Greywind

Greywind is an understated, elegant neighborhood restaurant, in a neighborhood that is anything but understated and elegant. A peaceful refuge among the corporate space stations of Hudson Yards, the dining room looks like it could be the third lead in a Nancy Meyers movie, painted country blue, with soft gray clouds on the walls. It’s low-key luxury: cashmere, not diamonds.

Here, in the belly of the Crate & Barrel catalog, you’ll find a mostly vegetable-forward menu that’ll make you feel like you’ve finally mastered the food pyramid. Like its sister restaurant Loring Place in the West Village, this place deals in no-nonsense New American fare that gets us excited about cauliflower for reasons other than its vitamin count.

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

You’ll also find Cheez-Its. The serving size is one and they come four to an order—supersized, housemade versions of the real thing with a crumbly texture. It’s obvious that a skilled pastry chef and expensive cheese were involved in its creation. These are Cheez-Its for sensible people. Sensible people who seek out dishes like carrot hummus, zhuzhed up with molasses and tahini. Or a perfectly seared scallop, surrounded by a freakishly green pool of shelling beans. A model roasted chicken also shows up for duty. 

Greywind is your best option for seasonal produce in an area full of flashier restaurants. They also have a handy bakery with sandwiches during the day, as well as a cocktail bar downstairs called Spygold. Come here with a coworker to celebrate a work win, or just to avoid eating an actual box of Cheez-Its for dinner. No one is totally unwound, everyone’s still in their business casual basics, and you won’t overhear anything that isn’t HR-approved—but it's a solid place to have a nice piece of fish and glass of wine after a long day of staring at spreadsheets.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Kate Previte

Housemade Cheese-Its

These super-sized crackers are the one bit of play on a menu that we’d otherwise describe as “no-nonsense.” They have a buttery, crumbly texture that puts them more in the pastry universe, with enough of a sharp cheesy flavor to recall the original, but we’re not totally sure why they’re there. If anything, they keep the menu from seeming too self-serious, but they’re not an essential order.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Carrot Hummus

Orange molasses, tahini, and za’atar adds an extra dimension to this creamy carrot hummus. It’ll motivate you to roll out of bed for that Saturday morning farmer's market.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Grilled Head-On Shrimp

These might have the best flavor-to-square-inch ratio of anything on the menu. Eat the crispy heads and tails whole—the cashew chili crumble on top is the obvious umami-boosting component, but the shrimp itself is a surprise every time.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Chicken Liver Mousse

This chicken liver mousse is so beautiful, we're always tempted to give it another shot. But each time, we've found the rich, smokey poultry flavor clashes with the charred onions and currant jam.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Rotisserie Half Chicken

Greywind feels like a farm-to-table restaurant you’d find Upstate, so of course they’re incredibly competent chicken roasters. This rotisserie section gets some color from the chili rub on its skin, but it's more smoky than spicy.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Greywind Burger

In another one of its light nods to the low-brow life you’ve left behind, Greywind sticks rosemary potato chips in between its burger. They somehow stay crunchy the whole time. It’s a solid burger, and certainly one of your best options in the area.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Dark Chocolate Tart

You've eaten your vegetables, so it's only fair you get dessert. This rich dark chocolate tart can cure a case of the Mondays all on its own, but the airy burnt marshmallow topping and crème fraiche ice cream will get you through the whole week.