california-inspired dinner at upland

When we had a going away party to go into Manhattan for this past weekend, T and I decided it was a perfect time for the first date night in the city in several months. We wanted to try somewhere good with a robust menu and cocktail selection – and, most importantly, new to us. When I took a look at OpenTable there was one option glaring at me as I scrolled through the options – Upland. The California-inspired cuisine was something that stood out to us.

Located at the corner of East 25th Street and Park Avenue, it’s close to where we used to live. We’d passed by it countless times, always curious to check it out but never managing to make it there before we moved out of the city. From the outside, the colorful bar is inviting and we found it equally inviting after walking through their front door

We arrived a bit after 4pm, with the last of the brunch crew making their way out and those coming for dinner yet to arrive. Around 4:30, we were the only ones there at the bar – which meant great attention from he bartender and plenty of time before our 5pm reservation to try several of their intriguing cocktails

Between the two of us, we tried most of their cocktail menu. My favorite was the “Wise Guy”, which was Elijah Craig 12yr., Johnnie Walker Black, Hamilton Rum, Banane du Brésil and chocolate bitters. Such a unique mix… bourbon, scotch, rum and chocolate – and it works? Wow.  T’s favorite was the “Diablo Grasa”, which was Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, bacon, maple, picante and lemon. The maple, bacon and picante were subtle additions, adding a bit of smokey, sweet and spicy.

We’d checked out the menu earlier and had an idea of what we wanted to try. We chose to go with an appetizer, a pasta dish and a main course. There were a few dishes with mushrooms in them that were in broths, glazes, etc. where they couldn’t be omitted – however most options were fair game.

To start, we went with the big eye tuna crudo, which was  topped with celeriac, cashews and hemp. This was a much earthier take on crudo – and I loved it. The celeriac added a touch of crunch, as did the cashews. The hemp though was the earthiest layer. This made for a light start to the meal.

I’d heard great things about pasta at Upland, and decided on the spaghettini. It was served with a bottarga di muggine, peperoncino, garlic and olive oil. I wasn’t sure on the bottarga going in, but it added a nice depth to the flavors of the dish and wasn’t overwhelmingly fishy. The pasta was perfectly al dente and was overall quite clean. I’d originally wanted to try the pappardelle, but was impressed how flavorful the spaghettini was without a heavy sauce. Loved this dish.

For our main dish, we went with the smoked Long Island duck, which was accompanied by roasted apple, kohlrabi, labneh and root chips. Duck can be pretty hit or miss for me, as sometimes I find it’s too fatty, too rich or the portion size too small. None of the above applies to the dish at Upland. The smokey flavor was strong on their spin on it, making it taste more like a rich smokey bacon. I wasn’t mad at that at all. The portion size was about double what I was expecting – perfect for sharing.

We didn’t have time to have dessert on this visit and instead, grabbed some Magnolia banana pudding before we hopped on New Jersey Transit after our event. Next time we’ll be sure to make time for that final course!

Upland – 345 Park Avenue South – 212.686.1006
Reservations Recommended