THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Biltmore Room

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Biltmore Room Restaurant Review:

When diners walk beyond the gilded gates of this rare specimen of Beaux-Arts architecture, their eyes are immediately seduced by its elegance. The splendid rose and ivory marbled décor was salvaged from Midtown's classic Biltmore Hotel. Nostalgia percolates from this bygone era. What a contrast from the exciting flavor in the very modern cooking of executive chef Gary Robins. Biltmore is on the fringe of fusion cuisine, but delivers more creativity than just the marriage of East and West. What Robins seeks is to employ that subtle touch that will jazz up a basic element and make it appear totally new on our palate no matter if the influence is Asian or not. The cucumber-ginger sorbet rejuvenates the tuna tartare. The prawns, with their red beets in honey-ginger vinaigrette served with a mango-mint salsa, are an explosion of flavors. The Algerian rack of lamb is for those who know North Africa; it is exactly what they would serve in Algiers with its pungent harissa tone. There is also originality in the breast of duck where the traditional purée of chestnuts is transformed by its melding with roasted Mission figs. The entire menu is filled with these teasing inventions: a touch of grapefruit in the lobster salad, zest of mango in the Maryland crab, merguez (Algerian lamb sausage) in the Parmesan risotto, almonds and black Thai rice with the foie gras. Throughout the menu, the choices are fresh and exciting and rarely in contradiction (as is often the case with the unbridled fusion cuisine apprentices). Innovation surges also in the desserts as in the caramelized pineapple tart with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and Thai basil syrup. On the reasonably priced wine list, there are some finds like a beautiful Saint Joseph Vieilles Vignes. A cell phone booth adds a modern touch and a way to deal with today's worst dining room plague.