At Old Racetrack�s Site a Sure Thing
The full name of the year-old spot is City Cellar Wine Bar and Grill, and wine is definitely at its heart. An illuminated glassed-in vault holding a 3,000-bottle wine collection is at the center of the restaurant. A semicircular bar faces it, with rows of booths and tables fanning out behind the bar in ever-widening circles. There are brick walls, large windows, colorful collage-style paintings and blow-ups of black-and-white photographs having a wine theme, among them a picture of Albert Einstein sampling wine with a friend.Service was first rate, as was most of the food. The only dishes I could fault were two Italian selections: a sausage pizza with a limp crust; and a special of linguine in white clam sauce, which included chewy littlenecks, not the tiny Manila clams that I prefer.Everything else sampled was super, starting with the warm slices of crunchy bread tucked in a napkin. Dont miss the lush onion and mushroom soup, a creamy brew with a savory kick. We also liked a special hot-and-sour egg drop soup with chicken, thinly sliced prawns and Asian vegetables, which was appropriately tangy.A serving of 12 escargots in a somewhat tame garlic butter made a good showing, as did the Caesar salad dotted with shards of crisp toasts instead of croutons. Best was the crab cake. It was what one always hopes for: lump crab with no filler, accompanied by a dill tartar sauce and a salad garnish.The spectacular braised lamb shank was fork tender and arrived with mashed potatoes and a blizzard of crispy fried parsnips. Also impressive was a special kurobuta pork chop stuffed with Spanish ham and Manchego cheese. It shared the plate with Yukon gold French fries, a refreshing marinated sorrel salad and a bowl of smoked paprika aioli for dipping.Other entree hits were a juicy New York strip steak covered in crunchy onion rings, veal saltimbocca paired with creamy polenta and a marsala-mushroom sauce, and pan-roasted shrimp and sea scallops surrounding a mushroom risotto.Wine may be the headliner here, but diners ordering soft drinks will notice that refills are automatic and on the house, a nice custom. Dessert is as pleasing as the other courses. Id go back for the banana cream doughnuts: large doughnut holes filled with banana custard and teamed with vanilla gelato, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Also popular were the warm, crunchy apple strudel accompanied by cinnamon gelato, caramel sauce and fresh berries, and the warm chocolate cake. The latter boasted a molten center and was accompanied by a bowl holding chocolate sauce, whipped cr%26#232;me fra%26#238;che and a topper of coffee granit%26#233;. Tiramis%26#249; was the rich, creamy variety; the Key lime and fruit tartlet, though far from classic, was good, filled with the usual tangy Key lime custard, but covered with fresh berries and tropical fruit like papaya.You wouldnt have to be a gambler to back this winner that sprang up on the site of the former raceways grandstand. City Cellar Wine Bar And Grill 1080 Corporate Drive Westbury (516) 693-5400 www.bigtimerestaurants.com VERY GOODTHE SPACE Striking restaurant with illuminated wine cellar at its center. Fully accessible.THE CROWD Noisy, animated, young.THE BAR Very popular and crowded. There are 3,000 bottles of wine ($20 to $675) and 48 wines by the glass ($6 to $17). All wines by the glass are also offered by the half glass. THE BILL Lunch entrees, $11 to $14. At dinner, entree salads and sandwiches are $11.50 to $16.50; other entrees are $19 to $35. American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted.WHAT WE LIKE Onion-mushroom soup, hot and sour egg drop soup, crab cake, escargots, Caesar salad, shrimp and sea scallops, lamb shank, veal saltimbocca, New York strip steak, stuffed pork chop, all desserts.IF YOU GO Open daily for lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner, 5 to 11 p.m. (until 10 on Sunday). There are also midafternoon and late-night menus daily. Reservations are recommended.Reviewed Feb. 24, 2008
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