Gravy

Gravy was both a hit and a miss. It’s a trendy, modern and cool. The ambiance is opposite of what I imagine Southern Comfort Food should be. For me the loft ceilings and cold colors work against how I like comfort food.
The scallop grits was delicious. I was extremely happy with dish, but I wish I had it in a different room.

food really isn’t that good here… service was great, the waiter’s super nice. I tried their fried chicken, scallops, duck and thought they were nothing special and kind of pricey. Chicken’s dry and not crispy on the outside, it was actually hard to bit into it. Overall I wouldn’t recommend this place.

This place redefines your preconceptions about Southern cuisine. Who knew chicken and waffles could be contemporary?
Once I entered this swanky joint, I admired the industrial eclectic-​modern décor and glowing lantern lights dropping down from the lofty ceiling. Jazz music settled us down into this southern vibe. Immediately my friend, let’s call her *C, and I were seated and since the restaurant was relatively desolate, we chose any table we wanted.
Glasses were poured, I got my usual lemon and Splenda, and off of the RW menu, we both got the pork belly app. C* loved the tender and succulent slices of pork belly dressed with a bright lime green garlic aioli. Perhaps she enjoyed the well-​seasoned salty cook of meat balancing with the refreshing natural sweetness of the cubes of watermelon. Unfortunately, my pork belly was S-​A-​L-​T-​Y.
It was a difficult challenge to swallow salty piece of meat after another and balance it with the delectable biscuits that they serve to you. Btw, their honey butter is freakin’ delicious. Unsettled by my terrible app, I was surprised about my entrée.
Finally, Gravy saved themselves in the nick of time with their delicious Pan-​Roasted Atlantic Salmon. Wow. A+ I have to tell you, because that skin was perfectly crispy with the right amount of pepper alongside those buttery fingerling potatoes making this a standout dish!
C* also received a beautifully executed Grilled Pork Loin, cooked medium paired with sweet corn and bacon bits tucked underneath this great juicy cut.
Satiated beyond belief, we did not know if we could shove any more calories in our extended tummies. I barely snacked down on the moist spicy bread pudding with chantilly cream and caramel sauce down and C* was physically unable to eat the flaky caloric buttermilk biscuits stacked on her strawberry shortcake, eventually only consuming the tart strawberries and whipped cream.
I am satisfied to give Gravy four stars for quick and attentive service, mostly well-​executed meals, and gentle ambiance. Although that app was overly salty and the portions a tad small in scope but still completely filling, I am able to look past that, allowing Gravy some redemption by remembering that luscious salmon, dense bread pudding and creamy honey butter. Aside from a few mistakes you could correct with the waiter, I still recommend Gravy if you would like to give neo-​Southern cuisine a good go!

Gravy was a bit disappointing. You expect the food to be upscale Southern food, but it was more lower budget fried food.
I came here with my girlfriend on a Friday night and expected to be wow. It was more a DOH experience. For $ 52 bucks, I ordered from the restaurant week menu. You do not really have a choice between the restaurant week menu and their regular menu. There was only 2 entrees and 1 was sold out. HOW THE HECK are you sold out of something on a Friday night.
I ordered the fried green tomatoes and fried chicken. Both were sub-​par. When the dessert came out, it was gross and chewy (bread pudding).
On the whole, the restaurant looks like the inside of a circus tent. The bartenders don’t really know what they are doing. They actually ran out of ginger beer for a drink and they concocted some mixature and had a friend of the owner’s try it.
The pictures online and not realy reflective of how small the space it. There’s also a local crowd of youngsters that often come. They sort of take off the bar. I’m not coming back

The service was less than stellar. While our server was knowledgeable about the menu, her attentiveness left something to be desired.
The food was pretty good — I got the scallops with honey grits. The scallops were seared perfectly and the honey grits were bomb. The only complaint was that the scallops were a little sandy — do they not wash their seafood at Gravy?
The wine is ridiculously overpriced — skip it.
Oh another thing, I sat at the bar before my date got there and ordered an Abita on draft. Without telling me that the keg was kicked, the bartender started opening one from the bottle instead. I asked what he was doing and told him that I specifically wanted it on draft (it tastes better from the keg). He told me it was kicked, so I ordered a different beer. Not that big of an issue, but when a customer orders something specific, like a beer on draft, you shouldn’t then proceed to give it to them out of the bottle without their knowledge.
I would not come back here again without a deal. The food is above average, but overpriced and the service isn’t great.

What do Unilocal a place that has some great dishes, a few mediocre ones and one stinker?
If I leaned towards the positive end – Absolute best thing we had were the grits, probably best I’ve ever had. I don’t know why some grits taste better than others but these were really good and didn’t leave you feeling overstuffed as they sometimes can. Side dishes good too – well seasoned mini-​potatoes, peppery fried green tomatoes and thick slab bacon that was so thick it was like bacon logs.
The mediocre ones were the Steak/​Ham Eggs bit. Eggs were pretty flavorless (can there not be a vegetable or cheese?) and the steak/​ham was one of those odd melding of meats that sounds interesting but simply doesn’t feel right. It was too fatty and tasted so much like smoke (you can actually over-​smoke a meat it seems) so smokey it blew out the bland eggs and good grits. It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t satisfying.
The stinker – Arugula, Orange, Goat Cheese salad. Simply over-​dressed beyond belief it was soggy and so obviously so. Worse, the dressing wasn’t delicious. Arugula didn’t taste lively anymore and the business of an fried onion ring on the bottom doesn’t work when it’s gotten soggy under there and is in 1 giant piece, no one wants to saw up an onion ring especially in a salad. Put a couple small ones on top!
If I hadn’t had a ScoutMob getting half-​off I would have sent the salad back (and I’ve never sent anything back) to simply ask if I could have an undressed one.
The place is nice otherwise, big bright room, cool beers on tap, interesting cocktails, comfy spaciously spaced tables, not crowded at Sat. brunch time and totally pleasant service. The faulty dishes didn’t seem poorly designed as much as they were maybe poorly executed. So thank goodness I was rocking the ScoutMob!

I love soul/​southern food. I was very eager to check this place out. The décor is nice, set up in the dining area is pretty casual. The bar looks like it’s stocked with all the southern staples: bourbon and whiskey.
Thursdays is $ 6 hurricanes. Yummmmmm at the bar only tho.
My friend and I ordered the NOLA Waffles: chicken liver pâté, onion marmelade and waffles. It was good, the pâté could have been a little bit firmer. I prefer country-​pâté style.
I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken, which comes with mash potatoes. The chicken was nice and juicy and very flavorful.
My friend ordered the Grilled Scallops and honey grits. YUM! Scallops were cooked well and the grits was good.
We also ordered the brussel sprouts, it was good… a bit salty but it was ok.
I had a few Hurricanes and the Category 6, similar drinks, but I preferred the Hurricane. Reminds me of being down in NOLA! Ha!
By the way, Unilocal has a $ 15 for $ 30 deal which I was able to get right on my app!
I’ll definitely be back to try out their brunch menu.

So, I definitely would have given the food 2 stars, but the service was pretty good and the ambiance was posh.
I had a gilt deal, and went here for a date night :-)
We had an early dinner on Saturday night before hitting MSG for a hockey game.
To be efficient, we had:
Gumbo: meh, it was a little greasy instead of hearty.
Fried Chicken: mmmm, kinda burnt, and dry
Grits: Sludge, I had hopes but it was thick and was not the classic southern grits I was expecting
Fish: Light and yummy.
So there you go. Given the other reviews, maybe it was an off night, but I probably won’t be coming back.

Gravy is overpriced for the quality of food. Most of the fare is very heavy (of course it is, it’s a restaurant called Gravy!) but the overwhelming sense from the restaurant was bland. Tasteless biscuits (that honey butter didn’t help much), the salmon left a lot to be desired, and the accompanying squash was not enough.
Save your cash and calories for something better.

love this place!
SETTING:
high ceiling, lots of tables, cute décor, dim lighting. it’s super cute for a first date!
FOOD:
BREAD AND BUTTER: holy moly. usually, bread and butter is just meh. but THIS is memorable. the bread came in super soft & warm but the topper is the HONEY BUTTER. omg. i could eat this all day.
MARKET CHOPPED SALAD: really good. perfect portion & the creamy buttermilk ranch was so good!
SCALLOPS AND HONEY GRITS: yum!!! i love love love scallops & this dish was perfect. perfectly pan seared & sitting atop dollops of grits. the roasted corn relish was a nice touch — paired well with the sweetness of the scallops.
GRITS 3 WAYS: honey grits, cheesy grits, porky grits, OH MY! i have to say, i never liked grits but Gravy changed my mind. i personally like the porky ones the best [im a meatasauraus so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise].
SERVICE:
the waitstaff was on top of everything without being overwhelming. my glasses [yes, glasses] were never empty & everyone was super polite!
i’ll be back, Gravy.
xoxo

Was just here with a group of 6 and while it seems from the other reviews that the food is hit or miss, most of what we had were hits! Service was great. Our server was attentive without being annoying and had good recommendations.
Highlights:
The honey butter they serve with the bread is delicious.
Scallops and Honey Grits: Ordered this as my main. These were amazing. Salty and sweet and savory, all at once. The flavor is delicate but delicious. SO GOOD.
Sullivan Island Bog: Also really good, but in a different way than the scallops. The scallops were a bit subtle. This dish hits you with a wallop of flavor. Totally getting this next time.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts: I love brussel sprouts. These were cooked perfectly!
We also had the She Crab Soup, Black Garlic Braised Pork Butt, Black-​Eyed Pea Hummus, Spinach Salad, and Gravy Fries. All pretty good. Not as outstanding as the highlights, but still yummy.

I’ve been to Gravy twice now and can honestly say this place is my favorite restaurant in New York City (and I go out to eat a lot, much to my wallet’s dismay).
The first time I went, I had the corn flake crusted chicken, and this past weekend, I had the scallops and honey grits. Both were so incredible, I just couldn’t stop eating despite feeling like my stomach was going to explode. This place gives you a TON of food. I also had the grits three ways — a must. Do not leave this place without getting the grits three ways. The honey are the best, then the cheesy, then the porky. But they’re all worth wolfing down.
I finished it off with a good old-​fashioned piece of pecan pie. I would have eaten the entire pie if they had put it in front of me. It was perfectly sweet and the curst was so light and flakey. My friend left half of her Mississippi mud pie, because she’s a crazy person. I happily helped her finish it. So decadent. So chocolatey. So, so, so good.
Cocktails at this place are also amazing. I had the Sherman’s March. Carolina Moonshine, Raw Agave Nectar, Lapsang Souchong Tea, Talisker Whisper. It was so balanced. Slid right down. Totally worth the $ 13 and the hangover.
Also, it doesn’t hurt that the waiters here are so cute. I just wanted to keep asking them questions about the menu to keep them standing by our table.
Oh, Gravy, you did good.

Gravy is a spot that I was introduced to a few months back by some friends and I’ve already revisited several times. To be honest the food is good, not great. The best things in my opinion are the appetizers, sides and dessert. I’m a sucker for charcuterie and their platter is pretty good. I also thought the mac & cheese and jumbo shrimp were pretty good. If there’s any entrée I would order again it’s the Island Bog — decent but not great in my opinion. The pecan pie is the only thing I can honestly say that I loved. I hate an overly sweet and heavy pecan pie and this one really hit the spot for me, especially with the fresh whipped cream on the side.
The absolute best thing about this restaurant is the service. It’s been great every time and the last time I was there our server was particularly outstanding (I wish I could remember your name!!!). Even though the food isn’t out of this world, it’s generally decent, sometimes good and occasionally damn good. If the food was stepped up a bit (when you’re spending $ 40 – 50 per person all in the food really should be memorable) I’d definitely make this place a go-​to dinner spot as the ambiance is cozy and intimate and the service is consistently great — the two main reasons that I’ve revisited.

I went here with a close friend last night. It just just ok. The service needs serious improving. They were either trying to take away our food, or completely ignoring us. We both had the cornflake crusted chicken which was very tasty, and the portion was enormous! The bisquits on the table were very good, but I am not sure why everyone thinks the grits are so good. I lived in the south for some time, and these are full of flavor, but missing half of the grittiness of the grits!!! Much to creamy for my taste.
Also, the «booth» seating was incredibly uncomfortable, it seems like they were designed for morbidly obese people.

Like many of the reviews, I was a little let down here. Unlike many of the reviews, I did not go for dinner. I think dinner is what Gravy (may) do well. but the mediocre brunch has me saying I won’t find out.
I bought a LivingSocial deal for 15 for 30, to be used for brunch (you could have bought one for dinner– it was more money). I should have done that, because they did not have a lot of the Southern specialities on the brunch menu. Or maybe, they attempted to, but it wasn’t authentically Souther at all.
I got a rez no problem– so that was nice. My bf joined me for brunch Sat at 1, but was running late. They sat me anyway, which I appreciated! The décor is retro 70s. it’s neither here not there. Not sure what the Southern connection is. But the service is good– prompt, polite, made good recommendations. They gave me a little issue with the deal– they just asked me to email the voucher to them, rather than just used the code on my phone. They still accepted it, so not a huge deal but I’ve never had an issue with the LS app.
My bf and I ordered the po boys, and split them. They were not po boys at all– I understand NYers aren’t into the whopping hero thing they actually go by down in NOLA but what we got were Bahn Mis. I got the duck– which was mostly hard baguette. And some duck shreds– it was cooked in fat, so it was tasty. But the bread drown out the flavor. There was some mayo coating; that was ok.
My bf got the shrimp– and he describes the shrimp has «coconut shrimp» a la Asian dishes. a pretty accurate portrayal. I did not really taste the corn meal crusting, but guessing it was there– just slathered in mayo. The shrimps themselves were a bit meager in portion.
The two sandwiches came with fries– and the fries were really, really crispy and burnt– too dry that it lacked flavor. My bf thought they were ok, and I was disappointed. Too bad since I love fries.
We did order the honey grits as a side to share. These were delicious! They practically get the entire 3 stars! They were so creamy, so sweet mixed in with honey, and very smooth. Best grits I’ve had! (could be true, even speaking against NOLA food). this is why I think dinner would rock here… they had a bunch of other authentic sides which I think may have been better than the dishes themselves… black molasses bacon… grilled green tomatoes. yum.
Other than the po boys, you have your standard brunch menu. There is an eggs benedict with crawfish atop but the crawfish was meager in portion (the waitress told me) so I nixed that idea.
Would not return on brunch. maybe on dinner; but the biggest obstacle is the price. This place is not cheap so I would fear returning dinner to a meh meal. (Prices for dinner, 20 and up… brunch 13 and up).

The service was good and we really liked our waiter, and I suppose its not their fault what was going on in the kitchen.
Scallops & Honey Grits: B– good, but I didn’t get the hype at all
Grouper: B– lacked flavor, had to ask for lemons to put on the fish and greens
Fritters: Good but not GREAT. Sauce was good though
Bread & butter– B decent
Mud Pie: Decent– nothing that great

A retro restaurant that serves upscale Southern? That’d be Gravy! Met a friend here for Happy Hour and it’s a welcome addition to Flatiron — which only seems to house divey Irish bars or expensive and sceney Hotel lobbies for afterwork drinks.
Surprisingly, Gravy has a gorgeous front bar that boasts settees, tables and decorations that would make the Patridge Family feel right at home. But don’t let the 70s vibe fool you, they have a sleek cocktail menu with an array of drinks from Mint Juleps to Hurricanes and a gorgeous selection of wines. Couple that with their appetizer selection that riffs on Southern cuisine from 3 types of grits, fried mac & cheese, crawfish crab cakes and much more, and you are going to have yourself a grand ol’time. Additionally, the several times I’ve been there, the service has also been exceptional. They always have a smile on their face, are quick to offer suggestions on the menu and always seem to know right when you need a refill (an important attribute!)
I haven’t been here for dinner yet, but I would definitely recommend it for business meetings or grabbing a bite after work with friends. It hasn’t gotten too crowded yet, so always seems easy to grab a spot on the couch or at the bar.

Décor — Modern with good taste
Food:
Appetizer — the homemade sausage — too tiny for the price and I had better
Grits– I got the porky flavor which basically had bacon on it was so good. First time eating real grits and it was delicious.
Entrée– Duck was my shit (in a very good way).
Dessert — chocolate cake was so so chocolaty and you can taste every layer distinctively.
Cocktails– I got the sherman creation or something like that which tasted exactly what my server told me, a warm campfire.
Overall, it really should have been 3.5 stars. It wasn’t too busy and the food took long but service was great and food was rememberable.

Fine southern dining.
Got their Sullivan Bog. It was kind of small. Other than that, it was amazing. It was like gumbo or jambalaya. Rice, sausage, and a pile of seafood. Shrimp, mussels, crawfish, scallops, etc. Everything was grilled and had a nice crispy outside and juicy inside. The sauce was amazing. The rice was amazing. The presentation was amazing. Actually, a better word is «exquisite.» You just have to try it. I just wish there was more of it on my plate, for the $ 26 I paid.
Also got Mississippi Mud Pie. Not bad at all.
They seem to have a good selection of whiskey and cocktails.
There was no wait for a table. It was dinner time on a Saturday.

Keep your Gravy. Give me your biscuits!
Story of my life… or at least It was tonight.
When they arrived, the perfect pair of warm biscuits were a prelude to a beautiful evening.
«What is Gravy anyway?»
As described by our waiter, a modern «Southern style», similar to New Orleans, but specifically «upscale Southern».
«Cool…» I say.” «Kind of like Pigs in a Duvet, instead of Pigs in a blanket?» (Didn’t happen)
First off, I like the décor.
Modern but relaxing, with soft (carpeted, colorful, velvet) walls that reduce the noise in this large room.
Being tucked in the corner, so close to those walls, as I reached out to touch them, I felt compelled to quote Laverne, from «Laverne & Shirley» crying out in my South Jersey accent… «THAT’S THE SECOND BEST THING I’VE EVER FELT!!!» (Didn’t happen)
Let me tell you this…
Life’s not all innuendo and sitcom humor at Gravy…
…It gets worse…
…the service was SLOW. However, (and luckily for the waitstaff), everyone looked so happy to be there, that no one really cared.
It took 15 minutes for our drinks to pop out.
Another 45 minutes for the entrees.
However, just like they say in the South… the Sun don’t shine on the same dogs ass every day.
The «shadow» is surely unapologetic slow service.
But the Sun rose on the filet mignon, cooked to perfection and so tender. ($ 31) coupled with the mashed potatoes, and the other entrée, the corn flake crusted chicken, rolled, but lackluster compared to the steak. The generous side of mashed left no room for dessert.
Let’s face it… these Rebs know how to live…
However, the drinks required while waiting pushed this bill to $ 130+ tip… not inexpensive.
In the case of our «canine story» The «shadow» might be simply working out the kinks of a new cutting edge restaurant, and the sun might be that in our ever changing compass of 2011, that Gravy just doesn’t realize it’s North of the Mason Dixon line.