THE MODERN
On April 21st, the Restaurateur Club was fortunate enough to tour The Modern. This fine-dining experience, led by chef Chef Abram Bissell, currently holds two Michelin Stars and three stars from The New York Times.
One front door is the entrance to all seven of the venue’s dining experiences. We toured them with General Manager Tony Carson, who kindly showed us the kitchen and back of house stations as well, and answered our many questions about managing such a prestigious restaurant.
We first toured The Bar Room, where guests were dining at the bar, the lounge, and The Bar Room's dining tables. The chic ornamentation and a minimalistic color palette create an ambiance that compliments the sophistication the Museum of Modern Art next door. Guests enjoy an à la carte menu that highlights Chef Abram Bissell's creative and elegant dishes, refashioned to encourage a sharing experience.
The Modern, a dining room beyond The Bar Room, advances a more structured, fine-dining experience. While The Bar Room showcases wood finishes and splashes of red, The Modern has white tablecloths and a reserved view of the museum sculpture courtyard. Guests of either dining room can enjoy the terrace, set between The Modern and the courtyard, as a spot for drinks and conversation.
We were lucky enough to see the creative process when we toured the kitchen. The pristine kitchen is divided in two, one half for The Modern and the other for The Bar Room. Each side has a Waldorf Suite Island Stove, and stations compartmentalized for preparing vegetables, meats, fish, and garnishes. Lucent bulbs and heat lamps illuminated the marble countertops, where artistically crafted dishes received their finishing touches for lunch service. Chef de Cuisine Tom Allan and his entire team welcomed us with a resounding “oui!” He explained that the chant signifies to the group both “yes” and, because he is American, “we.” When the kitchen team repeats it back to the Chef, it indicates not only an affirmation of having heard instructions, but also a sense of togetherness, of team spirit.
To conclude the tour, we were seated in a private dining area with Chef Allan and Tony Carson for a Q&A session and a tasting of dishes from The Bar Room menu: tarte flambé, carrot rillettes, steak tartar, and honey glazed foie gras tart. Each dish was excellent. Chef Allan and Mr. Carson explained that these dishes were the most popular in the restaurant, and they were a favorite to create. They had been through many iterations throughout the years, so they were a joy to serve to guests time and time again. In a restaurant like this, they agreed, every detail had to be well-executed, and these dishes help the restaurant achieve that.
This is where the success and genius of The Modern lie: the passion and collaborative spirit that season every facet of the fine-dining experience. As Chef Allan so eloquently put it: “The Modern is not a chef-driven restaurant. It is not exclusively about a culinary vision. We draw from the aspirations of my team and the inspiration of the seasons.”