John Dory Oyster Bar

The John Dory Oyster Bar in the Ace Hotel was everything the other reviews have said.  It was a huge pain to get a table, the hostess quoted us an hour and fifteen at the worst and then, of course, that's exactly what it was.  The waiters have to walk through the bar area, jostling everyone.  The plates are teeny tiny.  (which is fine if you have fair warning but I really think our waitress might've mentioned that we had ordered enough food for one small bunny rabbit) We sat at bar stools up against the window, fairly cramped, and, my biggest pet peeve, while there were hooks under the bar for coats and purses, they were positioned so your coat was still in your lap.  I'd hate to dribble roe on my new bomber jacket!

Our waitress, though rushed and eager only to bring us more drinks, was nice and she was pleasant about the gluten-free situation.  I had fluke with watercress and toasted quinoa which was, in a word, delicious.  The toasted quinoa added a delicious crunch and layer of flavor.  I also had the burrata with roe, which was fine, the roe on top is a cool concept but I've certainly had better burrata.  The little cup of peanuts were the real winners, hot and salty with rosemary and garlic.  I could've eaten a bucketful.

Actually the winner was my cocktail, the Lado Este, a tequila blanco and mint concoction.  Light, refreshing, went down like water, pretty perfect.

With all the raw fish options, it's a pretty great choice for gluten-free.  My waitress didn't seem at all surprised by my request and was eager to help me figure out what I could and couldn't have.