Highpoint

Because I dine out frequently, I subscribe to various sites like Groupon, Blackboard Eats and Gilt City to see if there are any deals on restaurants I already enjoy or restaurants I'd like to try. Because Gilt and Groupon require financial commitments up front, I tend to be choosy about which vouchers I purchase on these sites (unlike Blackboard Eats, where if I think there's a chance I might go, I will take the free discount).

My dance studio is near Penn Station, which means good eats are at least a ten minute walk. When I saw the voucher on Gilt City for Highpoint, just south of Penn Station in Chelsea, I figured, why not?

My voucher included one glass of wine, one appetizer and one entree for each person (up to two people). The problem with the inclusion of wine in a dining voucher is that restaurants tends to serve crappy house wine and offer little choice in what type of wine. We went with the Malbec and it was tolerable (barely). For those interested in ordering a bottle of wine, Highpoint had several solid options under $50.

Our server was attentive throughout the meal, returning to our table to confirm we had enjoyed each dish. Shortly after we were seated, we were presented with flatbread slices and hummus. The lightly seasoned flatbread was warm and soft, and arrived inside a mini shopping cart. This more than made up for the average glass of wine.

The restaurant was at least half empty, but to be fair, it was a Monday night. From walking by Highpoint in the past, I sense the restaurant is never full but I can't understand why. The food and service were terrific. The presentation of each dish at Highpoint was impressive, every plate was beautiful and unique. And when the weather is nice, Highpoint offers sidewalk seating in front of the restaurant. I look forward to returning in the spring to people watch.

What to eat:


Start with the Crispy Jumbo Lump Crab. This is Highpoint's take on a crab cake. Instead of filling it the crab cake with boring breading and peppers, Highpoint's giant crab cake is filled with potato and pomery mustard.

Also try the Day Boat Scallops. The handful of scallops sit on top of a grilled pineapple slice and are surrounded by a balsamic glaze.

For our entree, we enjoyed the Crispy Duck Breast (crispy is a bit of a misnomer). The tender duck was sliced and arrived in the perfect hue of light pink. We enjoyed the cranberries and cranberry sauce served with the duck, a nice change from the typical cherry/orange/balsamic duck that appears on most menus.

Save room for dessert and order the Caramel Experiment for two. If you like caramel, even a little, order this dessert. I felt like I was cheating on the chocolate souffle when we ordered the Caramel Experiment but after devouring the Carmel Experiment, I felt less guilty. This is best described as a caramel fondue. The server presents a large plate filled with apples, berries, chocolate, pretzels, candied pecans and popcorn. Then, the server pours a large pot of warm caramel over Himalayan salt. Supposedly, the more you mix the caramel with the salt, the sweeter the caramel gets. We were so happy with the giant mound of caramel in front of us, we weren't willing to wait to find out.

Need a gem in Chelsea? I found it for you,

Your foodie friend