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"I report that after nearly a year away from the kitchen, Tom Valenti has returned to the Upper West Side with his anticipated casual restaurant, Oxbow Tavern, in the former Cafe Tallulah space at 240 Columbus Ave., near West 71st Street. Though Valenti made his name as a fine-dining pioneer at Ouest, Oxbow Tavern is positioned as a more casual, neighborhood spot with a French-influenced menu featuring bistro classics like coq au vin, croque monsieur, and a burger; the dinner menu includes his famed salmon gravlax and will sometimes offer a braised lamb shank, and at lunch and weekend brunch there’s an omelet soufflé made with mushroom-truffle purée and hollandaise. I note it’s open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., for dinner daily at 5 p.m., and for weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m." - Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya