EATS: Knife Pleat
Knife Pleat on the Penthouse level immerses diners in a refined atelier befitting its worldly couture neighbors. Here is where respected French chef Tony Esnault creates bespoke seasonal cuisine, with his gift for elevating classic dishes to uncharted heights.
Knife Pleat’s Crescent Duck with celeriac
Consider his sophisticated take on escargot. Each is carefully encased in translucent pasta, embedded with tiny parsley leaves, then served in a shallow bowl of steaming mushroom-celery broth. It’s a brilliant first course. Honey-spiced duck breast and legs confit from Long Island’s fabled Crescent Farms makes a lovely main course, pairing the rich bird with celeriac, yams and tart-sweet pomegranate. For dessert, share the shimmering Caramel, an intriguing dome enclosing V.S.O.P. Cognac mousse, almond cake, crumble and caramel ice cream.
Esnault’s brand of ingenuity is well matched with partner Yassmin Sarmadi, herself the visionary restaurateur behind the seminal L.A. bistro, Church & State. Expect to see her elegantly gliding about the ethereal space, greeting diners and quietly checking on every little thing. At Knife Pleat, tiny details matter. For example, a cocktail that honors Christian Dior includes Calvados, a nod to Dior’s birthplace in Normandy. And if you can swing it, do peek into both restrooms and admire an artful contrast of design.
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