RESTAURANT REVIEW: INTERSECT BY LEXUS
photo via Instagram
I landed a new job recently and to celebrate, one of my good friends treated me to lunch. He let me pick the restaurant and of course I knew exactly where to go. Intersect by Lexus is a new dining concept here in NYC brought to us by Lexus and Union Square Hospitality Group. If you know these 2 big names fairly well then you know that refinement, hospitality, quality, and a slew of other things come to mind.
Intersect by Lexus is an experience in select cities which gives you all the things you would need to live a Lexus lifestyle without driving a Lexus itself. NYC is the 3rd location, as Intersect has locations in Dubai and Tokyo. On the restaurant side, the dining experience at Intersect by Lexus is a lifestyle moment as well. Every 4-6 months a new chef comes in and gives diners an out of this world dining experience. This month we dined on the menu from praised Michelin Starred French Chef Gregory Marchand, which featured incredibly prepared food from himself and his talented team.
Entering Intersect which is housed in The Meatpacking District here in NYC is of course, super chic. With bright lights and clean lines, on the ground floor is a small cafe meant for coffee, light bites and small intimate meetings. Here you can grab a market green salad, a bacon scone (more on this deliciousness later) or a pour over coffee to start your day. Head upstairs to the second floor and you walk into the lounge with a circular bar and lounging area overlooking the street below. To your right, the dining room with a selection of tables for 2, 4, what seemed like a communal table and seat's at the chef's counter over looking the kitchen. As my friend and I check in, I reserved for us to sit at the chef's counter as both of us miss being in the kitchen, and it's always so fun to sit and watch chef's in their natural element.
photo via Instagram
I love a restaurant that pays attention to small details so when I noticed my menu was personalized, I just knew our lunch would be even more attentive and it was. As our server explained the menu, Intersect by Lexus has a great lunch offering any 2 courses for $35 and a more expansive menu in the evenings for dinner. Of course we wanted everything on the menu but decided on these fabulous selections.
Here's What We Dined On...
Baby Leeks Parmesan Sabayon, Smoked Egg Yolk, Puffed Barley
Lamb Ragu Pappardelle, Kalamata, Confit Lemon, Espelette
Lobster Roll Brioche, Beurre Blanc
Duck Confit Salsify, Sunchoke, Sesame, Bok Choi
Fried Chicken, Bacon Scone, Jalapeno Aioli
Warm sourdough bread and some incredible butter was the start to our lunch, followed by an amuse bouche of warm grougers filled with a silky parmesan cream. The lamb pappardelle was so insanely flavorful and rich as this was the most tender lamb I have had to date, and the pappardelle was perfectly al dente. The leek dish which was our favorite made my eyes roll back in my head. Tender baby leeks prepared multiple ways still kept their natural flavor while being paired with a decadent and intensely flavored silky parmesan sabayon. The smoked egg yolk added another flavor element and the puffed barely added a slight chew, also another textural element. This particular dish reminded me that perfection in cooking still exists in the days of fast all day dining.
Our entree’s came to us next and my friend let out a genuine sigh as he proclaimed the duck confit was the most tender that he’s had. The chef’s here do proteins right. My fried chicken was a small but great spin as it was juicy white meat, topped with sliced sweet pickled jalapeño peppers and a bacon scone that was good enough for me to save till the end and eat it on its own. Scones usually don’t do anything for me, but this scone was packed with bacon, a pop of sweetness from the maple and was tender to the bite but not dry in the least as normal scones typically are. As we sat there watching the chef’s prepare plate after plate of thoroughly perfected food, our eyes drew to one of the chefs making a lobster roll. We were going to grab lunch at another restaurant but the preparation of this particular lobster roll which included warming, dressing and topping the lobster in beurre blanc (a classic French butter sauce) and placing it into a seared brioche bun kept us at our seats. We immediately ordered the lobster roll, which the server kindly split in to 2 shared pieces for us and I never want to eat a lobster roll made with mayo again.
BEURRE BLANC LOBSTER ROLLS ONLY! I SAID WHAT I SAID!
After polishing off the lobster roll, both my friend and I decided that Intersect by Lexus is one of those places you come to again and again whenever you need a boost of luxury. The food, waitstaff and management staff combined were so warm and hospitable that you really feel welcomed when you walk through the door. Starting in April a new chef, Chef Sergio Barroso will take over the intersect kitchen with avant-garde cuisine and I already know I will be experiencing another round of that perfect Lexus lifestyle and you should too.
412 West 14th Street
New York, N.Y. 10014
(212) 230-5832