Lobster
I'M LITERALLY GOING TO HAVE A PANIC ATTACK DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MARK IS ONLY 3.5 STARS ON YELP.
It's times like these I wish I could give a Yelp seminar on what makes a great restaurant. If someone were to ask me what my favorite restaurant is in Manhattan (I eat out LITERALLY every single day and most days, twice a day, usually at top notch restaurants) I would say The Mark. Why you ask? Well let me explain...
ATMOSPHERE
Upper east side traditional with a modern twist. The crowd is definitely the movers and shakers of the Upper East Side. The restaurant oozes modern luxury (the hotel does as well).
SERVICE
The service is always great. Sure maybe there are a few hiccups here and there but honestly nothing to get upset about or notice. The first time I ever came here my friend made a joke about it being a special night or something and the waitress brought over a complementary dessert. It's that small touch that brought me back here a second time with my family and friends.
FOOD
Here. We. Go!
I really don't enjoy eating at "fusion places" which blend different styles of food together or places that have large menu's. I feel like a restaurant should pick one thing and just be very good at that. Well,
1- The Mark has a HUGE menu. HUGE. HUGE. HUGE. The Mark has everything from sushi to fresh seafood to steak to pizza, pasta, cheeseburgers, veal, lamb, chicken... do I really have to continue?! You will feel anxiety just reading the menu as the choices are honestly endless.
2- Definitely has a fusion of many different types of cuisine all on one menu. Yet all surprisingly well executed.
+ Seafood platter (small portion) - Absolutely delicious and was an amazing thing for 4 of us to share. I think it's honestly priced lower than it should be for a seafood platter of that size so take advantage of this!
+++ Lobster - ABSOLUTELY the best thing on the menu that I have eaten thus far. While it was plated differently the two times that I dined at The Mark, the flavor was still the same.
+ Lamb - My friend stated that this was one of the best lamb's he has ever had.
+ Crispy sushi - Really great. I was cautious with this dish as I eat sushi as some of the best sushi counters in the world and am extremely picky with raw fish but this was not bad. For a place with such a big menu, I was very surprised at how good this dish was.
+ Char grilled octopus - Delish
I can't remember the other dishes that I had but those were the ones that really stood out to me.
DESSERT
I'm actually not a big sweets person. I used to be and then thankfully grew out of that stage (thankfully as in calories-wise).
+++++ BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING - Salty, sweet, butterscotchy. Dear Lord! One of the best desserts that I have ever consumed in my entire life. I absolutely adored this.
+ Angel food cake - Delish but not as good as my butterscotch pudding ^
+ Vanilla ice-cream with chocolate sauce - Sounds very simple but this dish had a lot of flavor actually. It comes very nicely presented as well.
+ Selection of sorbets - Also very well plated and tasty.
I am a HUGE fan and will definitely make this a regular spot.
