Welcome Crescent Grill

This past week, Meg and I had the pleasure of exploring a new LIC based bar and restaurant in the Dutch Kills area called Crescent Grill.  Even though the shin-dig they threw on Thursday eve was technically a re-launch, I've never been there before, so it was all new to me.

Atmosphere:
Since the evening was all about celebrating, the atmosphere was fun and lively, peppered with tons of folks from the neighborhood, who were happy and eager to welcome Crescent Grill.  On my walk over from the subway, I was surprised by how buzzing the neighborhood was, as I passed a holiday pop-up shop as seeing the new Dutch Kills Centraal bar.  It was a welcome change to the neighborhood, which just a mere 2-3 years ago felt sleepy and deserted.

Once we walked in, Meg and I were impressed by the open space, which was studded by a plethora of beautiful local art and photography.  In fact, the evening was also dedicated to a the opening of the Dougherty Gallery (connected to the restaurant), which pays homage to local LIC artists, some of whom were at the party.  My favorite piece was the one shown above of the NYC skyline from an LIC vantage point.

Aside from the beautiful artwork, we marveled at the industrial-looking light fixtures and the exposed wooden beams.  The overall vibe was industrial chic, but not in a pretentious way - it still accomplished to feel very warm and comfortable as well.

Food:
Although we mostly tasted a few standard appetizers, which were no doubt made just for the party, we took a peek at the menu, which looked delicious.  Exemplifying new American cuisine, you can expect some pretty snazzy dishes, including seafood.

While they'll officially start serving food on the 18th, we found out they'll be featuring a $29 3-course dinner prix-fixe as well as weekend brunch.  Milton Enriquez, who's the Chef here is also known for his success on the Food Network's Chopped program, so I'm quite excited about what he'll deliver in the coming weeks.

I'll circle back with more food details when they're ready, but in the meantime, I wanted to get you excited.

Crescent Grill - 38-40 Crescent Street, Long Island City NY 11101
718.729.4040
N/Q Train to 39th Avenue
www.crescentgrill.com