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If Wylie Dufresne is the earnest downtown artist toiling in his studio, then David Burke is his expansive uptown counterpart, a chef who spikes his spicy Cajun lobster on flower holders, slathers pieces of salmon with fishy Cantonese XO sauce, and infuses his foie gras terrine with kumquats. It’s all on display at this theatrical little restaurant down the street from Bloomingdale's, where it's a pleasure to watch the restaurant's staid Upper East Side clientele gawk at Burke's decorative and generally delicious creations as they go by, like spectators at some loony Dr. Seuss fashion show. — Adam Platt

Sat., 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sun., 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Dover sole, $44; salmon and tuna parfait, $18; butterscotch panna cotta, $10

Related Stories

New York Magazine Reviews

• Adam Platt's Full Review (3/15/04)

Best of New York Awards

• Best PB&J (2007)
• Best Lobster (2004)
• Best Butterscotch Panna Cotta (2004)

Featured In

• A Mid-Range Holiday Party by Experts David Burke, David Stark, and Eartha Kitt (11/13/06)
• 101 Best New York Restaurants for 2006 (1/9/06)

Recipes at David Burke Townhouse

• Kir Royale Panna Cotta (2007)
• Scrambled Eggs With Lobster and Caviar Served Ostrich Style (2007)
• Sashimi of Tuna on Salt Bricks With Bonito Flakes and a Muscat Vinaigrette (2007)
• Roasted Maple-Lacquered Duck With Corn-Cranberry Pudding (2007)
• Watermelon, Fennel, Tomato, and Red-Onion Salad (2005)
• Bing-Cherry Pizza (2004)