Vitae |

Tonight I had the most amazing meal at Vitae. Joined by two close friends and my awesome boyfriend, we enjoyed dish after dish of incredible food by Chef Edwin Bellanco. The night started out with a few glasses of bubbly and was quickly followed by parker house rolls glazed with duck fat and sea salt (yes, they are as awesome as they sound!) and a lovely assortment of amuse bouches: pulled pork tacos, burrata crostini, fig & peach with feta, and honey dew foam & prosciutto with mint oil. What a great way to kick off the meal! The next course consisted of tempura prawns, crispy pork belly, veal ricotta sliders, and lobster pappardelle. The crispy pork belly had a few new components this time around: cabbage, parisienne apple, and apple cider vinaigrette — simply divine! It was one of my favorites. I’m also a huge fan of the moist & savory veal ricotta sliders, which I hope never come off of the menu. I snagged a few bites of the pappardelle and prawns — both were great. On to the next round! We feasted on pork schnitzel, shrimp risotto, whole bass, and lamb. I am obsessed with the pork schnitzel (super crispy and juicy), which was paired with these incredible sides (cucumber salad, warm potato salad, and cranberry jam). I could have eaten the sides as a meal — they were so good! I sampled bites of all of the other dishes and enjoyed each one. By this time, we were happy and stuffed to the brim. But how could we resist dessert? Especially when those desserts are pear tart tatin, earl grey tea cake, and chocolate panna cotta. All were fantastic, but it was the pear tart tatin that stole my heart. A million thanks to Chef Edwin for a phenomenal meal and for coming out to chat with us after dinner! In addition to being an immensely talented chef, he is such a warm, kind-hearted person for whom I have the utmost respect. We also loved our server, Jason, who was friendly, knowledgeable, and helped make our experience a fabulous one!

Vitae: 4 East 46th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Madison)