The relaxed ambience and modern American cooking based on seasonal ingredients that was pioneered by Danny Meyer at the Union Square Café has made the restaurant one of New York’s most influential, earning a hatful of awards since it first opened in 1985. With the kitchen now in the hands of executive chef and partner Carmen Quagliata, USC has remained at the forefront of the New York culinary scene, serving Italian-influenced dishes such as pan-roasted chicken, Parmigiano bread pudding, balsamic cipollini; and crispy soft shell crabs spicy tomato sauce, zucchini, basil, lemon aioli.
As with all of Meyer’s ventures—from World’s Best Wine List Jury Prize-winning Gramercy Tavern to the (now-sold) Eleven Madison Park—wine has always played a central role at Union Square. Today’s list continues to excite: whether it’s celebrating (in multiple vintages) the work of top Amarone producer Quintarelli, offering a range of mature Madeira by the glass, or cherry-picking the best of Burgundy and the Jura, it’s unfailingly creative, interesting, and fairly priced.
Related
Content from our partners
