THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Brasserie 44

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Brasserie 44 Restaurant Review:

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES TO FORTY FOUR. New Yorkers don’t like walking through hotel lobbies to get to a restaurant. For Brasserie 44, located at the back of the Royalton, the long trek is flanked by a sunken and hip bar where beautiful people sip expensive cocktails. The nautical-themed eatery, bedecked with enough netting to snare a whale, boasts a menu that’s loaded with seafood. But the food is in capable hands with chef Scott Ekstrom (late of Daniel and Oceana) at the helm. Start with the buttery medallions of Maine lobster, which sit atop a thick bed of greens and artichokes that would make for a refreshing salad were it not so heavily dressed; or the pan-roasted gnocchi accompanied by caramelized asparagus and browned butter. The small-ish portion of white acorn squash risotto, laden with sage and pork belly, will have you wishing for more. Second courses include tender Swiss chard-stuffed lamb and a juicy olive oil-poached salmon. The wine list is all over the map and nicely chosen, with a few affordable options. For the undecided the list includes a helpful “sommelier’s picks.” In the end, the long lobby walk is well worth the voyage.