10/25/07

Can't get enough of the Riverdale Garden!

by kat4

Located just off Broadway at 242nd street, the Riverdale Garden is just what we need around here. The highly skilled kitchen staff put forth thoughtfully prepared food that is fantastic. With the best risotto in the city, vinaigrettes that should be bottled they are that good - I always enjoy perfectly cooked fish when I go there. The fresh flavors (no heavy sauces thank you!), interesting menu choices (wild boar anyone?), and yummy desserts (big enough to share, not that you?ll want to!) more than make up for service that, while always well meaning, sometimes misses the mark. I love this place!

10/06/07

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by funniewill

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08/07/07

Something special in the Bronx

by shendel

The Riverdale Garden is a one of a kind Bronx destination that achieves a rare level of culinary excellence. I go there to celebrate special occasions and to create a special evening on ordinary days. Its elegance is of the casual variety, so only dress up if you feel like it. And you don't have to take out a second mortgage to afford it. The food is simply fabulous. I'm not sure what you call chef-owner Michael Sherman's style of cooking except, well, delicious. He uses the best ingredients and knows how to bring out the best in food. The menu changes often, so there is novelty even for regulars. Love the risotto, love the grilled squid, love the duck, the chicken, the lamb chops, the pheasant, the sturgeon. As for desserts...leave room; you can't go wrong. His food goes best with a glass (or two, or three) of wine, and whether you order by the glass or pick out a bottle, you are sure to be pleased. As for the service, if you remember that even though you might be eating one of the tastiest meals of your life, you are still in a local Bronx restaurant and not a bristlingly efficient Manhattan hotspot, you may just realize that the service is just fine. So cut these guys a little slack, appreciate how nice they are, and relax. You'll be amply rewarded.

07/02/07

Good Food, Terrible Service

by charlesmstam

I was very excited to book a private event at The Garden. The event coordinator was lovely and professional, as was the chef. I have no issues with the food, which was very well prepared, or the bill, which was well within reason. I was just frustrated by the utterly incompetent waitstaff. It took them forever to bring out the food and they were just didn't seem to know what they were doing. By my estimation, they added another hour to our meal. It's too bad, because this is a hidden gem and the food is top shelf. I just hope they can get their act together.

• Pros: Very Good Market Driven Menu, Terrific Value
• Cons: Lackluster and Slow Service

06/27/07

BYOB Tuesdays- a great deal for great food

by soozy_q

My boyfriend and I, along with another couple ate here for the first time last night. I had a great time!!!

The food was excellent. I had the ostrich, it was outstanding. My boyfirend had the pork medallions, it was good. My friend had the duck... which I tried.... and it was really good. The skin of the duck was sooo tasty.

I would recommend the scallop and sardine appetizer, the dressing is to die for.

We all plan on going back again when the menu changes. The venue was really nice and we got to chat with the chef who was very personable.

The only bad part of the evening was the waiter. Tuesdays are BYOB, a great added incentive thought of by the owner/chef to enhance business during the week! So we brought a bottle of wine with us and gave back the wine list. We told him we brought our own in since it was Tuesday. He asked us where we had heard of it, then he came back and insisted that there was a $15 corking fee. He then said that he was going to ask the owner to make sure... the look he gave us for bringing in our own bottle was slightly annoying. But soon after, they got us a bucket to chill our wine for us and the service thereafter was outstanding.

I would recommend anyone in the area try this place out. We were all very happy with our meals. Oh, and yes, the desserts are good too. Try the mint ice cream and chocolate lava cake.

• Pros: seasonal dishes
• Cons: uninformed wait staff

06/27/07

Great food

by grouchomarx

The food was excellent. Everything we ate was thoroughly enjoyable. Our dining companions brought wine since Tuesday is BYO wine/no corkage fee night (although we had to remind the waiter of this fact). Service was adequate, no complaints. The chef was friendly and conversational with us. My only complaints: 1) decor is lackluster - the place looked closed when we approached (everyone was dining out back in the garden and it was not well lit inside), 2) There is no bartender and the bar is rather uninviting. Street parking was no problem and I understand they have free valet on certain nights. I would readily go back to try some other things on the menu. Everything we ate was high quality and very well prepared. All staff were pleasant and attended to our needs. The other details need some work, as they affect the overall ambience.

• Pros: Excellent food, nice staff, garden
• Cons: No bartender

04/01/07

Haute cuisine, reasonable prices, relaxed atmosphere

by susannamacomb

We live on the Upper West Side and decided to do a day trip, lunch at The Riverdale Garden and then off to visit the majestic grounds at WaveHill. We are foodies and appreciate the likes of Bouley, Danube, Union Sqaure Cafe, Aureole and Capsouto Feres. This place really surprised us with its fine quality at really reasonable prices. After feasting on asparagus soup, fois gras on brioche with fruit compote, grilled quail on baby fave beans, and ortrich on homemade polenta with baby peas, we were hooked. It turns out that other people at the restaurant planned the same day trip that we did as we saw them at the garden tour at Wavehill! For Manhattanites, its worth the trip. For locals, it must be a godsend.

• Pros: Finest Dining
• Cons: Not so special decor

03/04/07

First time good, second time completely HORRIBLE!!!

by schatzi28

My husband and I live in the neighborhood and have always complained about the lack of fine dining in Riverdale and decided to try this place one night as a couple. We enjoyed our meals the first time, I had duck with a berry sauce that was very good. We were the only people in the place at the time, so the service was defintely focused upon us. However, we decided to bring back 4 other people another time 1 month later, and the service/food was absolutely terrible. We were there for over 3 hours for dinner because the meals were brought out at different times (sometimes one meal was brought out 20 minutes before another person's similar course!) and the food was often prepared incorrectly (i.e. overcooked). Our server never came around to check on us, and our meals, all in all, were not worth the price that evening. It was a complete 180 from the night my husband and I had before and I was quite embarassed to have brought the other people along with us there after having told them it was a good meal. Such a shame since I'm not willing to spend the money on a place like that again and take yet another chance to see if the meal will be good or bad this time.

• Pros: fine dining in Riverdale, nice ambiance, good wine list
• Cons: horrible service, extremely inconsistent, overpriced for inconsistency

10/10/06

Wonderful, romantic setting.

by darint

I love this Riverdale restaurant. It is close to the upper west side, but feels worlds away when you get there. The ever changing menu has always been on target, and accommodates with vegetarian options as well. I love the scallops, and their game dishes. Plus the molten chocolate cake is truly amazing. Also check out the AFFORDABLE well chosen wine list.

• Pros: Wine list, dessert, garden.

09/23/06

Culinary Fort Apache

by whiteknight

This is the only spot in the area for foodies! The atmosphere is pleasant enough and the garden out back is a nice touch, but the food! The tree ear mushroom risotto with crispy slivers of garlic was to die for. The wild boar with apple and onion was a delight. The service was over the top if you like charming and friendly. And the wine list is an incredible value of spot- on treats. Overall, a delightful surprise.

• Pros: Innovative dishes, great wine values, charming and knowledgeable staff
• Cons: Out of the way for Manhattanites