I had a high-protein, exceptional experience recently at a restaurant called The Breslin, located at 29th and Broadway in New York City, connected to my favorite Stumptown Coffee Roasters and the Ace Hotel, all which officially opened in October 2009. The menu, service and interiors of The Breslin were energizing, imaginative, unconventional and full of visual treats. Robert and I ate at the restaurant three times over the course of a week simply because we were enamored with the fare, offbeat style and moody essence of the place.

Eating Meaty: The menu was heavy on British-inspired dishes and a bit scary at first glance but we warmed up to the challenge. Meat, in many forms, is the focus here and plenty of choices including Oxtail and Beef Tongue in broth with maitake and habenero ($29.), Vinegared Poussin (young chicken) with market greens, rampe and chili, ($32.), and Seafood Sausage with Beaurre Blanc ($16.). The menu also had trout dishes, oysters and salad items, but meat is definitely King here. The Breslin dinner menu is not, basically, for the faint of heart.

Our first visit started with a Classic Gin Cocktail from their Gin Cocktails Menu, which was delivered quickly and had a tart and tangy finish. We then both ordered a Char-grilled Lamb Burger with French feta, cumin mayo and triple cooked crispy chips (entrée priced at $17.00, but had great taste and juicy character, so all is good). It was served up and eaten on wooden butcher boards along with hefty steak knives. Our second visit was for a nightcap, Grey Goose martinis for two--delicious, which we imbibed in a lively and crowded bar area and whose muscular bartender was a budding actor (well, he sure looked like one), who was attentive, quick and jovial. Our final visit was for an early breakfast and I ordered hot scrambled eggs with herbed feta and several strips of house-cured bacon (undercooked bacon--my only unpleasant critique), and Robert had eggs over-easy with gratifyingly large links of English sausages which I also indulged in as well.