Gramercy Tavern Expects Surge in Business Thanks to New York Times Review

The 22-year-old Gramercy Tavern is a staple in the neighborhood, but now it could become a bit more difficult to get a reservation thanks to a raving New York Times review that came out online Tuesday and is slated for print on Wednesday.

When people come back from Labor Day and read the enthused review of the tavern by esteemed food critic Pete Wells, business will likely surge, a Gramercy Tavern employee working in reservations told Patch. There is usually a rush after a positive review, especially after one comes out in print, he said. He preferred to remain anonymous and referred Patch to the Union Square Hospitality Group, which represents the tavern. The group hasn't yet responded to request for comment.

Wells waxed poetic about the jam that came with a cheese plate he ate between meals, recalling how he told the waiter who was trying to take away the jam, "you'll have to kill me first." The manager told Wells the restaurant's pastry chef, Miro Uskokovic, was so thrilled he enjoyed the jam because it was his grandmother's recipe from Serbia. Wells continues on about how the Gramercy Tavern's spirit made him so happy he loved the jam:

As if by magic, my piggishness had been turned into a compliment to the pastry chef, Miro Uskokovic, and my happiness had become the restaurant’s. This is what’s meant by the cliché "It’s our pleasure to serve you." But it takes in-the-moment intelligence to bring that phrase to life. Gramercy Tavern can do that.

The critic also painted a picture of the meals he was served as if they all fit together perfectly and improved his mood tenfold. He says the appeal of the restaurant is not just its beauty, but its "trustworthiness."

The Gramercy Tavern is at 42 E. 20th Street at Park Avenue South. To make a reservation, call 212-477-0777.

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