The Plaza Food Hall

Walking into Todd English's brand-new Plaza Food Hall, I heard someone ask, "What are you in the mood for?" It wasn't a question with an easy answer. There was a sushi bar, a tapas bar, a brick oven for pizza, a cheese/charcuterie/bread/coffee/chocolate counter, a fresh seafood display a la Estiatorio Milos, an Asian dumpling bar, and a grill. Almost every seat was taken except a couple at the tapas bar, so that's where I plunked myself down. However, I was to find that every menu is available wherever one sits. (I wonder if this may change in the future, as there are plates of pesto maki flying all the way from the sushi bar to the folks ordering prime rib sliders at the other end of the room.)

I knew I wanted one of the blueberry-filled lemon meringue cupcakes I'd seen at the front, but I decided to pace myself, ordering... artichoke cacio e pepe, brandade fritters, charred octopus salad, grilled asparagus with preserved lemon zest, and lamb skewers from the tapas bar, a sweet Italian sausage pizza from the brick oven, and some crab salad rolls from the grill. (This was my only meal of the day, I swear.) For me, the standouts were: crab rolls... tons of sweet crabmeat tossed in mustardy aioli, spilling out of three toasted onion brioches; the sausage and aged provolone pizza with a marvelous, chewy crust that was not overcharred in the slightest; and the brandade fritters, which were lightly battered codfish cakes in a pool of romesco sauce and olive oil. (The one false note was the artichoke cacio e pepe, which was acrid and lacked pecorino - I think this simple dish of pasta, tossed only with black pepper and cheese, is perfect as is.) The cupcakes (chocolate grasshopper, strawberry cheesecake, and lemon meringue) were made by English's daughter; the homemade strawberry jam inside the strawberry cheesecake was a lovely surprise.

Now I'd like to go back to try the Kobe pastrami, the whole branzino, and the prime rib sliders!

(ETA: I just went back for lunch today, and I want to mention how accommodating the hosts were to my baby-in-stroller. When I'd requested outdoor seating at Sarabeth's, I was refused and told that I'd be creating a fire hazard. But when I got off the escalator and strolled into the Food Hall, a smiling lady led me to the seafood counter and let me park my City Mini right in the corner.)

The Plaza Food Hall: 1 West 59th St., Plaza Hotel, Concourse.