Betony was on my list of restaurants to try and I was thrilled to go there recently for lunch. This place, opened in May 2013 by two alumni of Eleven Madison Park, Executive Chef Bryce Shuman and General Manager Eamon Rockey, received multiple accolades, one of them being a Michelin Star.

The space there is splendid, from the walls to the ceiling, to a point where it might be too much, but still is elegant and mesmerizing: you cannot stop looking at it, except maybe when the dishes are coming to your table.

The service was impeccable: courteous, always making sure everything was perfect, I truly appreciated that it was not invasive. As far as the menu is concerned, it was pretty interesting: they do not title the dishes, but simply display the main ingredients. It was fine for the appetizer and entrée, but I admit that it throw me off when it came to dessert...

First, they brought to the table a pretzel crisp, that was real good and tasted like...pretzel, but was more delicate.

Then, was a fresh made roll, served with a yogurt butter. Problem is that I could not stop eating it, the roll being so delicious.

After, they brought an amuse-bouche: beets and goat cream.

Besides the appetizing presentation that was a common characteristic for all the dishes, the pairing was perfect as both ingredients were complementing each other, the goat cream counterbalancing the sweetness of the beets.

For the appetizer, I went for the butternut squash velouté, served with caraway and creme fraîche:

That was definitely one of the best butternut squash soups I ever had: tasty and very smooth.

Then, I got the poached lobster, served with turnips and a spiced bisque.

I admit that when it came, I was not so thrilled by the foam (I am not a big fan of it), but this was sublime: the dish was light and buttery, the bisque hiding a perfectly cooked lobster. I definitely recommend it. It was perfect with a glass of Vouvray, Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg, France 2013:

For dessert, I got the sweet potato, whiskey maple and pecan:

This was a wonderful dessert, not too sweet, elegant and delicate. 

I of course had a double espresso (right) to accompany my dessert.

This was definitely a great lunch and for $48 for an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert, this was a great deal. The only negative is that they do not have any single vegetarian dish on their menu, but, if you ask them, they will accommodate without any problem. So, if you wonder if I would go back, I can definitely say YES!

Enjoy (I did)!

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