Food: ☆☆☆ 1/2

Service: ☆☆☆ ½

Ambiance: ☆☆ ½

Cost: $$$

Fit for: Foodies, Quiet conversation, Brunch

Dishes not to miss: House smoked brook trout, Kabocha squash peirogis

Special notes: Lunch offers a great prefix for $28. Dinner offers a pre-fix 4 course tasting menu for $55 and 5 course tasting menu for $65

Bill Telepan is a true green market chef. His cooking is exactly what the title of his book is “Inspired by Ingredients”.

The eponymous restaurant Telepan, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is a dated, muddling, labyrinth of a space, which is made up of two conjoined townhouses.

What lacks in digs is made up for in flavor. Every dish that rolls out Bill Teleplan’s kitchen is all about the ingredients.

You will find soothing bits of potato, rutabaga, carrot and cabbage in a heartwarming winter vegetable-bread soup. In every bite you taste gratifying bits of the season.

My favorite dish was the House Smoked Brook Trout, which was placed on a melt in your mouth blini. This dish was outstanding.

Bill Telepan frequently incorporates aspects of his Hungarian ancestry into his cooking which leads to masterful creations such as the Kabocha Squash Peirogis.

Every dish is not a winner though. I was rather disappointed with the Pan Roasted Trout and the desserts were just okay. However, overall the meal was truly gratifying.

Try it – Telepan does promise you a meal that will satisfy your soul.

Here is some of what we ate: