Penny
Seafood restaurant Penny made every “best of” list in Gotham when it debuted in 2024, matching the record set by its downstairs sibling Claud, founded in 2022, and set right below this second floor eatery. Both are the work of Joshua Pinsky, a chef whose name will someday be as well recognized as Daniel Boulud or Eric Ripert, I have no doubt. Of the two, I prefer Penny, which elevates the fruits of the sea, both raw and cooked, to new heights. Though sometimes not literally: what’s usually a “seafood tower” is here the “ice box” with marinated, poached, and raw clams, oysters, mussels, creamy poached shrimp, and raw fish laid in a box of ice with three delicious dipping sauces on the side. Other menu masterpieces include savory strips of roasted mackerel topped with just-hot-enough peppers; a “cassoulet” of seafood; and the best wedge salad in the city, topped by mimolette cheese and a delightfully tart vinaigrette. You eat all this at a long marble counter, while watching the beanie-hatted chefs at work. Really fun. Claud, down in the basement, is still serving accomplished European food, though it doesn’t have the buzz Penny does, or the chef-front seating. But a meal at either will be memorable.
Seafood restaurant Penny made every “best of” list in Gotham when it debuted in 2024, matching the record set by its downstairs sibling Claud, founded in 2022, and set right below this second floor eatery. Both are the work of Joshua Pinsky, a chef whose name will someday be as well recognized as Daniel Boulud or Eric Ripert, I have no doubt. Of the two, I prefer Penny, which elevates the fruits of the sea, both raw and cooked, to new heights. Though sometimes not literally: what’s usually a “seafood tower” is here the “ice box” with marinated, poached, and raw clams, oysters, mussels, creamy poached shrimp, and raw fish laid in a box of ice with three delicious dipping sauces on the side. Other menu masterpieces include savory strips of roasted mackerel topped with just-hot-enough peppers; a “cassoulet” of seafood; and the best wedge salad in the city, topped by mimolette cheese and a delightfully tart vinaigrette. You eat all this at a long marble counter, while watching the beanie-hatted chefs at work. Really fun. Claud, down in the basement, is still serving accomplished European food, though it doesn’t have the buzz Penny does, or the chef-front seating. But a meal at either will be memorable.
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