The Early Word On Geoffrey Zakarian's The Lambs Club

After having been in the works for nearly three years, Geoffrey Zakarian's The Lambs Club finally opened to the public late last month. Taking its name from the Lambs, a prestigious acting group who formerly occupied the Stanford White designed building, the design of the place is clearly evocative of the Lambs' era - a colorful, clubby atmosphere complete with resplendent red leather banquettes. Zakarian and partners David Rabin, Will Regan, Jeffrey Jah are going for a classy retro club look here but is it a bit too much? And what about the food? They've had a month to settle in - time to check out what everyone thinks of the place.

The Most Expensive Drinks News: Robert Simonson of Off The Presses stops by for a few drinks shortly after opening to the public and, right off the bat, comments on the look. "First of all, the space, while a bit garish, is also gorgeous, and reminds one of the glamour that was once associated with the theatre district. I suspect it will become catnip for theatre types, who are always looking for an attractive backdrop." He samples two of the cocktails, noting that they "were excellent, peerlessly made and wonderfully presented, the Cherry Fix tasting wonderfully of fresh cherries, and filled to the brim with crushed ice, the Gold Rush an easy-drinking chilly dream." Excellence, however comes with a price - a rather hefty one. "The cocktails are $18, easily among the most expensive in town." [Off The Presses]

The Honestly Orgasmic News: Josh Beckerman of NYC Foodie pulls out all the stops at breakfast, ordering plenty from the menu, and liking it. A lot. There's the drinks: "I went with a perfect iced Intellegentsia coffee ($4.50). I also had a fabulous nectarine protein shake ($10). I could drink this shake every day for breakfast!" The chicken fried steak and poached eggs: "Perfectly crisped outside, housing succulent steak inside, matched with the beautiful gravy, and the two perfectly poached eggs, made this an outstanding dish!" The blueberry stuffed French toast: "After two bites I was in culinary heaven. Luckily there were only four other diners in the restaurant, because I moaned with joy a little too loud. I wanted to cozy up with this French toast by the fireplace (yes, there is a stunning working fireplace here!), and watch DVD's all night, cuddle, and make love." Even the sides here garner accolades: "All were perfect, fantastic, and delicious!" [NYC Foodie]

The Pretty Good News: Blogger New York Journal also has breakfast and it sounds like it was a success. "I loved a nectarine smoothie ($9) and an egg sandwich ($13) with bacon, cheddar, and tomato confit." Another mark in its favor, at least to this blogger, are the prices. "This was a very good meal, and not as ridiculously over-priced as hotel food sometimes can be. That said, it wasn’t cheap either." [New York Journal]

The Feels Like Mad Men News: Cheryl Tan of A Tiger In The Kitchen has dinner here and waxes poetic when it comes to the classic decor. "The dining room is dim, cool and filled with the hushed murmur of well-dressed guests. The banquette seats are a crimson leather; the chairs are a modern mix of leather and metal." She and her friend have a few cocktails from the Sasha Petraske crafted menu and seem pleased. There's the strawberry gimlet which is "a delicious take on the traditional gin gimlet -- this one is just filled with the taste and texture of blended fresh strawberries" while the Lamb's Cup's inclusions of ginger "wins over this lover of ginger in cocktails at first sip" but in noting that the ginger can be overpowering, remarks "you've really got to be a big fan of ginger to like this drink." The food seems a little hit or miss with a salad in which she finds the overall flavor to be lacking while generally praising the mains - chicken, fish, and pork all wonderful. She saves the best for last, having walked in on a celebration for Woody Allen's new film and tying that in with the club's history. "The evening has been a whirlwind, one filled with effervescent chatter about actors, acting, film-making and Woody Allen's latest, which everyone just saw. As we slowly take our leave, it's hard not to think that perhaps the spirit of the old Lambs Club has indeed been resuscitated." [A Tiger In The Kitchen]

The Adequate News: Yelper THE JEDI FOODI E. drops by for dinner and while he's generally pleased with his meal, he's not exactly dripping with enthusiasm. He eschews a drink at the bar, citing the prices. "Each drink goes for $18 a pop. That was beyond my limit, on principle." He and his companion enjoy their food, describing the veal sweetbreads as "completely scrumptious, cooked to perfection" but also sums the food up as "prepared well, but there was nothing exciting about them." While he terms the mains as adequate, he describes the sides as pedestrian. Thankfully, it sounds like dessert saved the meal. "We were stunned into silent stillness by the silky smooth Bittersweet Chocolate Pot De Crème with Brachetto Sabayon. It was absolutely divine as we scraped the bottom of the cup." [Yelp]

The AMAZING! PERFECTION! News: Fellow Yelper Renee C. had a much better go with her dinner here. "I just paid a fortune for dinner, but then I would not spend a fortune for anything else. This place felt like an old school Hollywood club meet Citizen Kane's mansion....art decoed out with a gigantic fireplace that warmed up the dark walls and red leather seats." Still, like several others have mentioned, the drinks here are still too pricey. "18$ for a cocktail was quite a bold gesture, but the Lamb's cup, similar to a Pimm's cup was quite tasty....but I still am having trouble justifying it." But everything else is just amazing in her opinion with high praise going to the bread - "AMAZING, warm, crispy on the outside, puffy and tender on the inside, a nutty flavor with the sesame seeds and poppy seeds that were spread throughout! I could eat this and die happy!" - and the scallops which were "cooked to PERFECTION!" [Yelp]
—Gary Wong