The Modern...

[KateMW]

We're going to a reception at MoMa the Friday night that we're in town. It runs from 7-9pm and we're planning on going to dinner at The Modern afterwards. We were planning on doing the Bar Room based on recommendations from this board. Before I make the reservation, I wanted to check and make sure that was still the general consensus. Bar Room over main dining room? Both menus looks great, but I'm not sure how hungry we're going to be after snacking at the reception.

Thanks!

[buttertart]

Obviously this is an old thread but we had a spectaular dinner at the Modern last Friday night.
A nice thing: it's not necessary for all diners at a table to order the same tasting menu. I had the summer tasting and M the chef's. Both were wonderful with a slight edge to the summer one as far as I was concerned.
We were presented upon sitting down with a small dish of popcorn flavored with porcini and with rosemary powder, and amuse-gueules of rice cracker with sustainable caviar, tiny profiteroles with avocado purée, and a spoon with a pearl of Vichysoisse. All were enticing.
Standout dishes were the scallop appetizer with sustainable sturgeon and trout caviar, which tasted dirty in the best possible old-fashioned meaning of the word, the chilled corn soup with a puff of hickory smoke (fun presentation and the smoke really adds to the flavor), the lobster tart, and the perfect foie gras with pickled wild strawberries (summer), the escargot ravioli, lobster "cappucino", and the duck breast (chef's).
Desserts - the chocolate for him and the pistachio for me - were excellent, and a small birthday cake with candle (pistachio buttercream, génoise, and japonais) was a nice touch even if we were too stuffed to finish it.
Friandises - too many to choose from - the gilded lollypop that has a thin shell of spun sugar over ganache is amusing and divine.
Liquor and wine service tip-top as well, a perfect (if large) Martini and wines from the low end of the list - a Alsatian rosé crémant and a half of the red Volnay (my choices, girly wines) - very well suited to the food.
The service was exemplary and charming as well.
A perfect choice for the occasion - witty and sexy food - and a real treat on all levels.

[scoopG]

Thanks for bumping this up and reminding me that TMDR is still on my to-do list!

[buttertart]

I think you'd really enjoy it, based on what I've seen here of your tastes.

[Harters]

Sounds lovely. Must try next time I'm that side of the Atlantic.

[burgeoningfoodie]

What is the general dress level at the Modern for the main dining hall? Could button down and khakis work or do you really need a jacket?

[buttertart]

There were men there in shirtsleeves. It's one of the more dressy places though (nice dresses on most of the women).

[RGR]

If you are going for lunch, there is no jacket required and casual dress is acceptable. However, at dinner, jackets are required. Based on buttertart's response, perhaps, the staff has been more permissive during this exceptionally hot summer. But when we were there in May, every man was wearing a jacket.

The Modern Dining Room photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863391@N03/sets/72157623999550208/

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[Harters]

Ah, in that case, I withdraw my idea of eating there next time I'm in New York - I am prejudiced against restaurants that are old-fashioned enough to still require men to wear jackets and I won't eat at such a place, however good the food.

[RGR]

As I said, you can have lunch in The Modern Dining Room without wearing a jacket. The a la carte lunch menu is exactly the same as the dinner 3-course prix fixe. There is also a 2- or 3-course lunch prix fixe but no tasting menus.

http://www.themodernnyc.com

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[buttertart]

My husband was born in a jacket and I like to dress up so I don't really pay attention to dress siisues since we're usually overdressed if anything!

[cimui]

I'm going to be the voice of dissent. The Bar Room has wonderful variety, but there is a distinct improvement in the quality of the food in the Dining Room. Ingredients are better, more care goes into the preparation. Entrees at the Dining Room aren't huge, so if you snack at the reception, just skip the appetizers and enjoy the complimentary mignardise for dessert.

[erin07nyc]

I agree with the above replies. If you will have already spent 2 hrs snacking, the dining room might end up dragging on longer than you'd like. I think a tasting menu would take around 3 hrs.

[Spends Rent on Food]

I second the vote on the Bar room. We've eaten in the Bar room several times and the main dining room just once. The food in the dining room was great - don't get me wrong, but the lighter dishes in the Bar room are just as good, and the Bar Room's atmosphere and decor are 100x better.

[cavafan]

Definitely Bar Room, especially if you're snacking beforehand. Great small plates, you can order as much or as little as you like. The Alsatian tart is outrageous, the duck and the tuna tartare are great. Lots to choose from. Enjoy.