Madison & Vine

Cocktail impresario Mark Grossich (the Campbell Apartment) enters the restaurant market at this midtown eatery. Fittingly, it’s a fine place to drink: The long oak bar is ideal for sipping house cocktails like the Blackberry Fizz (gin, white Lillet, blackberries and a champagne float). The kitchen isn’t as successful: Appetizers, like freezer-section-style calamari, never rose above pub grub fare; entrées, like an overpriced, underseasoned strip steak ($36), were carted to the table by a crew of bumbling servers. Ultimately the food is beside the point here. A note to Grossich: Stick to what you know.