The Twenties’ art-deco décor harkens back to days of bootleggers and prohibition, but fortunately for us neither of those is part of the mix.
With a complete makeover late last year, the dining room once again shows the elegance and fine appointments of that era. On top of that, the food is excellent and the views are near-perfect.
Appetizers that grabbed us included the calamari fritti, made with cherry pepper slices, caper aioli and puttanesca sauce and the pancetta-wrapped shrimp, grilled with risotto Genovese and sun-dried tomato oil. Lighter lunch fare includes classic wedge and grilled romaine Caesar salads and zuppa de pesce — shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and salmon in a tomato seafood broth.
As an entrée or small plate, one of the tastiest pasta dishes we tried was the fettuccine carbonara, with pancetta, cream parmigiano and egg. Other entrée offerings span chicken, beef, veal and seafood. It would be unfair to highlight any one of the plates we sampled in that section, as they were all masterfully prepared and perfectly presented.
The Twenties is on the sixth floor in The Claridge, just off the boardwalk and definitively worth the stroll over for a meal at least once, if not twice, in a weekend.
— Scott A. Drake