Gramercy Tavern, one of Danny Meyer's restaurants, and one of the most popular restaurants in NYC, is a spot I had never been to, until last week. Why is the place so popular? Is it the food? Is it the service? Is it the space? Is it all hype? It is not all hype. It is the food, the service, and the space. Gramercy Tavern is the perfect restaurant.

You can either dine in the more casual tavern area up front, with an absolutely gorgeous mural along the wall, or you can dine in the expansive and very nice dining room. Both rooms have different menus. I took a seat in the tavern and had a three course tasting menu for $35, and amazing service that had me smiling throughout. This was an amazing deal!

To celebrate my first time at this fabulous restaurant I started with a cocktail called the Mezcaliente, Jalapeño-Infused Tequila, Sombra Mezcal, Lime, and Cucumbers. Refreshing, welcoming, and perfect. Just like the restaurant.

An amuse bouche of three different bites was truly splendid, and awakened my taste buds.

A warm salad over lentils was absolutely mind-blowing. I thought to myself that it was the best salad I had ever had. Fresh, warm, colorful, tasty, and beautiful. It was a work of art on my taste buds, any museum would be jealous.

A crispy, tender, and juicy poussin (young chicken) was delicious. I rarely eat poussin, but this was a really nice dish.

I ended my meal with the chocolate pudding with salted caramel and brioche croutons. The best pudding I had ever had, the name "Jello" disappeared from my vocabulary forever (until just now). The brioche croutons were wonderful and ingenious.

So, if you crave perfection, Gramercy Tavern is the perfect place to dine at. Go now, or go later, I can promise you that good things come to those who wait, but the sooner the better.

Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20th St. (bet. Broadway and Park Ave. South)
New York, NY 10003
212-477-0777
www.gramercytavern.com