AMERICA’S TOP-RATED

RESTAURANTS & CHEFS 2008
These restaurants were selected by John Mariani as America’s Top 20 Restaurants 2008
(not in order of preference). The content of this overview was written by the editorial
staff of the Chefs In America Awards Foundation.

THE MODERN

RESTAURANT

SAMPLE MENU

Appetizers

Rabbit Terrine

cooked in riesling and anis hysopp, fine herbs coulis

Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna
and Diver Scallops

seasoned with Yellowstone River caviar

Menu Highlights

Pheasant Breast

with truffled potato fondant and black truffle vinaigrette

Flounder Filet

Filled with black trumpet mushrooms, watercress sauce and wild rice

Pennsylvania Duck Breast

with black trumpet marmalade, “Fleishschneke” and banyuls jus

Black Angus Beef Tenderloin poached in spiced cabernet with Yukon gold potato strings, roasted hen of the woods and sweet-spicy glaze

Fine Herbs Braised Vermont Suckling Pig

with parsnip purée, roasted pineapple and natural jus scented with cardamon

Chorizo Crusted Codfish

with white coco bean purée

and harissa oil

The Modern is a fine dining restaurant located at the Museum of Modern Art featuring the original French-American cuisine of Alsatian-born Chef Gabriel

 Kreuther. In addition to The Dining Room, which overlooks the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, The Modern offers The Bar Room, a more casual dining and bar area and two private dining rooms. A separate street level entrance on West 53rd Street allows guests to enjoy the restaurant and bar beyond Museum hours.

CHEF GABRIEL KREUTHER
Prior to joining The Modern at its inception in 2004, Gabriel served as the Executive Chef at Atelier at the Ritz Carlton New York, Central Park. He had previously served as chef de cuisine at Restaurant Jean Georges, as a sous chef at La Caravelle. A native of Alsace, before moving to New York Gabriel worked in some of Europe’s leading kitchens: as executive sous chef at the Michelin two-star Switzerland’s L’Ermitage de Bernard Ravet; chef de partie at the one-star Le Fer Rouge in Colmar; and sous chef for renowned Chef Franz Keller in Germany. In 1988, Gabriel served as the chef de partie at Le Caprice, under the tutelage of Edmond Folzenlogen. Among several awards and honors, The Modern holds Three Stars from The New York Times and one Michelin star, and Gabriel was named a “Best New Chef” in 2003 by Food & Wine. Having been nominated in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Gabriel won the James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef: New York City” in 2009.