Temple Court
Temple Court is a one-of-a-kind dining experience led by James Beard award winning Chef Tom Colicchio, who is an innovative force among top chefs in the country. Located inside the Beekman Hotel in midtown Manhattan, Temple Court is an intimate space that focuses on sustainable cuisine prepared with ingredients from local farms. Honestly, this has to be one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. The food, service, and ambiance were out of this world, and the uniqueness of Temple Court and the Beekman itself, boasting its gem colored glass windows, historic architecture, and bespoke essence only added to the experience. Read below to check out my experience!
Let me set the scene…
New York in November. with one of my favorite people; looking cute and actually starving from all the walking and exploring we did that afternoon.
We didn’t expect to dine here that day, but my friend Kela is a boutique hotel marketing queen, and she had some hotel connects that were able to get us a reservation last minute, and what a beautiful experience this was.
Also, can I start by saying I absolutely LOVE New York City? It is, in my opinion the best city in the United States. The concrete jungle where dreams are indeed made of (I sing this song every time I come in to the city - I may be more of a fan than Lil Mama). Honestly, I’m obsessed. The melting pot of people, the skyscrapers, the music, the culture, the incredible variety in experiences, and the food. My god, the food. New York is home to a vast amount of James Beard and Michelin star winning restaurants, and everything in between. Even the hole in the walls and bodegas are fire! But this experience further enforced my love, obsession and adoration for this delicious city of possibilities.
We entered on the ground floor of the Beekman Hotel, and were directed to the elevators to head upstairs. I was immediately taken aback upon entering the hotel and the view of the center forum you can see from the Bar Room-their craft cocktail bar located on the first floor. The view was incredible, leading all the way up to glass ceiling.
After switching elevators to get to the rooftop, we were greeted and taken to our seats. The wisteria rooftop was dressed in greenery, flowers, vines, and set with gorgeous lighting. We were led to our table and given our menus, and we were delighted to find out we were able to choose from a perfectly paired 4-course dining experience, with a wine pairing to go along with each course.
Now, going in, we figured the food was going to be good, but we didn’t realize just how good (and gorgeous) the food would be. Before this experience, I’d never heard of chef Colicchio, so we were in for a beautiful surprise!
They started us off with some bread and our first glass of white wine. Also, for the life of me, I cannot remember the different types of wine that were served, but I remember them pairing very well with the courses ( all the better reason for you to go there yourself!) After chatting and getting some pictures taken by our lovely waiter, we then looked over the menu, and were ready to decide what to order! We both decided on the following:
1st course Spanish Carpaccio 2nd Course Lobster 3rd course: Braised Short rib and the final course, a chocolate mousse.
What a spread!! Lets get into IT
Spanish Carpaccio…. Have you had a Carpaccio? Have you heard of Carpaccio? Typically, its a THIN sliced raw beef, marinated in a sauce that's a little on the salty side. But this was a Spanish Carpaccio, so they put a twist on it, substituting the beef with “Pulpo”, or octopus, along with thinly sliced potatoes, capers, a delicious, flavorful sauce, and other yummy goodness. This may have been my first time having an octopus carpaccio, and it did not disappoint. The FLAVORS in this dish? What a way to start off with a bang. Since visiting, I've probably had octopus carpaccio about 3 other times, and honestly, they haven't compared. 10s across the board.
Next up? The Lobster Tail. I’ll start by saying, I am not a lobster girl. If lobster tacos are on a menu, I mean yes, I'll order it, because how often can you find a lobster taco? (Caracoal in Houston has the BEST lobster tacos by the way) BUT THIS? Just look at it. This was the most tender, flavorful, buttery, sexy, silkiest, most beautiful tail of a lobster I've ever had the pleasure of indulging in. And can we talk about the presentation? Get. IN. To. It. The herby,
But let's get into the main course. The main thang– Listen. If a braised short rib is on a menu? I’m ordering it. Every time. Ask about me. I’m a meat and potatoes kinda gal, ya know? Yes, I love seafood, but nothing, and I sincerely mean NOTHING beats a good cut of beef, braised in sinful goodness, and falling right off the bone. And if I didn’t have to worry about any health implications, I'd eat a form of braised beef, pot roast, lamb shank, and steak every day of my life. And I'd DIE. I’d die, a happy woman. And if I had this piece of braised beef every day? I’d probably try to stay alive just so I could eat it every day.
—Now, at this point in the meal, we’re 3 glasses of wine in, giggling like school girls, chatting about life, hot gossip, and our plans to move to New York, because at this point, we’re obsessed, and loving this NYC life. And of course if you’re having red meat of any kind, you must enjoy it with a glass of red. Now was it a cabernet? A merlot? Who knows, but just know, it was perfect. We had no complaints. Now I’m going to tell you once again to look at it, look at the presentation. The mushrooms with this dish were also cooked and placed to perfection and the colors and freshness of the veggies in this dish just brought it all together. We left no crumbs. And I do mean no crumbs.
And for the finisseuse- speaking in french at this point, because this Chocolate mousse was incroyable. The crunchy coconut element to top, the citrus of the candied lemon, the sweet bitterness of the chocolate cake crumbles.. I mean must I go on? And you know what I’m going to say next, right? LOOK at it. Do you see how silky that mousse looks? Have you ever eaten silk before? Neither have I until this day. I mean WOW.. It was perfect. You know when people say some food can be better than sex? Sounds improbable, but THIS? We deserve rounds that night, and that’s exactly what we got.
After our final course, and glass of wine, you’d think we’d be satisfied, right? WRONG. We decided to go downstairs for a little nightcap cocktail (I love a good nightcap) chat a little more, and have a photoshoot in true fire sign fashion. Man, I love nights like these, where all of my senses are delighted– Indulging in a delicious creation, laughing and conversing over food, and just enjoying ourselves in the midst of beauty.
I get so inspired by experiences such as this because the level of creativity on so many fronts that it takes to make something so beautiful, yet delicious, transcending, and cohesive is incredible.The history of Beekman perfectly complemented by Temple Court provides not only an unforgettable food experience, but an exuberance for the city’s rich past. Temple Court takes everything you know about dining and sets it on fire: It is a place that knows its own history – from old NY to new NYC. It’s a place that works to capture your imagination and spirit and wouldn’t be possible anywhere else but here…
Until Next time…. XOXO Gossip Girl
(What? I’m in New York!)
