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LINKS
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FORKPLAY October 3, 2016
Avra: Fantasy Greece, No Passport Needed
Dear Friends and Family,
West End Avenue never strikes me as quite as frowsy as it does the night I stumble into the blaze and blare of shiny new Avra Madison, the 17,000-square-foot, 207-seat
blowup of a popular Greek spot
on East 48th Street across Central Park.
Rouge Tomate seemed meeker, more modest, almost decorous in this same space. But as reimagined by architect David Rockwell for Nick Tsoulos, Nick Pashalis, Marc Packer and the Tao Group, masters of sprawling
hot spots, the new Avra is already vibrating in its first week, drawing an Upper East Side crème de la crème.
Wall Street tycoons rising and falling, millennial
offspring of merchant lords and real estate titans, a
hopeful corps of strivers -- aggressively slim and trim and stilettoed. I see an eminence worthy of a vanity's
bonfire. Many of them are sporting wristbands that supposedly tell you how many steps you walked today.
Surely, some here tonight are just neighborhood folk, gainfully employed upper-2-per
-centers. And of
course, there will be stalwarts of healthy eating -- especially when someone else is paying who can afford Avra's fish-by-the-pound, "freshly caught whole and flown in daily from Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Florida, and New Zealand," $31.95 to $37.95 a lb.
I excuse myself to my host and go off to explore the glistening catch of yesterday on ice, deciding that
I'll be a good guest and not order the $53.95/lb. tiger prawns. I note Ivana Trump making the same hajj with her tablemates, remembering the fatal weekend we shared so many winters ago in Aspen. Eyes riveted ahead, she does not notice me.
Let me note that I am recognized at the door and given my pick of booths anywhere in the room. Tao's
executive chef partner, Ralph Scamardella, emerges from the kitchen, his whites just
spotted enough to suggest serious involvement near the stove. He promises to watch for my order and make sure the fish is not overcooked.
I ask the very young and agreeable waiter if any fish might possibly come from local waters. Red Snapper and Black Sea Bass, he responds. We order
one of each for our threesome to share. "Give us the smallest," I request, as if I were paying myself, and on a budget. The 1.29 lb., $45.09 sea bass has more flavor than the 1.10 lb.,
$34.05 snapper. I'll grant that neither is overcooked, but neither is especially thrilling. Alas, neither is totally boned. Frankly, I don't share Avra-fans affection for pristine grilled sea creatures. Next time, I might order charcoal-grilled swordfish with warm Yukon potato salad or Chilean Sea Bass "Plaki" for more fun.
Could be I've eaten too much while waiting, already had more than my share of the crisp cracker shards
that come with feta on a board, and a trio of freebies: hummus, olives, and oddly sweet bits of radish. And shared starters. The Chilean sea bass soup with fennel and potato chunks in a light, creamy tomato broth lacks oomph.
But the $21.95 mountain of Avra's traditional zucchini and eggplant chips streaked with tzatziki is
crisp and
meticulously fried. I'm the only one eating them, I
notice. Maybe fried is an Upper West Side affection. Great, late-summer tomatoes with cucumber, sweet peppers, onions, Kalamata olives, and feta are exactly what you expect in a Greek salad that costs $19.95.
The inevitable octopus -- grilled jumbo octopus from Portugal (the option my host prefers over the
octopus carpaccio) -- is tender and smartly caramelized on the edges, its sweet sootiness balanced with red wine vinaigrette. I notice well-born Gen Xers don't finish anything, unlike us peasants who were taught not to leave anything on the plate because of the starving children in China.
The $10 desserts -- baklava with honey syrup on a
delicious crumble and luscious olive oil cake with brûléed figs and lemon whipped cream -- are the evening's triumphs. Worth walking a mile home or an extra hour with your trainer.
The elephant in the room is Milos, of course. Avra
fans -- fond of plain fish by the pound -- remember
great moments at Estiatorio Milos.
Those who
can afford Milos, go. Those who cannot, hope to be invited. Avra has always been a blissful comfort.
Now, in this rich and regal setting, with the bold addition of sashimi on the menu, the reflecting pool below, a stone wall with rocks  imported from Greece, sculpture by Fernando Mastrangelo, and a private dining room with walls of white rock salt, Avra loyalists can look Milos habitués straight in the eye, flashing their perfect white teeth.
I've only passed one evening abroad in this land, but I detect a brilliant future already. Efxaristo! Thank you.
14 East 60th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues. 212 937 0100. Sunday to Tuesday 5pm to 11pm, Wednesday to Saturday 5pm to midnight.
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Today's Forkplay colors are lemon and lemon leaf.
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The photographs of Avra's crispy zucchini and eggplant chips, langoustines waiting to be chosen, tiger prawns on the ice table, local black sea bass, local red snapper, excellent "Gigantes" beans, a classic Greek salad, Portuguese octopus, baklava with honey syrup, and the olive oil cake with fig brûlée may not be used without permission from Gael Greene. Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.
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