Entering iCi is like walking into someone's brownstone home in Brooklyn. Directly in front of you is a staircase (leading up to their coat check, and I'm sure offices or something), and to the left is the dining room. We had a table near the kitchen, which was great because it was slightly isolated from the rest of the crowd (and noise) in the dining room. The only negative point here is that my chair was bumped constantly as the wait staff rushed back and forth from the kitchen. Slightly annoying, but nothing that ruined my evening.
We were there with another couple. We started with 2 lovely bottles of wine, a white and a red, and we loved them both, although since I didn't order, I can only tell you they were both from the Loire region. For starters, we shared the generous olive plate and the baked brie, which has toasted sliced almonds and honey drizzled over, and is served with a few pieces of toast. Delicious and rich, but a very small portion.
We all ordered different appetizers, which was fun. There was the chicken liver schnitzel, the arugula salad with shaved fennel, the beet and watercress salad with blue cheese, and the butternut squash soup. All of these were hits, particularly the creamiest, smoothest butternut squash soup I've ever tried. With just a hint of nutmeg, this had "cozy" written all over it. My bf said he would have picked up the bowl and licked it if that were socially acceptable! The salads were both fresh and light, a perfect start to a meal.
For entrees, 2 of us ordered the striped bass, which was nice and simple, with a crisp skin on top. The other couple ordered the duck and the baked cod. All of these were presented the same way, with the main protein set on top of the sides/veggies. Funny. Everyone enjoyed their food, it was all delicious, but I can't say it knocked my socks off. Again though, it was good.
For dessert, we had the rice pudding, the butter brioche bread pudding, and the chocolate pot de creme, which was delivered with a candle for my birthday. The rice pudding had a sprinkle of toasted coconut on top, which I'm not a fan of, but I ate around it. The bread pudding was very heavy on the butter, and therefore extremely rich. The chocolate pot de creme was rich, chocolatey and smooth, truly decadent. Mmmm mmmm good!
Service was good, we didn't feel ignored or overly interrupted, so they seemed to understand when to come over and when to let us enjoy each other's company. Overall, a very cute, cozy restaurant with good food and service. I hope to come back in the warmer months and sit outside. read more