A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see the Frank Stella career retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Any trip to the west side of Manhattan is convenient for those of us who live in Hoboken, as the PATH trains drop commuters off at Christopher St, 9th St, 14 St, 23 St, or 33 St. My tendency has been to get off at the Christopher St station and stroll through the charming West Village before arriving at the Whitney in the Meatpacking District. This particular evening proved to be no different.

Frank Stella’s retrospective, which covers work spanning from the 1950s to the present, showcases 120 pieces in the form of paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Most of his works fall into the categories of minimalism, post-painterly abstraction, and color field painting. I like Frank Stella’s work, mostly due to the linearity found within them, of which I can identify with in one way or another. The Whitney building itself is an architectural work of art, so I felt extra special after seeing Frank Stella: A Retrospective, an extremely well-curated show.

After indulging in some wine, cheese, and crackers (the understated perks of dating someone in the art world), we made our way down to a restaurant we had been wanting to try out for months: Untitled. Danny Meyer, one of NYC’s finest restauranteurs (think Gramercy Tavern, Malta and perhaps most importantly: Shake Shack), opened Untitled on the ground floor of the Whitney back in May. The restaurant is perfectly nestled alongside the Whitney and the cuisine airs more on the contemporary side.

Untitled feels very New York to me, as it possesses hints of industrial and modern touches with a prominent glass exterior. Tables are situated close to one another, as one might expect at a New York City establishment such as this one.

We came to forego alcohol, so the first thing that came to our table was the all-important bread and butter. The bread comes neatly tucked in it’s own bread box and is warm, fresh out of the oven, and is paired with the ideal butter counterpart.

For dinner, knowing full-well that the portions would be smaller, we started with the smoked arctic char, grapes, and tea plate. There were a delicious melding of flavors in this dish. Our potato dish was served next: with potatoes, buttermilk, capers, and trout roe. Our favorite dish of the night came next: beef tartare, chestnuts, and delicata squash, followed by the savory sweet peppers, duck chorizo, and shelling beans. The beef tartare was some of the best we had ever tasted, while the arctic char was another culinary highlight.

For dessert, we ordered the raved about warm, triple-chocolate chunk chocolate chip cookie along with a banana hazelnut praline cake with concord grapes. The cookie itself was one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have had the pleasure of tasting. The cake was dense, but full of complimenting flavors. Both dessert portions were generous.

The service at Untitled is dynamic, as anywhere between 3-4 servers aid your table. The servers were personable, friendly, and possessed the necessary culinary acumen. Suzanne Cupps, the very friendly Chef de Cuisine, came out and asked us how everything was immediately following our meal. It’s clear to me that Danny Meyers picks the right people for his establishments and thus is able to execute his culinary genius.

Our experience at Untitled completely lived up to the hype. If for nothing else, go for the triple chunk chocolate chip cookie, which also comes with a glass of milk.

Food – 4

Service – 5

Ambiance – 5