One if by Land, Two if by Sea

New York, New York, United States

One if by Land, Two if by Sea

One if by Land, Two if by Sea is a fine dining restaurant in New York City's West Village neighborhood. The restaurant is located in an 18th century carriage house and maintains a historic vibe. The interior is decorated with old portrait paintings, carpets, and cloth curtains. The tables are separated into different rooms in the house, giving a quiet, intimate feel that makes this place great for a romantic date.

The menu offers a fixed price dinner of either 4 or 6 courses. The food was a mix of fresh food and unusual flavor combinations. The food was good, but also pricey. After the excellent dinner we had at The Green Table the night before, we had a hard time giving this an 8. Had the cost been a little lower, or the food a bit better it probably would have gotten an 8.

Dress

Some people were wearing jeans, but most people were a little more dressed up.

Cost

The four course meal is $85, the six course meal is $125.

Service

The service was appropriate for the restaurant, the waiters were attentive but non-disruptive.

Reservations

Reservations are recommended.

Prix Fixe 4 Course Meal

The four course meal consisted of a small plate, a medium plate, a large plate, and a dessert.

Amuse Bouche

Amuse Bouche

The amuse bouche was a bite of cold crab salad. We were also offered an option of 2 types of bread - sweet rolls and focaccia, that were replenished throughout the evening. There was a dish of olive oil and two types of butter for the bread.

Small

Petite Salad of Summer Vegetables

Petite Salad of Summer Vegetables

The beet salad tasted more like a sweet and fruity salad than a vegetable salad. The baby beets were covered in sweet peaches, apricots, and candied peanuts.

Wild Black Bass Crudo

Wild Black Bass Crudo

The crudo was made with raw wild black bass. This dish combined sweet and sour tastes from a lemon sauce that was served on top.

Medium

Sicilian Pesto Fettucini

Sicilian Pesto Fettucine

This was a creamy and cheesy dish. The pistachios and hint of mint were a nice twist. I was glad to have this in a small ('medium') portion, any more would have been too heavy.

Market Chopped Salad

Market Chopped Salad

This salad was disappointing. It was nothing special. It was mostly just lettuce, with a few bits of radish. At least it was a fresh tasting lettuce. I was disappointed that I wasted my 'medium' pick on such a plain tasting salad.

Large

Long Island Duck Breast

Long Island Duck Breast

This dish was the best of all the items we got. Each of the items on their own were good, but when mixing everything together it just tasted amazing. The cherries (in season) added a nice sweetness, while the polenta added a creaminess to what would otherwise be a fairly plain duck.

Roasted Lamb

Roasted Lamb

The lamb had a sauce drizzled on it at the table. I couldn't really taste the rosemary, but it was a pretty good and juicy lamb. It was served with roasted baby onions and potatoes.

Dessert

Strawberry Basil Ice Cream Sandwiches

Strawberry Basil Ice Cream Sandwiches

The ice cream sandwiches were really tricky to eat with a knife and fork, and this place didn't feel like the kind of place you could eat with your hands. The basil ice cream had just a hint of basil taste, but mostly it just tasted like a plain ice cream.

Above the ice cream sandwiches are cookies that were brought to the table. They were little chocolate chip cookies and some kind of dark berry with sugar formed into a cookie shape.

Milk & Cookies

Milk & Cookies

The mousse was light, fluffy, and flavored like an oreo cookie. It was sitting on a light cake, and covered in a thin layer of melted chocolate. The ice milk was simply a plain tasting ice cream, but it went quite well with the oreo mousse.