After work yesterday, Bo and I finally did what we’ve wanted to do for a while: date night!

Jean-George Vongerichten’s  8th restaurant in the city, Perry Street is a very sleek and minimalistic restaurant which includes minimal ornamentation such as simple hanging lights. However, the comfort of the wood tables and the soft white colors also made me feel like we were in someone’s living room. You can tell, as soon as you enter, that it was designed by Richard Meier, the same architect who designed the parent building in which it’s located.

Located at Perry Street and West Side Highway, the restaurant’s window front also provides amazing sunset views!

We decided to start with cocktails instead of wine for a fun change of pace.

The Thyme Lemonade cocktail was refreshing and a not too sweet take on the traditional lemonade. The Citron Vodka was mixed with club soda and a lemon thyme syrup, resulting in a delicious cocktail which went down far too quickly.

We were in no mood to rush and therefore decided to split a small appetizer between us before ordering our appetizers and main course.

The chilled Peekytoe crab salad did not disappoint! Unlike any crab salad I’ve ever had, it was topped with fresh summer vegetables, crisp to the bite, and a champagne mango vinaigrette. The smooth crab flavor against the fresh, crisp vegetables left me craving more than just a small plate portion!

We followed our waiter’s appetizer recommendation for the appetizer course. Tuna is one of my favorite fish, whether grilled or served sashimi style, so I knew I couldn’t resist their signature dish, rice cracker crusted tuna. On the menu since opening day, this dish was served with a Siracha emulsion which was perfect for dipping.

Always a sucker for sweet breads, Bo ordered the appetizer special which was a summer take on sweet breads, paired with freshly grilled peaches and a Siracha glaze. I don’t care for sweet bread so can’t directly speak to their flavor but I know Bo loved them!

Choosing a main course was a more difficult task as many items sounded wonderful, especially the fish dishes!

I finally decided on the pistachio grilled cod accompanied with summer vegetables and chanterelle mushrooms. Unfortunately, the dish was lacking flavor though the cod was cooked perfectly.

Bo’s chicken was the real winner of the evening as it was a creative and perfectly executed spin on the southern classic, fried chicken with creamed corn.  One boneless breast and one boneless thigh were served with rich creamed corn that was perfectly seasoned.  The chicken also came with an interesting scotch bonnet hot sauce which enhanced the flavor even more by contrasting the creaminess of the corn.  Bo thought that it was one of the best dishes that he’s had in a while.

The service continued to amaze us through the final portion of the meal, a complimentary serving of strawberry French style macarons. I personally don’t care for these one bit. I’ll take a coconut macaroon over a macaron any day if I have my choice. But, according to Bo, who loves all things French, these were soft and delicious with a subtle sweet strawberry flavor.

Overall, we were both very pleased with the service and meal. While I’m not sure we would go again, as there are so many restaurants in New York City,  I would recommend it to anyone. The sunset views and friendly service made the atmosphere more relaxed than stuffy. The dishes were all very reasonably priced for New York City, especially the main courses.