Restaurant Recommendation / Shameless Endorsement

Last night I joined Mother, Sister, and Brother-in-Law Baseball for a wonderful dinner at an underappreciated outpost of the Poulakakos Restaurant mini-Empire, Bayard's. (Poulakakos is, of course, the lesser known surname of Harry Poulakakos of Harry's at Hanover Square.) You know how I feel about Harry's. Well, let me register a hearty endorsement of Bayard's for anyone looking for an excellent and mature dining experience in downtown Manhattan. Harry's son Peter is running the show now and he has lured stud chef Eberhard Muller, formerly of Le Bernardin and Lutece, downtown. The food is unadventurous but nonetheless divine...in other words classic. Wines? Well, it is a Poulakakos place, so there's plenty of the good stuff and plenty of value as well. The setting is manly and mature...'dignified' is the right word. And it is easy to get a table. Bayard's is an underappreciated gem. Oh, and grab a drink in the bar first...Kate the bartender is beautiful and charming.