Restaurant Marc Forgione in NYC!

All I can say is this place is the real deal!

With only 2 days in the city, I struggled to find a great tasting, authentic, and moderately priced New York restaurant.  After weeks of skimming food photos and reviews, I decided on my favorite Iron Chef's signature restaurant in the Tribeca area.

First up, we were presented with a salty bread and herb butter plate.  The bread was soft, warm and delicious.

Sorry, this is not a good photo.  I didn't take the picture nor order the dish, although, I did partake in it!  It's the delectable Chili Lobster and Texas Toast appetizer.  INCREDIBLE!!!  I didn't order it because I don't like lobster but I was allowed to finish sopping up the gently spiced base with as much Texas toast as I liked! Don't be fooled by the photo - there's a lot of liquid in that bowl.  We never did finish it all.

Next up, were these tasty stuffed bagel-like cheese and fruit bites.  These were not on the menu but a special addition from the chef.

Time for the main course - Chicken Under a Brick!  Look at that sizzling plate of crispy chicken, Yukon potatoes, and pan drippings goodness.  Only thing that I didn't enjoy was the bitter broccoli rabe.  Although, one of the diner's next to me said that it was the best rabe she's ever tasted.  Nonetheless, after 2 days of walking in New York City and eating light meals, my body was finally SATISFIED!  Chicken Under a Brick is an outstanding dish! Sizzle on!

Dessert time!  Sadly, this was not a highlight for me.  I ordered the fruit torta.  It looked good, but was drenched in too much syrupy fruit sauce.  I think I would have preferred the cake dry.  It was a very wet cake and the combination of texture and flavor was a miss for me.  On the other hand, my foodie partner in crime loved it!  I did enjoy the ice cream and nut candy brittle.

My foodie partner in crime ordered the pumpkin crème brûlée. She is not a pumpkin lover but most definitely, a crème brûlée fanatic! We once traveled all over Paris trying to find the perfect tasting crème brûlée.

Unfortunately, after only one or two bites, she was not impressed with the crème brûlée here . She thought that the texture was more like a pudding and she didn't like the pumpkin flavor.  No worries, they kindly removed it from our bill.

And, finally - one more item from the chef - dark chocolate truffles.  We are not dark chocolate fans, but when in Rome... so we indulged and finished one of the best meals we've ever had!

Restaurant Marc Forgione is a must do if you're ever in New York.  The service and food were truly outstanding.