On a rainy day, ducking into the famed Upper East Side townhouse cum restaurant Aureole is a true NY treat. Sitting in the and elegant sunken dining room amongst glorious arrangements of flowers you get the feeling that the uber attentive staff is poised to take you on an exciting culinary journey. The Hamachi wrapped quail egg, Peekytoe Crab with bacon dust, and pork loin with forbidden black rice were presented in a colorful and architectural manner as was each plate that followed. We were in heaven while sampling the duck confit on a bed of creamy corn and potato rosti and exclaimed that we “never wanted to stop eating.” As the rain abated and sun shone through the pane of glass that spans the restaurant’s two stories, we dipped into our dessert which included an outstanding caramelized hazelnut pyramid paired with chocolate-praline sauce. All hail chef Dante Boccuzzi!