The Midtown Grill is located in a mid-town, and despite the restaurant’s lack of windows (there is only one in the bar area) gazing out onto midtown Main Street, Delhi and not Sixth Avenue, midtown Manhattan, there are several indicators that diners are not in the Big Apple anymore, Dorothy. Firstly, at lunch one Friday in an almost full dining room, there was a suspicious lack of harried businessmen, although there were two fellows—one in a grey checked suit and the other in hues of blue —but both were decidedly un-harried, with nary an i-Phone nor Blackberry in sight. The other clue is the location of the restaurant’s restrooms: on the same floor, a highly accessible few steps from the dining room, no need for lengthy—and sometimes daring—subterranean adventures (blind turns around cramped hallways, precipitous stairways) to locate the restrooms as is frequently the case with midtown Manhattan establishments. The loo is spotless (and bright) as well. The dining room is billed as a “beautiful Manhattan-style dining room,” painted yellow with dark red carpets and those black lacquered faux Art Deco chairs. Photographs of famous New Yorkers, either native or honorary, adorn the walls: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra. Tablecloths are crisp, white and the menu states: “We use the freshest ingredients, organic when possible and locally grown in season. 100% Natural Food.”

Aurora Bagatta, co-owner with her husband Chef Giorgio Bagatta, is everywhere at once, and always smiling. “We make everything to order. Nothing is reheated or microwaved. All of our beef comes from farmer Patrick Ryder’s Greenane Farm in Meridale. Our fish comes from the Bronx Market every Saturday. Our menu is seasonal and during the summer and fall, I visit local farmers markets for our vegetables.” Aurora takes her commitment to local foods seriously: she visited Greenane Farms to inspect where and how the cattle were being raised. “I could drink out of the cow’s water—everything is so clean.” Aurora is originally from Mexico City and Chef Giorgio, a Florence native, trained at the Istituto Culinario di Firenze. The Midtown Grill has been open for one year and six months.

The three page lunch menu is chock full of choices: Soups and Starters, Salads, Burgers, Wraps, Panini, Quesadillas and the old stalwarts, Sandwiches. There were two soups the day I visited, one Seafood Chowder and a Manhattan Clam Chowder—a robust, flavored tomato-based soup (as opposed to cream-based New England clam chowder) with thick cut vegetables and lots of tender clams. My lunch companion, Mel, and I were intrigued by the homemade salsa on the menu and even though there is no listing for a basket of chips, the kitchen graciously accommodated us with a basket of hot corn chips to accompany our bowl of fresh made salsa. Delicious. I ordered the Buffalo Burger—locally grown in Walton and no cholesterol, no fat—served with Iceberg Lettuce, Tomato, Sweet Potato Fries and my choice of cheese, which was cheddar. The burger’s flavor was reminiscent of beef—robust, textured and juicy. The thick cut sweet potato fries were crispy outside, real tender and potato-y inside. Other burgers on the lunch menu: Midtown Burger—a traditional beef burger (remember: from Greenane Farm) made to order with Lettuce, Tomato and Fries and a Cheese Grill with Provolone, Swiss, Cheddar, American, Blue Cheese. Mel had the Veggie Lovers Wrap with Spinach, Mushrooms, Onions and Fiesta Cheese (a duo of cheddar and mozzarella). Wraps are customarily served cold, but the Midtown Grill sautés the ingredients then stuffs the wrap and grills the entire thing again for a delicious experience that is more akin to a sort of wrapped quesadilla that was, according to Mel, “like comfort food.” Other wraps include the Mexiwrap with Chicken or Steak, Beans, Fiesta Cheese, Rice, Salsa and Sour Cream, and a Grilled Chicken Wrap with Lettuce, Tomato, Fiesta Cheese, Ranch Dressing.

Sandwiches listed include the Manhattan Reuben, billed as “the best in town” with Fresh Corned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut, Russian Dressing and Chips; Uncle Rudy Pastrami with Grilled New York City Pastrami and Mustard on Rye; Roast Beef Hero with Grilled Onions and Provolone, served with Fries and Chicken on the Grill served on Kaiser Roll, choice of Dressing, Lettuce, Tomato and Fries. Lighter lunch fare includes four salads: Three Stooges Salad of Mixed Greens, Garbanzo Beans, Mushrooms, Sunflower Seeds, Feta Cheese and Sweet Potato Strips with Balsamic Vinaigrette; Midtown Salad of Mixed Greens, Citrus Grilled Chicken, Monterey Cheese, Toasted Almonds, Tortilla Strips with Ranch Dressing; Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken, Romaine, Parmesan, Croutons and homemade Caesar Dressing, and the Taco Salad with Beef or Chicken, Tortilla Basket with Lettuce, Fiesta Cheese, Sour Cream and Homemade Salsa. Panini offers include either Grilled Chicken or Grilled Steak and a Veggie option with Zucchini, Eggplant, Roasted Peppers, Onions and Fresh Mozzarella. Panini are served with a house salad. Quesadilla choices are Three Cheese, Grilled Chicken, Roasted Tomato or Spinach. There was also a Lunch Special of Panko Breaded Fish and Chips.

Ignoring the fact that it was lunch, perhaps a bit gastronomically inappropriate and definitely gluttonous, Mel and I each ordered a dessert. Mel’s Crème Brûlée Cheesecake topped with Flambéed Caramel was creamy, very much imbued with vanilla and had a delightful crunchy (the crème brûlée) topping and a soft graham cracker crust. My Midtown Grill Chocolate Volcano—a mélange of a small round chocolate truffle cake somewhat melted or otherwise drizzled with chocolate sauce—arrived topped with vanilla ice cream and a berry sauce. By itself, the chocolate cake was not very sweet. Partnered with the vanilla ice cream, the combination was rather winning. Other desserts include a Chocolate Mousse Cake with Crystallized Kahlua and homemade Berry Sauce, Cheesecake Factory and an Ice Cream Sundae with two scoops Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce, Whipped Cream all topped with a Cherry. Mel had a cappuccino and I ordered an espresso. Since an Italian sojourn where I was duly instructed by several Italians regarding the nuances of coffee ingestion—cappuccino is strictly a morning or breakfast drink but one can and should drink espresso for the reminder of the day into the evening—I am hard pressed to order cappuccino after 10 am. Mel’s response: We are neither Italian nor in Italy.

Midtown Grill is open for dinner as well as lunch, and although I did not sample the dinner menu, it appears stupendous and if the quality of the lunch is any testament, the dinner experience will be just as terrific. Some highlights from the Dinner Menu include: Appetizers—Cold Antipasto with Fresh Italian Meats and Cheese and Assorted Vegetables; Hot Antipasto of Fried Eggplant, Zucchini and Mushrooms with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce; Bella Mussels of Steamed Mussels with Diced Tomatoes in a Creamy Cherry Wine Sauce or White Wine Sauce. Salads—Insalata Italiana of Shrimp, Artichokes, Fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers and Fresh Tomato with Balsamic Vinaigrette. Pastas include Fettuccine Alfredo; Penne Pesto; Penne alla Gina with Grilled Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes in a Three Cheese Sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan; Penne Arrabiatta with Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers, Wild Mushrooms and Onions in a Light Pink Sauce, and Linguine with Fresh Pomodoro and Calamari. Chicken is prepared in several ways including Francese (Egg Batter and Lemon Sauce), Marsala (Mushrooms and Marsala Wine), Margherita (White Wine, Artichoke, Tomatoes, Black Olives and Spinach) and Scampi (Garlic Butter, Lemon and White Wine Sauce). Similar options are available for veal. The meat section is primarily Black Angus with cut options in varying sizes from 10-ounce to 16-ounce. All of the entrees are named after an old school celebrity with a bit of cock-sure New York in him or her. The Sinatra is a Black Angus Mignon with Portobella Madeira Demi Glace. The Marilyn is a grilled 10-ounce Black Angus New York Strip, The Babe Ruth is a grilled 16-ounce New York Strip Steak. One Lamb entrée is served half rack and grilled with Rosemary and Merlot Wine Sauce or Breaded with Port Wine Sauce. Fish entrees include: Haddock Little Italy—Broiled Haddock over a Bed of Spinach and Roasted Tomatoes in a Lemon Sauce served with Rice; Grilled Alaskan Salmon; Shrimp Scampi, and The Honeymooners—Jumbo Shrimp Sautéed with Butter and Herbs with Artichoke Hearts, Calamata Olives, Cherry Tomatoes in a Caper and White Wine Sauce over Linguine. All Midtown Grill dinners are served with the vegetable and potato of the night. An Early Bird Dinner Menu is served Wednesday and Thursday from 4 pm until 6 pm. All dinners can be made into senior portions with a $3.00 discount.

There is a full bar available for perching and whiling away hours imbibing a glass of wine or one of 25 different types of beer. Specialty cocktails include two different types of Cosmopolitans, Pomegranate Margarita and Mojito. A full bar is available until closing.

The menu changes with the seasons at Midtown Grill. The menu I sampled in march was the Fall/Winter Menu. As of April, the Spring/Summer menu will be in effect. Spring/Summer hours are as follows: lunch daily from 11 am to 3 pm, dinner from 4 pm to 10 pm on weekends and to 9 pm during the week. They are closed on Sundays. Hours are subject to change, so please confirm on the Web site. Midtown Grill has specials each night: Family Night Wednesdays, Mexican Night Thursdays, Prime Rib Fridays and Italian Night Saturdays. Midtown Grill is located at 97C Main Street “under the big purple awning” in Delhi, New York. For more information, visit www.midtowngrillrestaurant.com, phone 607 464 4023 or e-mail midtowngrillrestaurant@yahoo.com The Midtown Grill was winner of the Best Taste of the Catskills Award 2008.