Aquavit (Scandinavian)

Aquavit
65 E. 55th St. (bet. Madison & Park Ave)
New York, NY
tel: 212 307 7311

$25 Prix-Fixe Lunch

Summer 07 Restaurant Week Menu

First Course
Mixed Lettuce Salad

Herring Sampler
Chilled Avocado Soup

Second Course
Swedish Meatballs
Hanger Steak
Hot-Smoked Salmon

Dessert
Arctic Circle
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Okay, I know Aquavit is not located in NJ but since it is Restaurant Week and I work in Midtown Manhattan I thought I should take advantage of the $25 prex-fixe lunch menu. I went to Aquavit with two my colleagues and we ordered everything on the menu except for the salmon. Let us start with the first course:

Herring Sampler: "4 bits of herring, with the typical sauces-mustard on one, a cream sauce on another, a plainer one. The 4th was more original--cream topped with fish roe--and delicious. All served with the traditional potato, perfectly cooked, and vasterbotten cheese. As good as any in Sweden, and--I hate to say it--better than my grandmother's." - Linnea West, pictured on the right.

Chilled Avocado Soup: (First photo above) The soup was very light. Not creamy or heavy which is perfect for summer. The crab salad in the soup needed some work. I could not taste the crabs but the bacon in the salad gave the soup a nice smokey flavor.

Second Course

Swedish Meatballs: "Hard to go wrong here, meatballs are always a treat. These were huge and served in a bubbly brown gravy with mashed potatoes. On the side were lingonberries and pickles. Lingonberries (similar to cranberries) are often used in a sauce, but these were prepared a special way so as not to burst them. Very nice. The pickle slices were imported from Sweden, where a diiferent type of brine is used. I personally much prefer them." - Linnea

Hanger Steak: Juicy, tender, and flavorful. Lightly seasoned so you can taste the natural flavor of the beef. Excellent.

Dessert

Arctic Circle: "Everything I had up to this point was very traditional Swedish cuisine. The artic circle was a wonderfully bizzare addition to the menu, and it was delicious! I wish I knew the secret of the goat cheese parfait! Great flavor (def. used a mild goat cheese and the texture was light) It was topped with a wafer and blueberry sorbet. There wsa a yellow curd down the center of the goat cheese parfait cone that I originally thought was pineapple, but have since discovered is passion fruit." - Linnea

The taste and texture reminded me of a creamy cheesecake made of goat cheese. (Photo below)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with Coconut Sorbet: The little cupcake looked plain and wimpy but inside I discovered a soft, moist chocolate paradise with creamy peanut butter. The coconut sorbet was mediocre. I'm more of a gelato fan. Oh how I miss my days in Firenze.

Rating

Food: 4

Value: 3

Service: 4

Atmosphere: 4 (We were the youngest patrons there.)