Lexington Brass

Lexington Brass Review - Midtown - New York - The Infatuation

"We are fully aware of the fact that Lexington Brass is a restaurant built to cater to travelers and tourists. Hell, it's at the bottom of a Midtown Hyatt. Half the people eating in this place are still wearing a name tag from a team building event in the second floor ballroom. It almost felt a little unfair for us to come eat here and give it the full Infatuation assessment, what with our insanely high standards and aversion to the East 40's. But then we thought, f*ck that. Day after day, scores of out-of-towners come to New York City to see what it has to offer, yet never end up venturing more than a few blocks from their Midtown hotel. I can't believe anyone actually comes back. Have you ever seen the TGI Friday's on Lex? I think I saw a rat walk in there on two hind legs once. It's high time we put our foot down and helped guide our esteemed visitors to good food - even if they can't get out of Midtown. Now, Lexington Brass is infinitely better than most of the tourist trap garbage that you'll find in this part of our fine city. There's no question about that. But this place is dangerous because it actually might lead people to believe that this is what the "cool" NYC restaurants are like. It's got nice lighting, a big marble bar, and tiled walls, just like all the hot spots do. But then the food comes, and it's all the same stuff they probably served during a PowerPoint presentation upstairs. It might do the job after a long day, but this is certainly not a great New York restaurant. Oh, and you have to make your way to the basement to use the restroom - right next to the hotel health club, as the host will instruct you. I'll be peeing on the street, thank you very much. At least that way my friends won't think I left after twenty minutes of waiting for the elevator. The good news is that there are a few really good options near Lexington Brass that will give you a taste of what New York City can do with food. The National, right next door, is an excellent option for dinner - especially for the pork chop. Bar Americain is a short cab ride away. Check out the The Lamb's Club if you're feeling classy. But whatever you do, don't go back home disappointed with our restaurants and confused about our bathrooms. We want you to come back. And next time, you're staying downtown. Food Rundown Tuna Tartare Tacos Their tuna tartare tacos are of the DIY variety, meaning you have to stuff your own little taco shell with tuna and fixins. I don't particularly want to do that, especially when the final result tastes mediocre. That's a real blow to my self-esteem. Deviled Eggs Four deviled eggs that were pretty unappealing to both the eye and the mouth. Give me a paprika sprinkle or something. Not even the caviar on top could save this dish. Crispy Baby Artichokes Your standard fried baby artichoke dish that has made it's way onto pretty much every "bistro" menu in town these days. Do it if you wanna. but we weren't particularly impressed. Beer Battered Fish & Smashed Chips This is a decent plate of fish and chips, though I can't imagine you'd find one much different at a Bubba Gump's. The smashed chips are exactly that -little smashed potatoes. The smashing didn't make them better. Grilled Bronzino A safe order for sure, but also the sort of fish entrée that will make you wish you ate meat. Filet Mignon Sure, why not. I imagine this little steak tastes pretty good after a day of meetings or big red tour bus riding, but you could certainly do a lot better. Truffle Fries I think we ate more of these than anything else at Lexington Brass. At least I didn't go home hungry." - Chris Stang