Bar Americain

Description
Food Network behemoth Bobby Flay’s American brasserie hits the old showman stride here. Though the menu often speaks to the tastes of the tourists who stock the Rockwell-designed space, the kitchen does turn out the occasional gem. The bustling room, complete with deep banquettes and vaulted ceilings hung with massive orange lamps, is a fitting stage for the raw bar’s theatric dispatches, like sweet lobster meat given a vibrant jolt from avocado and sprigs of fresh chervil, and crabmeat that dallies with cubes of just-cut mango. Follow the kitchen’s lead and focus on the steaks: caked in a spicy rub and seared to perfection, the meats make a fine foil to kicked-up sides like a cauliflower and goat cheese gratin.