NYC Dining: Veritas.

Veritas by Alex Whitney

First published 4/24/2001

Go to Veritas. Quick, before you all read this.

Veritas gets top honors for eating at the bar, a highly underrated endeavor. Eating at the bar allows you to chat with the bartender, a revealing exercise; you get to chat with the regulars next to you, discouraged at tables at more conceited places. There are other advantages. The regulars are faithful and charming, for example. Discover for yourselves.

That's not all! Go to Veritas to read the wine list. Its like a novel. A discussion with the sommelier is one where you listen closely and explore what he is thinking and has to say. Go to Veritas because the food is excellent. Go because the service is more than competent, friendly, and knowledgeable. Go because you can have an adventure in wine for less than $20 a bottle. Go because the food is so good, you say, "Can I have another bite of that?"

I would say the best appetizers are Warm green & white asparagus with sautéed chanterelles and truffle fondue, and the Oysters, described below, which are popular, but not on the menu. To say these are favorites might make you think I'm disparaging Roasted sweetbreads, with marinated shitakes, ginger and soy sauce. Or, for that matter, the Chilled lobster salad with asparagus, fava bean puree, Ligurian olive oil, and vieux sherry vinegar. As with the main courses, the flavors are complex, balanced against each other.

On the oysters: best left to Steve Levine who said:

"A popular favorite (or so we were told) was my dish of Belon oysters poached in truffle oil, served in a creamy broth with Riesling, chive, and tiny pieces of fingerling potato. I can definitely see why it would be. This plate reeked of truffles, and had abundant leeks and potatoes in a broth so good that we had to hold onto my plate until we'd soaked up every drop with some of that classic Tuscan bread with no salt. The oysters themselves melted into a truffly velvet in our mouths." If I didn't live so close, I could have killed Steve for the Oyster dish.

The best reason to go to Veritas is to solve a recent debate mentioned by the respected Ruth Reichel: Is it about the food or about the wine? Ruth seems to be of the opinion that the wine shouldn't be more important, and Veritas begs to differ slightly... the wine and food are a harmony, and Veritas allows one to experiment with a balance of wine with the food, seeing what compliments each, with a variety that you might not have had courage to try before, given the prices. Their Alsatian (which they consistently spell Alsacian,) collection is almost fiendish, especially at $15-$20 for a great bottle. They aren't getting rich on the wine.

The main dishes are equally delectable: Steve had Seared Maine Diver Scallops, with a truffle chive potato puree, pea shoots and perigord black truffle vinaigrette: three immense scallops seared brown on the outside, tender and rare on the inside, redolent with truffle, a lovely counterpoint in the vinaigrette, a nice variation of texture and flavor. I had Grilled Fillet of Beef, deliciously rare, the most tender and delicious really rare piece of meat I've ever had, surrounded by glazed carrots, a small pile of haricots verts, two decent, rich and velvety pieces of marrow, and a rich red wine and black pepper sauce. It went marvelously with a Pinot Noir that matched both dishes surprisingly well. The sommelier, apparently a genius at his profession, pointed out that ancient leathery Bordeaux's might not be the best match for rich beef or lamb dishes, given the subtlety of the wines that are often chosen with them.

This is a great dining experience, a great value for the buck, as good as Gramercy Tavern across the street, maybe better as crowded as it is, and a fierce competitor in the Union Square area, which has ferocious representation in the Union Square Cafe, Gotham, Patria, Union Pacific, the Aqua Grill, and others. I like it better, thanks to the sommelier and the staff.