The fact that the food at The Water’s Edge is, despite appearances, practically inedible, and yet we’re still willing to make the trek back for a repeat visit speaks volumes about the place’s absolutely incomparable location and fantastic service.
On Friday night, Kendrick piled me into a cab to surprise me with a romantic dinner in parts unknown (which turned out to be Long Island City). When we exited at The Water’s Edge and were escorted into the old-school dining room by a uniformed doorman, I immediately suspected that something was up: when a place is this beautiful, and the service is this gracious – and yet the restaurant is almost totally empty – the food cannot possibly be good. And I was right: the amuse-bouche of watermelon and seared tuna with balsamic, although very prettily presented, tasted like cardboard, and even Kendrick, who loves his beef, could barely get through his tough, over-marinated strip steak. I ate a scallop, poked at the ravioli, and then turned back to the wine list.
Which is not at all to say that we had a bad time. We gazed out over the water while the Manhattan skyline slowly lit up, waved at the passing kayakers, and chatted with our adorable 18-year-old waiter about his plan to become a sonogram technician. Our favorite part of the evening: the complimentary riverboat ride that the restaurant offers to get you home (it drops you off on East 26 Street). All in, one of the more romantic nights I’ve had. When everything else is this lovely, the food is almost incidental (that’s what a pizza stop on the way home is for).
We’ll be back…but maybe just for cocktails next time.
L to R: the beautiful (and chewy) not-so-seared scallops with pork belly and mushroom ravioli; the spectacular view; me giggling on the boat on the way back to Manhattan.
