Truffle-Duck and Ample Mezcal on the UES

“Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of few perceives what has been carefully hidden.”

—Phaedrus

Thanks, Phaedrus.

For today, we apply those words to the Daisy, a gastropub from the Agave team with significant Mexican undertones to be perceived, now open on the UES.

This spot is all lavender tones and wood and art-deco-style mirrors. In other words, not overly cantina-ish. But the menu doesn’t lean entirely one way or the other: homemade octopus sausage with pineapple marmalade, truffle-porcini duck Wellingtons, pork belly topped with a chorizo-bean puree… So, yeah, go whichever direction you please with it.

Just choose something that pairs well with mezcal, tequila or agave, because that’s the move here. (Consider the Scorcher, with tequila, blood orange, pomegranate-habanero syrup—or go for the namesake cocktail with black-pepper-infused tequila.)

And stopping by on a weekend for bottomless brunch is not a terrible idea, considering the sidewalk seating and fried-egg-topped short rib quesadillas.

And the fact that it’s brunch on a sidewalk.