Review: The Lymbar at Midtown's Ion is vibrant and a lot of fun
Food: Highly personal mix of Latin American and Mediterranean, with a modular menu great for snacking or full meals. Plenty of hits and, at 3 1/2 months old, a few misses.Vibe: Delightfully quirky and relaxed, populated by a young-to-older crowd that’s dressed to network.Service: Welcoming and mostly very good.Parking: Fenced valet lot at dinner; free lot at lunch. Some street parking on Eagle St.
A menu bristling with such clever snacks and cocktails seems bound to make the Lymbar into the Ion’s go-to lounge and hangout Cordua intends it to be. The big, quirky room occupies a ground-floor corner of the radically reimagined 1939 Sears store that houses the tech incubator. There’s a sly mid-century charm to the Gin Braverman design, and range of seating options beckons tenants and passersby to come in.
So the menu’s cultural splices are not so farfetched. Bubbly-crusted empanadas might hold a sultry mix of spinach, feta and halloumi cheeses; or crumbly beef kofta studded with pinenuts and accented with hummus and scarlet “bomba,” the Calabrian chili condiment. They work. So, amusingly, does the vintage Americana of a Monte Cristo empanada, its salty innards of ham, turkey and Gruyere set against a racy raspberry/sesame vinaigrette. Shades of the 1980s.
Such puzzling blips are the exception, not the rule. The Baby Gem Caesar is punchy and pitch-perfect, right down to the toasted panko crumbs that liven the texture. I loved a seasonal special of sous-vide duck breast in a cherry mole negro; and feisty corn gnocchi in a pool of smoked tomato sauce, sparked by tart bursts of uncooked grape tomato. Their texture had the slight graininess of masa, a nod to the menu’s underlying corn theme. Like a number of dishes here, the gnocchi are listed under “bar bites” but could serve as a main course.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Man dies in unclear circumstances after being found unconscious in Midtown jail cell | amNewYorkA 38-year-old man died in mysterious circumstances on Saturday after being discovered unconscious in a Midtown Manhattan jail cell, police announced.
Read more »
Prisoner death in Midtown precinct under investigation - New York Amsterdam NewsNew York City police are investigating the death of a 38-year-old man who was found unresponsive in a police precinct jail cell in Manhattan. Officials said the man was found unconscious Saturday afternoon in the Midtown South precinct lockup.
Read more »
Crowd descends on Midtown as President Trump returns to NYC for Tuesday arraignmentTrump supporters, journalists, police and curious tourists flooded the sidewalks outside of Trump Tower, where former President Donald Trump was set to spend Monday night before his arraignment in Lower Manhattan the next day.
Read more »
Dr Alison Brind: 'I want to be remembered for liver disease work'Dr Alison Brind, from Stoke-on-Trent, is fundraising after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Read more »