Mischa NYC defines itself as New American, but we would say that it’s more of a global concept. Yes, there’s a $30 hot dog and then there’s their riff on a vegetarian patty melt. But there are also strong German, Russian, and Asian influences. What’s missing is Mexican, which is where Chef Alex Stupak made his mark in NYC. So, how does he fare with Mischa? This is the review.
Overview
There’s no question about it; Chef Alex Stupak has skills. He cut his teeth at fine dining molecular cuisine establishments like wd-50 and Allinea with Grant Achatz in Chicago. However, when it came time to open up his own restaurants, he kept it real and ventured into Mexican cuisine. For everyday Mexican, Empellon is almost indisputably one of the best Mexican restaurants in New York. The longevity and expansion of the Empellon empire speaks for itself. So when we heard Mischa NYC was opening under a totally new concept, we were there for it as big fans of Chef Stupak. Here’s our review.
Atmosphere
During the weekdays, Mischa and the adjacent food court The Hugh are bustling. People are clearly back to work and it’s mostly the Midtown office crowd.
On the space itself, the layout of Mischa felt disjointed; it’s kind of set up like a railroad apartment. The restaurant itself is large, but it’s set up L shaped, so you don’t get a big picture feel for the restaurant. When you do arrive, the front room can look empty especially if there’s not a bar crowd after work. There are also not a lot of tables up front which makes it seem like it’s emptier than it is.
Many of the tables are seated way in the back, in the shorter part of the “L” shape. These tables are on the way to the kitchen, which is not open, but has its doors open to peek in. All of this makes you feel randomly put in the corner and not like you’re part of a dining experience. Whoever designed the space didn’t do Mischa NYC justice.
Food
When I first saw the Mischa menu, I wanted to bring a big group of friends so we could order every single dish. The theme of the food, whether it’s American, Russian, Asian, or German-influenced, is comfort. The strategy of Mischa NYC is to take classics and add their individual spin. For example, the hot dog is not just something you’d buy off a cart. First is its size, which is enormous at around 6-7 inches, and the dog is set on a homemade potato bun. It is served with 6-7 condiments, all of which are all homemade. It’s a cool idea, but didn’t wow like you would expect. The general consensus was that the hot dog was good, but maybe not $30 good.
Additional Menu Items
The deviled eggs showcase Chef Stupak’s molecular cuisine experience, but in execution, it was just strange. The egg yolk floats in an aioli-type sauce with egg whites with salmon roe. I love every type of deviled egg but couldn’t manage more than just two bites, and it was done out of due diligence. The salads were just heavy and tried too hard. For example, the Caesar Salad had broccoli which was cool in concept, but the dressing just weighed the whole dish down.
The mushroom melt had so much potential, but even with the homemade rye bread, was not as flavorful as it could have been. I love every form of potato but the long tot was just boring and not quite crispy enough. Overall this was a case where the food and drink sounded really interesting on the menu but the delivery was either boring or strange. The naming convention of even the drinks like Strange Things at the Circle K all sound cute, but the execution just makes it seem like they’re trying too hard. That’s my overall takeaway from the food; it’s all trying too hard.
Service
Service is friendly and you can tell that everyone’s putting their hearts into Mischa NYC. Food comes out quickly so if you want a more leisurely-paced meal, make sure to put in the request. Everything operates efficiently as it’s clearly not the team’s first rodeo.
Overall 6.5/10
If you’re in the area for a work lunch Mischa NYC is an option, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.
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FAQs
Q: Where is Mischa located?
A: Mischa is located at 157 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022.
Q: What are Mischa’s hours of operation?
A: Mischa’s NYC hours are as follows:
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Q: What type of food does Mischa NYC serve?
A: Mischa serves Modern American cuisine with global influences.
