THE RIBBON
In one moment, with a faint smile outstretched across my face I’m taking a deep breath and notice that in my head I’m singing along to the faint notes of “Let It Be”. It wasn’t just me. Each word, every note, stuck there lingering in the thick summer air from the guitarist parked on a green Central Park bench around the famous Beatles mosaic circle on the ground that reads “Imagine” that I had sauntered past only moments before. No sooner than I noted this amazing moment did my feet continue to carry me out of it. Now, I’m on the sidewalk in a haze of pedicab drivers with their feet on the ground, bent, forearms pressing into their handlebars mumbling to every passerby. Mingling with them were taxis speeding by dipping through lanes to make their drop-offs at the neighboring museum. Talk about culture shock. I mean, what happened to my lovely guitar accompanied stroll through the park?
The plan was to check out The Ribbon, a restaurant I had be exceptionally excited for. Having a friend who lives in the same building as it, I had been stalking it’s build on and off for months. Thank god it was a half a block away, I couldn’t wait any longer. This anticipation mixed with the, albeit, normal city noise that felt impossibly unyielding in that moment, I could not have walked through those doors any faster had I had tried. A cocktail menu in hand, I could finally exhale.
Looking around, Google Camera style, I took in the space. It’s that lounge meets restaurant kind of vibe. You know, dim in the daytime. The light from the floor to ceiling windows that open as doors and line the entrance’s wall crept in but due to an overarching scaffold did not travel terribly far. This only served to emphasize the other lights, most notably the round bulbs that align to spell out “Ribbon” along the length and height of an inset wall.
Immediately, I had a cocktail in my hand from the super attentive and extremely kind server. Every single dish that followed was more incredible than the last. Of course, I have favorites! First thing's first, I never say no to a shellfish platter and I have zero intent of starting to now. If a restaurant rinses they're oysters before serving them on a platter, it says all that I need to know about a restaurant, meaning they are washing all of the flavors away and in turn don't know how to handle seafood. This is my first test at a new restaurant with a strong seafood presence. Well, I'm happy to report, The Ribbon passes with flying colors! Happy as a clam (pun intended) I extended my fork or used my hands to dig into all of the other amazing dishes.
As I sit here writing this, a month or so later, several dishes still resonate in my mind that you absolutely must try! Being a restaurant under the Blue Ribbon umbrella, you know, the same people who do Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken—you see where this is going—GET ALL THINGS FRIED CHICKEN! Ok, ok. Excuse my outburst. You also hands down need the Buffalo Style Cauliflower. Oh man, it’s such a fun way to a vegetable gluttonous. I ordered a second round of it--yes, it was that delish. Get all of the different varieties of Deviled Eggs and the Grilled Avocado. You will be a happy camper. Oh, and by no means should you stop there! Order more and more until you roll out of the restaurant. It's all amazing!
