58 newyork| february1–14, 2021R
evenge,astheysay,is a dish
bestservedcold—unlessthat dishis
Estelle’s chickensoup,oneofthe
itemsMarkStrausman brought
downtowntohisnewrestaurant,
Mark’s Off Madison(41MadisonAve.),after
beingcannedbyFredsof Barneysa yearand
a halfago.Now,FredsandBarneysare
thingsofthepast, whilethat chickensoup,
inallitsherb-flecked,fortified-brothglory,
liveson.EstellewasStrausman’sgrand-
mother,andhernamesake soupis indicative
ofthepersonal,nostalgicdirectionthechef
hastakenat hisnew digsonthegroundfloor
of an office tower opposite Madison Square
Park (the former A Voce space, reduced for
now to a heated sidewalk patio).AlthoughStrausmanhadn’t envisioned
openinghissoloproject duringa pandemic,
theeclectic (though not inexpensive)
comfort-foodmenuseemstailor-madefor
thepresentmoment.Strausman,a self-
identified “Jewish boy from Queens,”
learnedtocookinthegrandhotelsof
Europe,enjoyeda fruitfulcollaborationwith
TuscanimpresarioPinoLuongo,ranhis
ownrusticItalianspot,Campagna,inthe
’90sandthenspentmorethan 20 yearscul-
tivatinga devoted,if finicky,Fredsclientele
whotreatedthedepartment-storerestau-
rantlike theirownprivatepower-brokering
canteen. When Strausman spoke out in the
pages of the New York Post againstthe new
management company that had takenBarneys into bankruptcy (and, worse, tried
to nix his sautéed chicken livers), the com-
pany fired him. When he went to the restau-
rant to say good-bye to his staff, only to be
escorted from the premises by security, the
lunch crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Those fans will find lots of old favorites
at Mark’s: the cone of Belgian fries, thick
yet crisp; the thin-crust pizzas; the entrée
salads, each component meticulously
sliced and diced into baby-size bites to save
diners the exhausting work of cutting it
themselves. The chef ’s lasagna della nonna
and eggplant parm are the same as ever—
pure, plush conduits of red-sauce pleasure.
For those in search of something less rich,
two penne preparations—the minimalist
A.O.P., a cross between an aglio e olio and
an arrabbiata, and the broccoli-cauliflower-
romanesco al Cefalù—may be the pasta
section’s sleepers.
While Strausman concedes the greatest-
hits aspect of the Mark’s menu, it’s clear he
has taken some creative liberties since flying
Barneys’ ninth-floor coop. The bagels he
started baking as a Sunday sideline at Freds
are available here four days a week, the stars
of a full-blown bakery program that also
includes loaves of bread, Bavarian pretzels,
and old-school desserts like apple strudel
and coffee cake. The bagels are dense, chewy,
and smaller than the norm, with great flavor,
and Strausman serves them appetizing-style
with smoked fish and cream cheese or as the
base for a variety of new egg sandwiches,
including a BEC and a bagel Benedict.
There’s also a credible French dip
(albeit on a slightly too tough ciabatta
roll). But if you’re looking for a sandwich,
go for the classic turkey club. On its face,
there’s nothing unusual about it, but all
the ingredients shine: good house-roasted
turkey, substantial Nueske’s bacon,
enough mayo to register its presence
without making a mess, and decent let-
tuce and tomatoes, at least for January.
And then there’s the secret weapon: three
slices of the toasted “buttermilk batch”
bread that Strausman bakes in-house.
As any right-thinking club-sandwich
scholar will tell you, three slices of bread
don’t so much distinguish a club as define it.
But back when Strausman was slinging the
things uptown, where carbophobes consti-
tuted the house majority, he was forced to
buckle to popular demand and downscale to
a two-slice club. This experience rankled the
man, and you can practically hear the joy in
his voice as he describes the triple-decker’s
restoration: “I could not retire without
doing a club sandwich correctly one more
time,” he says. Now he has.Photograph by Melissa Homthe underground gourmet quick biteLife After BarneysMark’s Off Madison is more than just Freds
with an apostrophe (and a proper club sandwich).
by robin raisfeld and rob patroniteA stack of
turkey-club
triangles at
Mark’s Off
Madison.