NYC 2009: A Vibrant and Delicious Lunch at The Modern Bar Room

I always seem to save a great meal to look back on after we return from traveling. On our last day in NYC, we had a wonderful brunch at The Modern, found at the MOMA. I have said before restaurants that feature something other than JUST food usually loses some of the "taste," such as turning restaurants in towers and often museum restaurants; The Modern, however, was fabulous. We were lucky to sample yet another Michelin star restaurant on our short visit to the Big Apple and another James Beard award winner (best chef in NYC!).

Our Menu from the Bar Room:
Flounder tartare with yuzu juice - a firm tartare that was refreshing and unique. This dish surprised us at how simple and tasty it was.
Liverwurst (pate) with pickled vegetables - although I was not a big fan of the pickled vegetables, the liverwurst was delicious and very filling.
Poached egg in mason jar with Maine lobster - this was highly recommended on several food blogs. It was indeed a very beautiful and delicious dish. Eggs seem to be the latest ingredient to show up in various forms on fine dining menus.
Braised tripe with chick pea in a sort of ratatouille - this was very hearty and delicious! Felt like French home cooking.
Duck breast with pistachio sauce - I admit my duck craving was from the amazing meal we had at Momofuku Ko, this couldn't compare, but was served with a delicious sauce. Pistachio is another ingredient we've seen show up in several places.
For desert, we had a beautiful concord grade sundae, served with meringue. It was lightly satisfying and a great way to top off our already amazing meal.

I think every item on the menu at The Modern is worth trying - we looked around at our neighbours' dishes and they were all very tempting, the soup seemed especially popular in the chilly weather. This is surely a restaurant we will visit again. The Bar Room was vibrant and lively, filled with patrons of various ages and backgrounds. Surely everyone was there to enjoy the delicious French inspired cuisine! Make this a visit whether or not you are on your way to MOMA (we were very disappointed that the Tim Burton exhibit was sold out).