Olmsted

Now, this is FOOD. Olmsted is cute little place in Prospect Heights, with nice decor and good vibes overall. I went during winter, but I bet dining in the garden during warmer days must be very pleasant. The day I went the only option was doing a tasting menu. What an amazing experience. All the flavors were very balanced and seasoned, and it was one of the best food experiences of my life. Thanks Olmsted! Special shout out to the butternut squash and the salmon dishes, simply impeccable. Edit.: Went back 10 month’s later and thought the restaurant’s new seasonal menu was not up to par with my previous experience. Plus, they are charging 35 dollars more for their tasting menu.

This is the most underrated spot I’ve been to this whole year. I had dinner here by the bar and every dish was spectacular. The highlight was definitely the rice dish. We started off with buckwheat crepes filled with an arctic char filling. The herby mixture was complemented by the thinnest crepe taco with a subtle crisp to it. Next was Rutabaga Tagliatelle, a nutty, buttery delight with, again, the thinnest stripes of the vegetable in the shape of tagliatelle pasta, topped with savoury crunches. Top quality cheffing. Next was Lobster with Koshihikari Rice, the highlight of the night. The eyes eat first here, as it was elegantly presented in an almost yin-yang symbol, half filled with rice and half with an orange sauce. The rice texture is similar to that of a risotto’s, and the sauce brings forward a brightness that complements the heartiness of the lobster pieces extremely well. The tomato water that the rice was cooked with just comes through ever so subtlety, to top it all off. Chef’s kiss. We concluded the evening with Peaches & Cream. A classic pairing that wasn’t overly sweet - a refreshing end to the evening. 11/10 would return.

We’ve walked by this place many times and our friend was moving out of the neighborhood so we decided to check it out. We didn’t know what to expect but everything was WONDERFUL. We didn’t have a reservation but were able to get a table inside and moved outside to their beautiful backyard for our desserts. We went with the tasting menu so we could split dishes. We were greeted with a cherry tonic and I loved the panna cotta starter. Everything was delicious and the KOUIGN-AMANN was the best bread I’ve ever had—super soft and aromatic. We wrapped up outside with the s’mores. Everyone was very attentive and we were able to try so many interesting and unexpected flavor combinations. This is great for a special occasion and it looked like you can sit at the bar for a nice drink too.

Having lived in NYC for over 20 years, my first meal at Olmsted was long overdue. And it was, without a doubt, one of my top ten meals in the city. Each course was a testament to culinary excellence. Three dishes in particular left an unforgettable impression: - **Cow Tongue Appetizer:** It's a rare skill to transform cow tongue into something as soft, buttery, and bursting with flavor as this. So delightful that even my 7-year-old was enamored. - **bread service** the bread we received was nothing short of extraordinary. It had this alluring sweet, buttery garlic touch. - **King Crab Over Rice with Pea Mint Foam:** the best crab dish I've ever had. The richness of the crab harmonized perfectly with the freshness of the minty peas. We concluded the meal with s’mores, accompanied by actual coals to toast them to perfection. The combination of crisp graham crackers, decadent dark chocolate, and gooey marshmallows was a delightful ending. Special shout-out to our waiter, Chris, who was warm, attentive, and exceptionally knowledgeable in guiding us through our dining experience.

We have been here couple times, but it’s our first time trying their tasting menu. Food is pretty good, especially the kale with sunchoke. We also ordered extra sesame bread with hoisin sauce, which is phenomenal. The service could be better. They forgot to bring us silverware at the beginning and I think they might forget that we came to celebrate birthday.

We came here for a private dinner and loved it. The private room has beautiful wallpaper and the ambience of a palatial library. The food was delicious and wonderfully presented; each a work of art. The staff was terrific — attentive, knowledgable and sincere. We had a great time. If we didn’t live in faraway Manhattan, we’d be back more often.

I was ready to be awed, and a few dishes were out of this world, but ultimately fell short of expectations. The good: - Service was on point - OMG the duck!!! - Bread was incredible - creative dishes and fresh ingredients Complaints: - $14 for “lobster” crackers and hollandaise (no actual lobster) - $12 for (admittedly excellent) bread service consisting of two small rolls - limited vegetable options on the menu Overall it was decent, but not quite worth of the hype. 4.2/5.