Tono Architects

Being in architecture for as long as I have been (24 years), it has given me a great appreciation for artistic expression in many forms. One of my favorite is food. Yes, you heard me correctly, food. Now when you think of most food you really don’t have any vision of artistic expression. But several years ago a friend of mine asked if my wife and I would like to go on a dinner excursion to NYC. We sat in the kitchen of this very nice restaurant which was run by Gordon Ramsey. Well I can tell you, after that experience I have a totally new look at food in both presentation and ingredients. Since then, my wife and I as well as my daughter, have gone to many local restaurants in search of an artistic flair presented in the food, and we have found a few.
But with this in mind, my daughter had never experienced the place where the search all started. My wife and I had been telling her since the first experience how both unusual and wonderful that experience was. And we had even gone back with our good friends, this time to Maze which is a more casual dining experience with a similar menu, and confirmed it all again.
So my wife and I felt it was time to have our daughter experience this firsthand before heading back to college. So we made the reservation for lunch on Friday, August 20. We took a day trip to NYC with our daughter. When we got to Maze, she was intrigued by the interior design and architecture, but what we came for and received was artistic wonderfulness. Their menu had a dozen a la-carte items which were either an appetizer or entrée. So we used a pick three option, each selecting three different items. We were not disappointed. I will not go into detail on all the items, but will talk about our favorites. My wife truly enjoyed the Marinated beetroot and ricotta appetizer with pine nuts and Cabernet Sauvignon dressing. My daughters favorite was a pan seared Salmon with butternut squash, gnocchi and a brown butter vinaigrette. My favorite was the Tortellini of beef short rib, escarole, trompette royale and dashi. We shared each dish and after that we each picked a dessert. Chocolate pudding with stout ice cream, pretzel and peanut butter powder, Chocolate fondant and green cardamom caramel with sea salt and almond ice cream, and Vanilla custard with strawberries and others fruits with a strawberry sorbet. Everything was wonderful, with beauty both visually and in taste.

Next time you are out dining, maybe this will give you a new appreciation for the artist who lives in the kitchen. Unless of course you’re at a fast food joint.

-Dave