George's Kitchen Midtown

• Cuisine(s): American, Brunch, French
  Hours: Lunch Monday through Saturday noon to 4 p.m.; brunch Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; dinner Sunday through Tuesday 6 to 11 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday 6 p.m. to midnight.
  Price: $$$ $$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards, cash
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Multi-Level
  Serving: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted
  Parking: Street, Valet

Description

When you sit at the bar of this upscale midtown locale, you can look into the open kitchen. Georges-Eric Farge, alongside partner and former Miami Dolphins and University of Miami quarterback Craig Erickson, constructed the space to resemble a theater. As executive chef, Farge hired Steven Rojas, a Los Angeles native who received a Michelin star during his stint at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas, California. A smoked and roasted duck breast, succulent and slightly pink, signals Rojas' skill. Coupled with a full-bodied duck jus and dotted with tart cherries and picholine olives, the sliced duck rests atop a thick puddle of cream-slicked polenta. Perhaps grievances shouldn't be uttered about pairing endive, arugula, sliced Fuji apples, candied nuts, and Fourme D'ambert blue cheese. It's an enjoyable -- and popular -- salad. But more innovative assemblages of greenery are to be expected from a Michelin-ranked chef. At George's Kitchen, desserts are prepared off-premises by Franck Monnier of L'Atelier Gourmet, a company that supplies macarons, pastries, and sorbets to restaurants, hotels, and caterers. Though outsourcing seems like a shortcut, Monnier's sweets impress.