210546 Thu May 20 14:21:48 -0700 2004 8 18 Manhattan 0 1120914 Going to Hearth tomorrow and wanted to know if there are any "not to be missed" items on the menu. i'm also aware that people seemed to have issues with the two different seating areas, could somebody explain the difference Thu May 20 14:21:48 -0700 2004 0 Guy 1 1120919 I've been twice and adored the side of Hen of the Woods mushrooms and side of the gnocci - both are sublime! For dessert, the milk chocolate tart with a corn meal crust is very yummy! There is a small room beyond the kitchen, with a few tables that I suppose is quieter than the main room, but I did not have any problems with the volume in the main room. Thu May 20 14:36:44 -0700 2004 1120914 0 mew 1 1120923 Personally, I liked the back room since it was quieter and more intimate. Absolutely loved the hen of the woods mushrooms, these are not to be missed! Thu May 20 14:57:23 -0700 2004 1120914 0 Jen 1 1120928 I agree about the mushrooms. Incredible. I would like to talk about the gnocchi, but they were 86'ed when we ordered (they must be good). The quail appetizer is also very very good, as is the duck papparadelle entree. 4 of us each got different apps and entrees and the only one's I thoroughly enjoyed were the ones I've mentioned. I found their fish dishes to be underwhelming. Thu May 20 15:00:54 -0700 2004 1120914 0 dkstar1 1 1120930 I think both seating areas are fine - there's no Siberia: the front is livelier, the rear more intimate. Thu May 20 15:03:04 -0700 2004 1120914 0 Wilfrid 1 1120931 I quite enjoyed the braised octopus appetizer. I also loved the chocolate tart with peanut brittle ice cream. Everyone raves about the hen of the woods mushrooms, which I look forward to trying myself next time I go. Thu May 20 15:03:18 -0700 2004 1120914 0 kirk 1 1120937 Things I particularly like: fava and pecorino salad tuna appetizer - raw tuna 3 ways! foie gras torchon roasted quail appetizer Monkfish wrapped in prosciutto all the roasted meats - veal, lamb, sirloin - are delicious. Get a cheese plate. I love the strawberry/rhubarb tart Don't miss the hen of the woods mushrooms. I'm obsessed with the gnocchi...and the polenta is a creamy dream. I prefer the back room - smaller and quieter. Enjoy! And enjoy that terrific wine list! Get some advice from the very helpful wine staff... Thu May 20 15:14:00 -0700 2004 1120914 0 Nina W. 1 1120945 I'm a TO hound who just returned from a great few days of eating in NY, thanks largely to the suggestions posted on this board. We loved our dinner at Hearth. We sat in the front room, which was noisy but not too much so (in contrast with Biltmore Room which had great food but we could hardly hear ourselves speak). I would highly recommend the halibut with a fresh pea puree and mussels - the flavours are subtle but really fresh and well-balanced. Our waiter was kind enough to bring us a side of the now infamous hen of the woods mushrooms (they're out of season and not on the spring menu, except as part of a pasta dish, but they brought us some anyway) - these were, without a doubt, the best mushrooms I have ever eaten in my life. We also ordered the fava bean and young pecorino appetizer as a side dish with the fish and mushrooms - the flavours in these 3 dishes complemented each other really well. Every bite was a taste of spring. I would also recommend the Austrian white wine with this (I forget the exact name but the first word was "schloss"). For dessert, we loved the coconut souffle with milk chocolate sauce. Personally, I can't wait to go back. Thu May 20 15:31:19 -0700 2004 1120914 0 Peppermint Pate 1 1120979 i went to hearth for the first time last night and loved it. for apps we had the sardines (marinated w/ soffrito crudo) and the tuna. the sardines (which i love and often order and then am often disappointed by) were some of the best i've had anywhere. but i loved the tuna even more - raw tuna three ways: minced w/ mint and wrapped with cucumber, tiny dice with pickled ramps & mint & cucumber, single cube on bed of cucumber with pickled ramp gelee. a phenomenal appetizer. for a main course we shared the veal breast, rolled and served with peas, spring onion, morels and sweetbreads. what a dish. every element cooked to perfection, and it tasted perfectly of spring. the veal was fork-tender (e.g. tender enough to cut with a fork). for dessert we had the apple cider doughnuts. they were good enough, but i did not like them as well as the risotto fritter dessert at red cat, which is similar in that both desserts combine a fried starch element with fruit and cream. my friend liked them a lot though. the wine list is really interesting, and because you can order 6 oz glasses or 3 oz tastes, we sampled four different wines with our dinner. with the sardines, an aligote, which was exceedingly crisp and minerally. i enjoyed it very much, though it was somewhat overwhelmed by the sardines (though perhaps any wine would have been - they were quite briny). with the tuna, we had a white wine from northern italy with a german name (exact name is escaping me right now) with peach and mineral tones. this was fuller and fruitier than the aligote and was an excellent match with the tuna. (we ordered two "glasses" but the waitress split the pours into four glasses so we each ended up with a glass of both wines). with the veal we shared a "taste" of the volnay from cote de beaune, an elegant wine that matched well with the veal. and after that we shared a "taste" of an argentinean wine (cab, malbec, and merlot blend) with powerful fruit and spice, really big in the mouth. this was also a good wine, a little too big for the veal in my view, and we mostly drank it while waiting for dessert. the service was excellent - somebody always appeared exactly when we needed them. our waitress was warm and friendly and quite knowledgeable about the food and wine, responding with grace and intelligence to our rather detailed questions. Thu May 20 18:07:22 -0700 2004 1120914 0 queue