Friday, November 13, 2009

Why, God, why?


I feel like a small child, convinced that those things which I love are doomed to die. First, it was Gourmet. Now, it's my favorite local restaurant, the Bar at États-Unis. An offshoot of the Michelin-starred restaurant across the street (which has also closed), Bar États-Unis has been my go-to for a cocktail, a crock of insanely delicious chilaquiles, macaroni and cheese (named one of the best in the city), guacamole and their superlative date pudding ever since I moved to the Upper East Side six years ago.

The staff were always lovely, and often went above and beyond to make sure I had a fantastic time. I once ate there, alone, on a snowy Valentine's Day. I sat at the bar, read Jane Austen and ate macaroni and cheese, and the bartender sent me home with a single white rose. A surreptitiously refilled glass of wine was always on offer, as was advice about what port to pair with that date pudding (The answer: anything tawny.).

And the vibe was - amazingly enough, given the neighborhood - pretty chill, and almost, dare I say it, cool. There's nowhere else in the neighborhood that even comes close to the quality, the experience, or the downright deliciousness of it all.

Excuse me while I go cry into my crappy airport coffee (I'm in LaGuardia right now, waiting to board my flight to Chicago). I'm all verklempt - talk amongst yourselves!

6 comments:

Louisa Edwards said...

Oh, SAD! I'm so glad I got to eat there before it all ended. Get on that plane, girl, I'll cheer you up with hearts of palm that look like space shuttles at Alinea...

Ms. Graham said...

Oh no! How will the bartender find his sugar daddy now?

L Vanel said...

A place like that right there. Maybe it was there for you when you needed it by divine design... It sounds like it was a wonderful place. So sorry for your loss.

Meg Blocker said...

Thank you all for your support - I know I'm probably being a bit overdramatic, but I always took Etats-Unis as evidence that the UES isn't the culinary wasteland it's made out to be. My faith is a bit shattered.

@Louisa - Oh, my...Alinea! I am so excited!

@Lisa - I'm sure he'll find a way!

@Lucy - I know, I was so lucky. I have to say, I'm taking this as a further sign that it's time for a change...

E.F. Slattery said...

Oh! What a shame! :( And I never got to truly see the magic their toaster was capable of...

On a side note--the Valentine's Day anecdote is a novel in itself. WRITE IT. :)

laura said...

i am soooo sad about that too. we used to live very nearby and we would go there every few weeks. it was such a perfect place, and there definitely wasn't anything like it on the ues (and i can't think of anything similar really anywhere). so very sad! i was hoping/planning to do a post on them and just have that perfect guacamole and chips one more time.

Blog Widget by LinkWithin