A Working Fireplace in March

It’s March, but the frigid weather has me thinking about chestnuts roasting over an open fire. Recently, I warmed myself by the fireplace in the bar at Public. Last night was especially cold, so I reveled in the crackling fire at the entrance of March Restaurant.

The multi-course meal at March is one of the most elegant experiences one can have in the city. The diner chooses the desired number of courses (we opted for four) from a menu divided into raw, vegetarian, seafood, fish, poultry and meat categories.

As we relaxed into our seats, our waiter brought by a basket of hot twist rolls fragrant with rosemary; I knew it would be a challenge to resist them throughout the evening. The amuse bouche was a salmon wonton, tomato on toast and the chef’s nod to St. Patrick’s Day: a bit of corned beef on a tiny cabbage leaf. Our appetites suitably aroused, we then inhaled our raw courses: thinly-sliced fluke sashimi sprinkled with sesame seeds and chives, and a rosette of smoked salmon accompanied by a dollop of zesty lemon cream and bulgur risotto. The sashimi was lightly dressed with olive oil, reminiscent of the crudo at Esca (another favorite restaurant of mine).

I again resisted the temptation of another dinner roll, and our next course began: seafood for me and vegetarian for my companion. I enjoyed four scallop-stuffed ravioli in a rich tomato cream, while my companion’s dish was a surprisingly sweet maitake mushroom with Japanese green soybeans in a mild parsnip broth.

After relaxing over a glass of Pinot Noir, we started in on our entrees (fish for me and poultry for my companion). My sea bass was perfectly seared with deliciously crispy skin, and it rested on another extraordinary mushroom preparation: black trumpet mushrooms mashed into a tasty, root-vegetable-like paste. A slightly sweet port-wine reduction wonderfully complemented the richness of the bass and a few fingerling potatoes completed the dish. My companion raved about his poached chicken breast, served with roulades of dark meat with spinach and pine nuts in the center.

We were then served a bracing fruit-studded apple-wine gelee to ready our appetites for dessert. At this point I was almost full, but I always have room for chocolate, and this night was no exception to the rule. Two small domes of warm Valrhona chocolate cake were a perfect ending for me, and my companion wasted no time in polishing off his frozen coconut soufflé. (He wanted me to inform you that it reminded him of a frozen Toasted Almond bar.) Then, a plate of homemade almond brittle arrived.

Walking out the door, we again briefly enjoyed the fireplace, and soon we were off into the cold night.

March Restaurant: 405 E. 58th St., (212) 754-6272.