While we were walking around Chelsea, we decided to get some dinner. We found this restaurant called City Winery in Pier 57. It is kind of a T shaped restaurant, with the front part mostly empty, with the back area more full. We got there early so it was not as busy, but about the time we left, it was mostly full everywhere.
As the name suggests, they have lots of wines here. Great spot for a wine lover! They have a large bar towards the entrance area, and you can see so many different wine bottles along the way to the back. In the back dining area, they have wines on the tap, which was pretty cool.
The reason why the back dining area is more packed than the front area is the view. It is inside the Pier 57, with the view of the water and the Little Island! How cool is that? There are a handful of outdoor seating as well with a better view, but it was a hot day, so we decided to stay inside.
We started off with a couple of cocktails. A Sunny Day In Paris ($16), made with Captain Morgan rum, fresh lemon juice, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, and peach nectar. It was nice and strong, sweet and fruity. Very tropical, nice drink! Then, Pineapple Mint Margarita ($16), made with Milagro Blanco tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, pineapple juice, and fresh mint. It had a nice sweetness to it from pineapple, with refreshing mint flavor, great combination!
But, since we were at the winery, we decided to get a Flight of Wines! They had three kinds of flights, and we went with Classic Flight ($21). It comes with four 2-oz glasses. You can taste variety of wines with this flight, Riesling, Rosé, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Riesling was not as sweet as I thought. More dry than sweet, but had notes of apple, nice and crisp. Rosé was crisp and light, Pinot had full flavor, and Cab was deep and hint of oak.
Now, let’s talk about food! We ordered Poke Bowl and Truffle Fries. Something fresh to start off with, and then something that always go great with alcoholic beverages (in my opinion). We happy to see the large plates brought to our table!
Poke Bowl ($20) is made with sushi grade tuna, edamame, kale, cucumber, carrot, quinoa, avocado, heirloom cherry tomato, pickled ginger, red onion, with sesame-ginger vinaigrette. It was fresh and juicy, great assortment of ingredients that works perfectly together like a beautiful symphony. And then, one of my (many) weakness(es)…truffle fries! Their Truffle Fries ($17) is made with truffle oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, truffle aioli, and chives. The fries had amazing aroma and flavor of truffle, so addicting! And I appreciate the generous portion of the fries as well.
We added a couple more dishes, Kung Pao Cauliflower and Duck Tacos. Kung Pao Cauliflower ($16) is made with kung pao sauce, Fresno chili, scallion, and crushed peanut. We enjoy getting a good cauliflower dish, and this one was pretty good! It is such a great alternative to chicken. It was amazing with great flavor, cooked until soft without being not too soft. Duck Tacos ($20) is made with duck confit, toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, gremolata, goat cheese, and micro cilantro. It came with two tacos, quite beautiful with colors of vibrant red and green. It was packed with flavor, and went great with the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Their bathroom is close to the entrance, around the bar up front. The bathroom was large, with fun wall paper. It was well lit and well stocked.
We had a really nice dinner here. The hostess and server were friendly and polite. They have a nice cocktail and food selection, and we enjoyed everything we ordered. And, the view is really unique. The location is convenient, right next to the Little Island and nearby Chelsea market. You can do some window shopping and get some walk before and/or after the meal. We would definitely go back again for more tasty food and drinks!
City Winery – 25 11th Avenue (Pier 57), New York, NY 10011