Tessa

Uptown Manhattan has taken on the sad reputation of being a "food wasteland". Though many try, none seem to come close to the finer fare of downtown (some critics say).
Enter Tessa. A shinning star of a restaurant on the Upper West Side. This culinary treat has both the taste and price tag of a downtown delight.
Mom came back in town and I knew we needed to give it a try.

The interior from decor to lighting oozes Soho chic.

We shared a French Chardonnay that paired perfectly with the meal.

Olive Oil or Butter with your Bread? Can't decide, why not have both.

First, we shared a couple salads. Here is the Cauliflower Salad - a variety of blanched cauliflowers mixed with golden raisins, pickled red onions, roasted almonds, and a coriander vinaigrette.

The second salad was the Tessa Mixed Salad special. This was a compilation of baby kale, tomatoes, pecan, acorn squash, pear and a maple mustard vinaigrette.

Onto the entree. Mom did not want to share so we ended up getting the same dish. I could not resist, it sounded too delicious.
Here is the Pan Seared Arctic Char. Arctic Char looks similar to a salmon but does not taste like it. They placed the beautifully seasoned filet over spaghetti squash and chunks of butternut squash. The plate was decorated with oyster mushrooms, butternut squash puree, baked kale and topped with a variety of herbs.

Tonight I could not resist dessert. This is their Dolce De Leche Cake with pistachio ice cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Tessa. I have to disagree a little with critics that Uptown Manhattan is a "food wasteland", but we do have a long way to go. Hopefully Tessa is the beginning of many more culinary treasures to come.