City Vineyard at Pier 26

City Vineyard at Pier 26 Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Located on Pier 26, this bi-level restaurant offers trellised patio dining and a sprawling rooftop deck, in addition to a warm and rustic interior space marked by verdant decorative accents, natural wood fixtures, floors, tables and chairs, and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the Hudson River.

Food & Drinks: Chef David Hartmann's seasonal New American menu features fresh raw and chilled seafood such as an oyster, shrimp, countneck clam and lobster combination platter that is ideal for sharing. So, too, are the crispy flatbreads --- two varieties are savory and satisfying: shrimp pesto; and soppressata with roasted garlic, mozzarella and chili. Meanwhile, wild mushroom risotto balls served with a spicy marinara sauce sprinkled with Parmesan are creamy and subtly earthy. An entrée of seafood paella for two with calamari, shrimp, clams and Chatham mussels is rich and full of concentrated and harmonious flavors. Organic chicken with roasted onions, potatoes and sautéed broccoli rabe, along with a Gruyère cheeseburger paired with Belgian french fries, will appeal to more carnivorous appetites. Complementing the food is a wine list with old-world and new-world selections; it’s comprised of sparkling choices, whites, rosés and reds by the glass and the bottle, including a sparkling Ackerman Crémant de Loire Rosé, a Besserat de Bellefon Champagne, and a Fifth Bridge Pinot Noir from New Zealand, as well as local wines on tap from City Winery.