One of the best parts of New York is that many people visit our spectacular city, allowing me to reconnect with friends.  Recently, a friend from Sarasota came to town, and we met for lunch at a cozy restaurant on the Upper East Side, near where I had my book group in the mid-afternoon.

The restaurant Cognac is a brasserie serving classic French cuisine across its three locations, with attentive service.

I ordered their tart with sliced roasted tomatoes and fresh goat cheese atop some warm puff pastry  ($21). However, I couldn’t help but daydream about the caramelized-onion tart at Ci Siamo. I paired my meal with a glass of their SeraVino Merlot, Mendoza, Argentina ($22).

My dining partner enjoyed their classic Niçoise salad  ($27) with Italian tuna, haricots verts, roasted peppers, hard-cooked eggs, Yukon potatoes, anchovies, black olives, cherry tomatoes and onions in a mustard vinaigrette ($27). I would definitely consider ordering that if I returned.

We finished our meal with their special tarte tartin (apple tart, $20), topped with vanilla ice cream, and finished with tea and espresso.

I highly recommend visiting Cognac for lunch.

Cognac
Upper East Side
963 Lexington Ave (at E. 70th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 249-5100
brasseriecognac.com/UpperEastSide