New York City: The NoMad (November 2014)

My spouse and I dined at The NoMad for Saturday brunch in late November 2014. We made a reservation online using the Open Table reservation system, and the restaurant called us a few days prior to reconfirm. The NoMad serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays, brunch on weekends, and dinner daily.

The NoMad restaurant and hotel are located in the Chelsea/NoMad (North of Madison Avenue) neighborhood of Manhattan. The hotel features 168 rooms and suites. Guests must pass through the hotel to reach the restaurant; there is no direct restaurant access from the street. (The main entrance is located on Broadway between West 27th and West 28th Streets.) The restaurant is comprised of a series of rooms arranged around a glass-enclosed atrium. In the atrium, which is the focal point of the restaurant, tables are arranged closely together, with tables for two placed in the center of the room, and tables for four set around the perimeter. A bar and a library (the latter of which features a two-story space with a spiral staircase that leads to the balcony) offer additional seating for a quick drink or snack. Restrooms are located in the basement.

Restaurateur Will Guidara owns The NoMad (as well as nearby restaurant Eleven Madison Park), and Daniel Humm is the chef. Humm is Swiss-born, beginning his career in Switzerland and later working in San Francisco before settling in NYC. Eleven Madison Park (EMP), under Humm’s expert hand, has received three Michelin stars in years past, four New York Times stars, and has received votes for Outstanding Service and Outstanding Restaurant. Many of those exemplary qualities are visible at The NoMad as well. We dined at EMP in October of 2012 (see my separate review). The NoMad currently holds one Michelin star, which is evident in their food quality and service standards.

Service was fantastic! Our server was young, but he was professional and knowledgeable about the menu items, and he offered suggestions and opinions when we asked. Be sure to inquire and ask details about the menu options! Because we dined previously at EMP, we knew the chef’s potential, and guessed that some of the menu selections might be more elaborate than what they first seemed.

We ordered the pear salad to start, which featured thinly sliced pears alternating with thinly sliced daikon radish, topped with crumbled hazelnuts, and finely shredded pecorino cheese. When our server delivered the dish, we almost told him that we had not ordered it, for the chef plated the dish to look like what appeared to be an omelet. Next, we shared the scallop entrĂ©e, accompanied by parsnips four ways (pureed, halved, crisp, and raw). We also shared three side dishes: rectangles of thick pork belly, Brussel sprouts and leaves mixed with lentils, and wild mushrooms in a light cream sauce. For lunch service, The NoMad offers only one dessert: their signature creation called “milk and honey”, which includes components like oat shortbread, honey brittle, milk ice cream, honey drizzle, and dehydrated milk foam. If a restaurant is only going to offer one dessert, then let it be a phenomenal one like milk and honey!

We loved our brunch at The NoMad, and the culinary talents of Chef Daniel Humm that we previously experienced at EMP were just as impressive here.









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