Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own

TESSA is a gorgeous spot on the Upper West Side, serving beautifully plated, modern Mediterranean food.

I was recently invited in for a press dinner and was wowed by just how charming everything about this place was from the ambiance to the service to ofcourse the food!

Will Harris, the Executive Chef at TESSA is a native Californian who has a keen focus on using the freshest ingredients in every dish he creates. What I really loved about his cooking is his to ability pair the most vibrant of vegetables, cooked in several ways, with whatever the main dish is.

One of my favorite appetizers was the “Burrata” which was served with watercress, a beet carpaccio, hazelnuts, aged balsamic, sea salt and olive oil toast. The combination of all of those elements created perfect bites every time! I just needed about a 100 more of those olive oil toasts!

Another beautifully executed dish was the Grilled Branzino with a fennel emulsion, broccoli rabe, new potatoes and pimentón. The fish was super fresh and really well cooked and the combination of flavors worked beautifully.

Don’t skip dessert – their signature “Baked Alaska” was beyond delicious and decadent. It was served with chocolate ice cream, vanilla hazelnut crunch ice cream, brownie, torched meringue and passion fruit.

TESSA has an impressive selection of wines available by the glass along with beers on tap and wonderful cocktails. It is located across from the Beacon Theater and is great for pre/post theater dinner or mezze with drinks.

I could just go telling you what to eat and drink at TESSA, which by the way is Michelin-recommended, or you could just go there yourself and try it – NOW!

Here is some of what we ate: