Elizabeth’s Neighborhood Table adds some suburban flair to the Upper West Side with a lemony exterior and picturesque white picket fence. Inside, a restaurant and bar with a casual American feel serves up thoughtful comfort food.
A hearty appetizer selection included grass-fed beef sliders, chicken wings, and steamed mussels. We ordered the jumbo lump Maryland crab cakes and the vegetable tempura. Two perfectly crisp crab cakes drizzled with a creamy homemade white sauce topped a mound of shaved apple and fennel. The tempura breading was light (but still fairly greasy) and encased fresh market vegetables like fennel, yellow squash, and broccoli. A tangy curry-yogurt dipping sauce was a welcome change from the traditional soy.
A simple mesclun mix from North Fork’s Satur Farm formed the house salad. Very lightly dressed with a sherry-lime vinaigrette, the salad included slices of radish and long, thin ribbons of carrots, which added a splash of color.
The homemade veggie burger arrived with avocado and sunflower sprouts, all served on a hearty wheat toast with a side of salad. The incredibly satisfying veggie patty was full of grains and vegetables like onions and shredded carrots. Organic ketchup was also available.
When it came to the grass-fed Angus Steak, we wished the entire steak was edible and consistently cooked throughout. There was quite a bit of fat and cartilage that could have been trimmed off, but when we were able to get a bite of beef, it was succulent.
Large portions and the casual restaurant decor may call to mind a chain eatery, but at Elizabeth’s, meats are all local and hormone- and antibiotic-free, beef is grass-fed, salmon is sustainable, the produce is often organic, and the dishes are satisfying.
Elizabeth’s Neighborhood Table
680 Columbus Ave. (btw. 93rd and 94th streets)
212-280-6500
elizabethsnyc.com
Hours
Monday–Friday: 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m., 4 p.m.–10:30 p.m.
Reviewed by:
Best practices/nutrition: Ashley Spivak
Food critic: Amy Sung
Clean Plates reviews are the only restaurant reviews that combine the expertise of a nutritional consultant and a food writer/critic. In addition to each restaurant being visited, Clean Plates employs a rigorous multistep assessment process including thorough research into ingredient sourcing; quality of cooking oils; preparation techniques; eco-friendly, sustainable practices; and ability to accommodate specific dietary needs.
Visit www.cleanplates.com to get healthy, clean eating tips and recipes—plus, dish with the chefs and pioneers leading the sustainable charge to a table near you.
