THE FULTON

Jean-Georges may be spreading himself too thin not only throughout  New York, but across the globe, in my humble opinion, BUT! at The Fulton, he's got an extremely capable team covering all the bases.  And while it doesn't feel so much like a J.G. restaurant, per se, there are glimmers of his presence intermittently, although ironically the two "signature" elements I noticed were among the few faults incurred.

The restaurant itself is pretty spectacular.   They play up the seafood/nautical theme to the hilt, painting the walls with a muted, deep sea panorama and thick glass light fixtures reminiscent of buoys.  The East River ebbs and flows past, its surface frothed by speeding jet-skis and ferry boats, tourists cruises and an occasional sailboat, all of which make for a lovely vista, especially on the steamy summer night which I visited.  As the sun set, the sky lapsed into a splendid cotton-candy hued backdrop for the Manhattan Bridge, the waning sunlight glinting off the river's gentle caps.  Of course, the menu is similarly ocean-centric, and not exorbitantly priced.  There are classic seafood towers and raw bar options, presented on their tiered caddies and plates mounted with ice, as well as Crudos with Vongerichten's signature Asian flourish.

The only salad aside from a composed chilled asparagus duet was a kale and pea concoction, shrouded in a fluffy layer of lacy pecorino shavings and anchored in a thick, verdant avocado puree.  On paper it was an excellent salad, but it was a bit too salty and rich with an excess of cheese and avocado; a lighter hand on the dressing elements would've made it really wonderful.  As it was, I only made it about halfway through before my lips got little tingly from a salt o.d.  The menu is pretty big; there is a lot to choose from, although the focus is obviously maritime.   All the pastas have seafood

c/o Terri S. on Yelp

 elements, and the fresh tagliatelle with broccoli and cockles that we chose was superb.  Punched with black pepper and mint, the sturdy noodles held their own, effectively costarring with their accouterments and the abundance of sweet, fresh cockles in their shells.  Spice-crusted salmon was rich but delicate, a little skimpy
 on the roasted heirloom squash nestled beneath it, but sauced in a lovely balance of lime and coconut, tropical but not too tiki.  I was torn between medallions of monkfish with Calabrian chili, roasted potatoes and spinach and what I ended up with, a luxurious filet of black
 sea bass nestled into a rich lemon-turmeric emulsion impaled with long, spindly greenmarket carrots roasted tender with tufts of tarragon.  I was absolutely happy with my choice, although that monkfish might be my go-to on a revisit, although there are a roster of Simply Grilled options that showcase the freshest of the fresh, and this being the modern new incarnation of what was the Fulton Fish Market of yore, their prioritization of freshness is exemplary.

For those who just cannot stomach this devotion to the ocean, there's a hamburger, French-onion-souped out with Gruyere and crispy onions, as well as some roast chicken and a Wagyu tenderloin.  There are a category of Vegetables as well offered as side dishes, although the only one that I would technically categorize as a vegetable was an excellent plate of grilled asparagus, nothing fancy but solid, whereas the rest of them definitely fall iunder the rubric of starches: mashed potatoes, French fries and quinoa, albeit the latter of which features peas and favor, starchy vegetables though they are.

Desserts were, might I say, controversial.  Our server pushed the Chocolate Mousse, a layered quadrangle of peanut brittle and chocolate iterations, some noticeably bitter, sided with opposing orbs of passion fruit sorbet and vanilla ice cream.  The dessert was, apparently, somehow a "mistake"... I'm not sure at which point of production whichever ingredient interrupted the others, but so the story goes.  And the moral of that story is that they need a better editor.  Nothing made sense with the other components, and while chocolate desserts aren't my favorites anyways, this one wasn't even worth a second taste.  It just wasn't good, in texture or flavor, and really wasn't even that pretty.  It was also enormous.  The other one we tried, a lovely Strawberry Sundae wasn't going to win any awards for novelty, but it was beautifully cool and creamy and rife with myriad versions of peak-season strawberries, so many, in
fact, that it was hard to taste them all unless one is a big dessert eater.  Berries fresh, freeze dried, jammy, poached, and frozen into sorbet along with ice cream, whipped cream and subtle lime meringue bits served in a deep bowl was big enough for three or four people.  I can't imagine someone could fully appreciate either of these desserts to the full extent- the portions are just too big and multifaceted to hold one's attention.  They end up seeming wasteful and garish; it would be better to specify that they are made for sharing, or else minimize them.  The prices could even stay the same, or nearly the same, and just eliminate the excess.

But really, that was the biggest misstep, and fairly minimal, all things considered.  For me, this is J.G.'s strongest restaurant in the city right now. That and ABCV, which just goes to show you that as long as one keeps on top of things and stays current, focussed and aware, even the old dogs can perform the new tricks.

89 South Street at Pier 17 in the Seaport District 
(follow the signs)
tel.  (2120838-1200