistent. Honestly, it felt like the entire staff knew it was Mother’s Day, knew they’d already secured that mandatory gratuity, and collectively decided to go on emotional strike.

Then there was the “pre-fix” menu. Described as a delightful basket of scones, muffins, etc.—plural!—which turned out to be four sad little carbs to “share” among the table. When we asked about it? The server basically said, “Yeah, that’s it.” No apology. No offer to make it right. Just a shrug, as if to say: You came here, that’s on you.

And truly, that’s the theme here—you came here, and that’s on you.

No one checked on us the entire meal. No “How’s everything?” or “Can I get you anything else?” Instead, we were rushed to pay the bill like we were loitering at a bus stop.

Now let’s talk about the food. Or should I say regret served on a plate. The chicken sandwich? Imagine the kids’ chicken fingers got a gym membership and forgot they still needed to taste like food. The bun wasn’t toasted, the chicken was rubbery—honestly, it might have been training for the Olympics. And the fries? Clearly made in bulk earlier that morning, then abandoned to a life of soggy despair. You can taste the apathy.

For $500+, you’d expect—bare minimum—warm fries. But no. American Brass is less “elevated waterfront dining,” more “churn-and-burn tourist trap with a view.”

To sum up: avoid at all costs. Go anywhere else on Center Street. Even a hot dog cart would show more passion. If Gordon Ramsay ever walked into this place, he’d faint, wake up, and then torch it on national TV.

Happy Mother’s Day to...

We hosted an afternoon engagement party at American Brass on Saturday (about 40 people) for our son, his finance, and their friends. It was fabulous. It was an epic cocktail party with artfully arranged charcuterie platters, seafood towers with fresh oysters and shrimp on ice, and passed hors d'oeuvres (mini lobster rolls with dijonaisse and chervil on freshly baked toasted brioche buns, the best burger sliders - with bacon jam, house made pickles, aioli and cheddar - that anyone has ever had, Nashville chicken sliders with house made pickles, iceberg and creamy ranch on freshly baked sesame buns, Wagyu steak tartare with smoked egg yolks and cornichon on crisps, citrus cured hamachi with mirin and yuzu-kosho, "Rosti" potato crisps with creme fresh and caviar, and crispy pork belly with sweet soy and rhubarb mustarda on pork crisps). The food was beautiful to look at and delicious. Chef Kevin dishes were well seasoned, flavorful, colorful, and he has a way of blending textures (soft, crisp, chew) so that every bite is a delight. People raved about the food. Moreover, the variety and quality of the wines and beers they offered on the open bar were wonderful and the mixed drinks were delicious.

Pastry chef Ellen's mini dessert canapés blew us all away: mini chocolate cupcakes, mini lemon cupcakes, raspberry/strawberry macaroons and brownies. They were all delicious - filled with flavor and really adorable. The most brilliant part of her work is that they were all gluten-free (there were four of us with celiac or gluten-intolerance in the group). And, she made the gluten-free eaters freshly baked brioche slider buns and lobster roll buns. They were extraordinary. In fact, Pastry chef Ellen and Chef Kevin both worked to make the all food gluten-free (except the Nashville chicken sliders) so that everyone could enjoy it.

Michael, a manager, oversaw our event the day of the party, and omg what can I say. He was amazingly all-knowing and all-seeing -- all at the same time. He knew what was needed and when it was needed at any given moment. He is that good. The rest of the staff were professional, empathetic, caring, and wow- they work together as a team. It is...