Yolan
Michelin-starred chef Tony Mantuano is as gregarious as he is talented, so chances are you’ll meet him in the course of a meal here. I first had his food at the now-shuttered Spiaggia in Chicago, and dishes like his signature cacio e pepe—salty, cheesy, piquant sauce over toothsome homemade mafalde—show how capable he is of creating dishes that are much more than the sum of their parts. That being said, there are two major drawbacks to eating here. First, desserts are a big yawn (so order a dessert wine instead; their Port and sherry selections are stunning). And a meal at Yolan feels like eating in a hotel lobby. A gorgeous lobby! But a lobby still. Avoid the cavernous feeling by requesting a seat in a side room, and then enjoy the epic bread basket—mushroom sourdough focaccia, rosemary-garlic rolls, whipped butter—and don’t sleep on their veggies. Yolan is the only restaurant in town that periodically runs a vegetarian tasting menu, but you can always get inventive things like salt-baked celeriac with crunchy fennel, apple and miso.
Michelin-starred chef Tony Mantuano is as gregarious as he is talented, so chances are you’ll meet him in the course of a meal here. I first had his food at the now-shuttered Spiaggia in Chicago, and dishes like his signature cacio e pepe—salty, cheesy, piquant sauce over toothsome homemade mafalde—show how capable he is of creating dishes that are much more than the sum of their parts. That being said, there are two major drawbacks to eating here. First, desserts are a big yawn (so order a dessert wine instead; their Port and sherry selections are stunning). And a meal at Yolan feels like eating in a hotel lobby. A gorgeous lobby! But a lobby still. Avoid the cavernous feeling by requesting a seat in a side room, and then enjoy the epic bread basket—mushroom sourdough focaccia, rosemary-garlic rolls, whipped butter—and don’t sleep on their veggies. Yolan is the only restaurant in town that periodically runs a vegetarian tasting menu, but you can always get inventive things like salt-baked celeriac with crunchy fennel, apple and miso.
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