Loring Place

Loring Place Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Loring Place is the cool kid in the city, loud and lively, with a bar scene that rivals its dining room cacophony. Picking up from years of experience at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen, and also time spent at ABC Cocina, Tabla and Union Square Café, chef Dan Kluger attempts to move the needle forward at Loring Place with next-generation, healthful cuisine.

Likes: Dishes are pleasingly familiar.
Dislikes: The white, large, hard-surfaced dining room makes conversation difficult.

Food & Drinks: Calamari is cornmeal crusted and served with sweet chili aïoli. Pastas (some whole-wheat) and pizzas (all whole-wheat) are seasonal yet familiar concoctions comprised of local ingredients from the nearby Union Square Greenmarket. Try the delicate squash pizza with kale, ricotta, honey, sage and lemon. A notable exception, the popular Grandma-style pan pizza, eschews experimentation in favor of a familiar mix of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. For the pure vegetarians in the house, dishes like crispy, spiced cauliflower with lemon jam and chiles or roasted beets with ginger, orange and sunchokes are bright and fresh. Cocktails and sides also reflect the best of the season and tend to the trendy, such as the Concord, made with vodka and apple cider vinegar. Kluger's Loring Place has some fun with its dessert selection, hearkening back to childhood favorites. Try his take on a Hostess cupcake, or the sundae with pretzel crumbs, walnut toffee and chocolate cookie fudge folded into vanilla ice cream, designed to resemble a DQ Blizzard. Wines by the glass and on tap skew American while bottles span the globe. A private room for a small group offers a beautiful escape from the noise.