Oct. 29, 2004

The New York made us glad summer stayed late

As we know too well, the summer of '04 didn't really get started until Labor Day, but when it arrived, it gave us a September to remember. At the very end of a month when we expect howling autumn gales we had two glorious days' sailing to Harbor Springs and back, in brilliant July-like weather with a steady breeze.

We were with our friends Svend and Marj Teglhoj, while more friends, Phil and Kris Elbert, sailed in convoy, making the first overnight cruise aboard their own, brand new boat. Fair winds put us in Harbor Springs early enough for some shopping and a nice walk, and we found the town in mid-summer form, with tourists on the streets, shoppers in the stores, and plenty of sails on the water.

As night fell, we got down to the business of dinner. All six of us are into good food (Kris was copy editor for our new book), so meals are a focus of any such cruise. We were also quite hungry because lunch on the way up had been limited to some flatbread wraps that left one hand free for the rail-down angle of the cockpit. After hoisting a toast to the new boat, we headed ashore for dinner. Our destination was The New York, Matt Bugera's delightful bistro in a charming building at Bay and State streets. It takes its name from the New York Hotel, which occupied the building a century ago.

The restaurant was already busy when we arrived, and we were glad we'd booked ahead. After such a spectacular sail it was a delight to settle into the comfortable, club-like atmosphere, surrounded by polished woodwork, etched glass, gleaming brightwork and tall windows overlooking the harbor.

We betrayed our appetites as we ordered. Bugera likes to call his restaurant "an American bistro," and his menu bears all the heartiness that term suggests. The regular menu fare is rich in buttery, creamy sauces, cheeses, wine reductions, and accompaniments of mashed potato, polenta, risotto, and we gladly accepted the reward of such comforts. Three of us ordered the evening's special: rack of lamb on a bed of garlic-mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. Phil, whose idea of hearty is an octave above most people's, went right for the one-pound veal chop he'd spied on the daily blackboard by the door.

Kris opted for seared diver scallops, which turned out to be the star of the evening when we later passed around morsels for tasting. The scallops were listed as an appetizer, but the server was quick to offer an entrée-size serving when Kris asked. They were plump, seared to pure gold outside, molten within, and plated on a creamy risotto.

Graydon ordered (ho hum) a petit filet mignon, which he ordinarily avoids in restaurants because it's difficult to convey precise degrees of doneness to the kitchen through an intermediary. But Matt Bugera runs a solid shop, and his menu offered an irresistible extra: béarnaise sauce. Definitely worth a risk, and by asking for "rare" he got just what he wanted: cooked through and beyond purple, but not plain pink, either. And the béarnaise was a delight--just enough tarragon to add interest and sufficient vinegar to impart serious zing to all that egg and butter.
The trio of lamb-eaters declared in chorus that the chops were exquisite, perfectly prepared and brightly complemented by the spinach.

The meal was not without flaws. While Phil proclaimed his veal an "excellent cut," he declared it done beyond the "medium rare" he'd requested (although "not enough to make a fuss about," he added). Serving six fussy diners is seldom a simple matter, and our server managed with grace and aplomb. Kris never did get the sauteed spinach that was supposed to go with the scallops. The kitchen omitted the mashed potatoes someone wanted in place of menu-specified dauphinoise, but the server seamlessly corrected omission by immediately producing a generous side of mashed. He also hovered attentively over the selection, uncorking, sniffing, swirling, pouring and consumption of three bottles of very nice wine the six of us enjoyed (one of the benefits of not having to drive anywhere after dinner).

Although pricing a la carte, but main dishes generally run $17-22, and even when you add $4 for a salad you're hardly in high-rent territory. Appetizers ($7 or so) are big enough to share. The wine list is both extensive and loaded with reasonable choices.

It's a good idea to book ahead here. The New York is locally popular and, like any good restaurant, has no real "off season."