THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Morningside Kitchen

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Morningside Kitchen Restaurant Review:

When the restaurant previously occupying this address folded, Tom Murphy (of nearby Murphy’s) jumped at the chance to take on the abandoned space. Not much has changed in this historic building, whose old brick walls supply considerable visual interest. Yet even when it’s full, the sound level doesn’t violate the ear. We wish the menu had more in the way of appetizers but aside from peanuts with olives and confit garlic, there’s little the solo diner can tap into for a first course. There are a good many shareable plates, however. And indeed dining with friends seems to be a norm here. We chose the five-hour chuck roast on polenta with wild mushrooms. Roasted root vegetables were described as dusted with dukkah, a seasoning mixture of Egyptian origin consisting of seeds, nuts and spices. But those flavors made scant impact on the dish. Apple crisp cheesecake was impressive for its size if not for its flavor; not much about it spoke “cheesecake.” The well-priced wine list is very serviceable, representing a variety of regions and types, and we applaud reds served at cool temperatures.