A celebration of seasonal produce from the Hudson Valley, Blue Hill is a New York Restaurant which doesn't have to keep reminding its diners that the food they are eating most likely comes straight from the farm where Dan, David and Laureen Barber cultivate produce in the most earthy and organic way. The lamb chops that find their way from the kitchen to your soul are likely to have been driven from agrarian surrounds to the kitchen that very day. Produce which doesn't come from the farm at Stone Barns itself will probably come from one of the other Hudson Valley farms, all selected for their artisanal approach to nurturing the kind of rare ingredients which other New York Restaurant often have to do without.

While the Barbers have gone on to open a second eatery within the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, the Greenwich Village branch was the first to open in 2000.

Located in the curious and appealing one-time speakeasy, its agrarian credentials stand out all the more. In a New York Restaurant climate which many feel has lost its ability to impress, Blue Hill has been earning accolades and praise by those who really know their food and appreciate the great effort that is part of realizing a menu which refuses to compromise its integrity in any way, shape or form.

If you're looking for pretentious food with the jet set, this will definitely disappoint, unless, of course, you actually sit, eat and discover what unrelenting deliciousness can be achieved with fresh vegetables and hand-reared game by a chef who knows how to extract the flavor from such prize ingredients. After a few bites of just about anything it becomes patently clear what the difference is between, say, a morning fresh farm egg with locally grown Swiss chard and foraged mushrooms and the comparatively lacklustre eggs you might have had for breakfast.

Nourished and nurtured ingredients treated simply, lovingly, have a magic all of their own. Rabbi Bob's Veal is worth a visit alone. A dish created with local carrots, toasted spices and king shitake mushrooms, you almost expect a hear a tractor growl gently in the distance. A five-course tasting menu might be the way to go if you want to sample a range of delicious morsels prepared from the week's crop without having to limit yourself to one or two courses.

Naturally for a New York Restaurant which has among its customers many within the industry who are looking to rekindle their waning passion for food which is inherently special, you can expect a well considered wine list. You won't find anything that doesn't work with something on the menu, but the bottles which are available are more than sufficient to set off the flavors of the food.

Only open from 5.30 to 11pm, Monday to Saturday (until 10pm on Sunday), you can expect the busy hours to be booked. If you want a table at the peak time, it is advisable to book a month in advance. Of course, if you can't wait to sample some Blue Hill delights, you can always venture just out of the city to the Pocantico Hills and enjoy the more rustic surrounds of the eatery at Stone Barns.