The Clocktower Awards

The Clocktower Restaurant Review:

What time is it? It’s time to eat at this Stephen Starr restaurant. Set in a Venetian-like campanile in Madison Square Park's The New York EDITION hotel, The Clocktower has a masculine, clubby feel with ample dark wood and a stately atmosphere. Food and beverages are simultaneously serious yet whimsical. Sip an American Cereal Killer (Cheerios-marinated milk and bourbon) or a Cold Fashioned (an Old Fashioned with iced coffee) while perusing the menu. The wine list is all over the map and its selections are more affordable by the bottle than the glass. Consider starting with white asparagus that only plays an accompanying role to the tender chicken, chicken cornflakes and egg (the yolk of which becomes a broth) or the roasted scallops paired with squid ragoût and nuggets of bacon. For an entrée, the roasted Dover sole, with its crispy breadcrumb-encrusted top, is a crowd-pleaser. So is the mac ‘n’ cheese, more akin to a soupy take on pasta carbonara: it’s portioned as an appetizer but very rich in taste. Some dishes show British roots, like fish n’ chips with mushy peas and triple cooked fries, and pigeon pie with Waldorf salad and celeriac. Desserts are similarly fun --- we suggest the pistachio soufflé and the “Strawberries and Cream,” sweet berries that arrive with vanilla custard, olive oil cake and verjus sorbet.