Nestled in a lushly landscaped park-like setting terraced above the corner of 1st Ave. and 47th St. the new UN Plaza Garden – the considerably more casual off-shoot of the UN Plaza Grill - overlooks Dag Hammarskjold Plaza across 47th and the UN grounds with the impressive Long Island City skyline beyond across 1st. Far removed from vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the UN Plaza Garden’s menu is a considerable departure from its parent with a menu of globally nuanced casual warm weather kosher fare starting with: ”lite bites” such as Mini-Burgers, grilled onion, pickle house made BBQ sauce; Tuna Tacos, hand-crafted flour taco, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, ginger, avocado, mango salsa; Chopped Couscous Salad, red and green bell peppers, raisins, cucumbers, scallions, fresh squeezed lemon juice; and Lamb Shank Samosas, English peas, creamy mint. Appetizers include: Chilled English Pea Soup, Tipsy White Fish Ceviche, tequila, jalapenos, red onion, cilantro, lime; and Tuna Pizza, house made flour tortilla, avocado crème, capers, red onion, black olives, serrano pepper, micro greens, teriyaki drizzle. Among the entrees are: Classic Chicken Paillard, mixed green, roasted red pepper, balsamic vinaigrette: Roasted Mediterranean Branzino, lemon caper sauce, gilled yellow and green zucchini and a Center Cut Ribeye for Two, bearnaise sauce, mixed greens, hand-cut fries. Daily specials, such as a 30 oz tomahawk steak and a lamb chop trio augment the menu.
Visually the UN Plaza Garden sports rust orange umbrellas and area rugs as a colorful complement to the space’s gray marble walls and benches, well as the gray paving stone flooring. A playful mix of bold black-and-white striped throw pillows with those of a Picasso-esque print in aqua, orange and black cushion the marble benches cum banquettes, while strategically placed black lanterns lend a glowing ambiance after dark as do the LED lights lining the umbrellas spokes.
Open Sunday through Thursday from 5PM to 10PM, the UN Plaza Garden is located at 845 UN Plaza, on 1st Avenue, at the corner of 47th St.
Review 8/21/17 (Elan Kornblum)
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