Its always fun to welcome a new restaurant to the neighborhood, and Shay & Ivy is a pleasant new addition to the Flatiron district. Nuzzled in between 6th Avenue and Broadway on 24th street, Shay & Ivy brings new American cuisine with a colorful and inviting ambiance to make your entire experience one that will have you coming back for more.
Shay & Ivy is the sister restaurant of Atwood, Kitchen & Bar Room, which is located in Midtown East. All under the umbrella At Your Service Hospitality, Shay & Ivy gives you a one of a kind experience that all sorts of Manhattanites can enjoy. Owners Evan Rosenberg & Daniel Rieger did a phenomenal job setting up the location, which has only been open for about two weeks.
I was extremely impressed with how the restaurant was setup. You open the curtain (literally) to a sprawling and spacious bar in the front, and a relaxing and beautifully lit back space which is catered for the people who want to both eat and drink. Shay & Ivy's use of gorgeous colors like a luscious blue and mixture of grays and whites really make the overall experience that much more appealing.
The cuisine that we were presented showcases the expertise that executive chef Bradley Warner possesses, as he carefully crafted a menu that reads new American without going too much into one type of cuisine. This is what we recommend from each part of the menu, as there were highlights throughout.
The raw bar option contains many delicious seafood friendly items, but our favorite was the Chill Salmon Crudo with Tahini Lime Emulsion, Black Garlic Puree and Micro Cilantro. The texture of the salmon was perfect, but what really made this fantastic was the black garlic puree which added a level of sophistication and taste to the crudo.
I for one am not the biggest kale fan whatsoever, but Bradley did a great job with his version of a Black Kale Salad with Goat Cheese, Roasted Fennel, Cured Ham, Gala Apples and a Cranberry Jalapeno Vinaigrette. I barely tasted the kale, which was a positive for me as the other ingredients really shined throughout.
The standout appetizer that we had at Shay & Ivy was their Confit Duck Spring Roll which Pickled Mango, Ginger Ponzu & Red Cabbage. I have always been a fan of the variety in spring and egg rolls, and this is no exception. The Ginger Ponzu dipping sauce was absolutely delicious and really paired well with the spring roll itself.
For the main options, me and my guest were in a meat friendly zone, so we opted for their Skirt Steak with Macaroni & Cheese. Skirt Steak is my favorite cut of steak, so I was naturally thrilled to see this on the menu. It was paired with some perfectly cooked Swiss Chard, and was overall the best meal of the night. The taste exploded in your mouth, and it was cooked beautifully. I love all kinds of Mac & Cheese, and their version rocked. This was made with Sweet Potato, Aged White Cheddar, Applewood Bacon and Mushrooms, which are four really unique combination flavors but they all worked beautifully well with each other.
For dessert, "Our Sundae", is the best way to finish off a meal. There is one reason for this- BANANA CARAMEL! I never really enjoy banana in anything as it overpowers all the other flavors, except this time it really didn't. The sundae had an assortment of ice cream, sort of like a Neapolitan, with Hot Fudge & Brownie Crumbles. Truly a great way to end the meal.
I really wish Shay & Ivy the best of luck in the future, as if this is how they are starting off, then they should be good to go for quite some time. For more information, check out their official site.
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