American Express Restaurant Review

You know something special is going on if a restaurant tries to feed all your senses. There's no doubt that taste mattersÉ but at g/r/a/n/d, every sense is addressed and the result is a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

This high ceilinged, former department store has been transformed into a soothing, relaxing lounge where the music is just right and the sleek surroundings are perfect. Most striking is the "color wall" behind the bar, a state-of-the-art lighting system displaying a full palette of colors run by computer. The slow color-shifts subtly change the room's mood as yet another sense is addressed.

Before 11, g/r/a/n/d is a "dining lounge" that takes comfort food to a new level. The owners at g/r/a/n/d describe themselves as being "infatuated with food". They see artistry in food and in fact, they are so creative that Chef Erin Tamburri re-writes the menu frequently. What doesn't change, though, is her insistence on using the best and freshest ingredients available, prepared simply "the right way".

The fact that grand is also a European-style lounge (with a DJ after 11) leads some to expect a different kind of menu. But, as reviewers uniformly note, the food here is unexpectedly great. You can just sense it.

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