Photo by Frank Oudeman
Ever since he turned up in NYC, first at the long-defunct Atlas on Central Park South, British chef Paul Liebrandt has been sprouting all kinds of nut-job ideas—and bless him for that. Say what you will about molecular gastronomy and its equally overwrought brethren; it’s healthy to have a cheerfully bonkers streak running through a few of the city’s restaurants. Chicago embraced this long before NYC did. At Corton, Liebrandt may not be as consistent in his results as, say, Wylie Dufresne at WD-50, but he brings a thrilling little jolt to owner Drew Nieporent’s old Montrachet space—as does the bracingly stark (if a bit sterile) new mostly-white color scheme. Liebrandt’s menu is definitely not un-precious—a menu listing might read “rabbit, diver scallop, artichoke, sweet potato, black garlic”—and it’s not foolproof, but when he scores he scores (as in the inspired corn concoction involving sweetbreads, almond milk, and ruby shrimp). And it’s just fun to eat this way sometimes—if you can avoid letting the bill be a buzzkill.
Corton. 239 West Broadway between Walker and White Sts.; (212) 219-2777.
Prices/Features: UPSC, VGT (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)