Entries in Cuisines: French (152)

Saturday
Feb242007

La Grenouille

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La Grenouille is the grandest and the oldest of the city’s few remaining classic French restaurants. It’s not an every-day restaurant (at least, not for most people), but for that rare special occasion, I’m glad it’s there. My girlfriend and I paid a visit last week with my mom, on her 70th birthday.

The death of this type of fine dining has long been forecast. In a January 1991 review (the last of three that he would write), Bryan Miller said:

If you listen to some restaurant-industry pundits, La Grenouille is just the type of expensive, opulent institution that is slated for extinction as ineluctably as the dinosaurs. In this era of austerity and a return to more ingenuous foods, they say, the dining public is turning away from haute cuisine and embracing little pizzas, pasta, coq au vin and grilled chicken.

So welcome to La Grenouille, Tuesday night, mid-January, traditionally the slowest time of the year for restaurants. The dining room is as packed as Bloomingdale’s during a post-holiday clearance.

That is how we found it last week, on a Tuesday evening. Nor was the clientele composed entirely of retirees and their families. To be sure, while the restaurant’s center of gravity is clearly the 55-and-over set, I saw at least three tables with young couples that appeared to be under 35. I’m sure that some kind of special occasion lured them to La Grenouille.

lagrenouille-flowers.jpgThe experience here may have once been about the food, but those days are long since past. A book for sale in the vestibule, The Flowers of La Grenouille, hints at the restaurant’s calling card. Even in 1980, when Mimi Sheraton awarded four stars in the Times, La Grenouille’s annual flower budget was $75,000. The three-course dinner back then was $35.75. Today it is $95, so I would imagine that the flower budget has nearly tripled.

Bryan Miller, probably the paper’s toughest grader in recent times, demoted La Grenouille to two stars in 1985, and then just one star in 1987, before elevating it back to three stars in 1991. Ruth Reichl reviewed it twice (1993, 1997), awarding three stars on both occasions. In the latter review, she found it “the most frustrating restaurant in New York,” finding both “flashes of brilliance” and “deep disappointment.” She said, “It could so easily be a four-star establishment.”

By all evidence, the current Times critic finds French food boring, so I doubt he plans to spend much time at La Grenouille. But were he to review it again, I doubt that it would retain its three-star status, as I can think of any number of better restaurants to which he has awarded only two. The overall experience is still one of gracious luxury, but the cooking has probably seen better days.

I believe the amuse-bouche was a celery root soup — certainly competent, but not a patch on the sunchoke soup amuse we had the night before at Perry St.

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Sweetbreads (left); Le Choix des Hors d’Oeuvre (center); Lobster Ravioli (right)

La Grenouille charges $95 for three courses, and it can easily be more, as many of the dishes carry supplements. Prices are in the range of the city’s four-star restaurants, but there were no “oohs” and “ahhs” at our table, except perhaps for my mom’s sweetbreads. I started with the plate of mixed cold hors d’oeuvres, an impressive portion, but entirely forgettable. Equally forgettable were my girlfriend’s lobster ravioli, which carried a $15 supplement.

My mom and my girlfriend had rack of lamb. With only two ribs offered, it was an ungenerous portion, and my girlfriend reported that one of hers wasn’t warm enough. I ordered the Pike Quenelles, a classic French dish that few restaurants serve any more. I’m at a bit of a disadvantage to report on it, as I’ve never had this dish before, but like my girlfriend’s lamb, it seemed not as warm as it should be, and the accompanying white rice tasted like Uncle Ben’s.

lagrenouille02.jpgWe all ordered soufflés for dessert ($9.75 supplement). My mom and I had the grand marnier soufflé, which was the best thing I had all evening. My girlfriend went for the chocolate soufflé, which she found not as impressive as the one we’d ordered at Etats-Unis a few weeks ago.

The wine list at La Grenouille is notoriously expensive, so I was happy to find a very good 2003 Châteauneuf-du-Pape for $95. The service had all of the traditional French trappings, beginning with the host’s greeting, “Bon soir, Madame,” when we arrived. The bill had separate tip lines for the captain and the waiter, a distinction that has disappeared almost everywhere else. (I just tipped a bulk amount; how they divide it shouldn’t be my problem.)

If the food was not the superb experience that it could be or should be given the price, the room remains extraordinary, the service polished and courteous. New York has better restaurants, but for some types of special occasions, La Grenouille remains incomparable.

La Grenouille (3 E. 52nd Street between 5th and Madison Avenues, East Midtown)

Food: **
Service: ***
Ambiance: ****
Overall: **½

Wednesday
Feb212007

Perry St.

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After two previous visits to Perry St., I had mixed feelings. It’s certainly a very good restaurant, but is it a great one? My mom was in town, and she hadn’t been to any of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurants, so I thought it was time to give Perry St. another try.

We had a 6:00 p.m. reservation on President’s Day, and it was totally empty; even a couple of hours later, it was only a bit over half full.

perryst01.jpgThe menu at Perry St. remains short and focused, and it changes frequently. There are just nine appetizers ($10–29) and eight entrees ($24–45). The wide price range means that you can get out of Perry St. fairly cheaply; but if you want to spend a bundle, you can. (The most-expensive appetizer is poached eggs with caviar; the most expensive entree is poached lobster.)

The amuse bouche was a sunchoke soup with a black truffle (above, right).

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Mixed Green Salad, Toasty Goat Cheese, Kumquat Vinaigrette (left);
Toasted Barley Risotto, Parmesan, Dried Sour Cherries and Pecans (right)

My mom loved the Mixed Green Salad with toasty goat cheese ($13), which came sculpted in a tall cylinder. I found Toasted Barley Risotto ($13) dominated by the taste of tomatoes, and couldn’t really perceive the dried sour cherries that the menu promised.

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Sweet & Sour Glazed Short Ribs, Spaghetti Squash and Crunch Cheddar (left);
Spicy Laquered Halibut, Grilled Broccolini, Clementine (right)

My mom also had the better of the main courses. Sweet & Sour Short Ribs ($28) were wonderful, as was the accompanying side of spaghetti squash topped with cheddar. But I found the Spicy Laquered Halibut ($28) over-seasoned, with the taste of the fish literally lost in the sauce.

perryst04.jpgThe petits fours (photo, right) were excellent, although I’m afraid I didn’t catch the explanation.

The bread service remains a definite weakness. Over the course of three visits, this was the first time that bread rolls arrived slightly warm, but they were still hard enough to be lethal weapons in the wrong hands. After I’d used my knife to spread the butter, a server removed the used bread plate but left the knife behind for me to re-use on my appetizer.

The wine list is brief and underwhelming. If I were being really picky, I would point out that we ordered a burgundy, and they served it in bordeaux glasses. I am not suggesting that this actually matters to me, but it does show Perry St.’s definite casual side. And in a restaurant that is so pleasant and comfortable, serving food that is as ambitious as this, can’t they do better than brown paper placemats?

Frank Bruni awarded three stars to Perry St. in September 2005, although his endorsement came with more caveats than he normally allows in a three-star review, calling it “undeniably flawed and surprisingly inconsistent.” Several of Bruni’s complaints — the sub-par bread service, the paper placemats — remain unremedied, presumably because Mr. Vongerichten, is getting exactly what he wants.

But what that is, is a two-star restaurant.

Perry St (176 Perry Street at West Street, Far West Village)

Food: **½
Service: **
Ambiance: **
Overall: **

Tuesday
Jan232007

Cafe Cluny

Cafe Cluny, the new French-American bistro, is so West Village: the quaint corner lot at an intersection no one can find without looking at a map; the low tin ceilings; the tables packed tighter than sardines; the short and uncomplicated menu.

And the attitude. The afternoon of my reservation, Cafe Cluny called to confirm I was still coming. No problem, that. But then they added that my reservation would be forfeited if we were more than fifteen minutes late, and that no one would be seated until the entire party was present. Any more regulations, and they will have to publish a rule book.

It turned out they were mighty friendly when I got there, and despite what I was told over the phone, they did seat me before my friend arrived. Luckily I am not overweight, as anyone larger would have struggled to squeeze into the tiny space without knocking things off of the adjacent table.

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We both tried the soup du jour ($9) — I believe a butternut squash — that was creamy and delicious. Duck breast confit ($27; above) was competently prepared, but it came atop a measly puddle of puréed potatoes and what was advertised as brussels sprouts, but didn’t seem to be. The standard table knife (which had to do double duty as a butter knife) wasn’t adequate for cutting into the duck.

Our server tried hard, but she was one of those unhelpful waitresses who thinks every selection you ask her about is “terrific,” no matter what it is.

Two entrees, two soups, one side dish, two coffees, and three drinks between us added up to $136.56 before tax and tip. While nothing we had was objectionable, I think one can find far more pleasant ways to spend that kind of money in this town.

Cafe Cluny (284 West 12th Street at West 4th Street, West Village)

Food: Average
Service: Average
Ambiance: Crowded
Overall: Average

Thursday
Jan112007

Le Boeuf à la Mode

Note: Le Boeuf à la Mode closed in June 2008. As of 2011, the space is an American bistro, East End Kitchen.

*

Le Boeuf à la Mode is one of the last remaining classic French bistros, in a city that was once full of “Le” and “La” restaurants. It’s run by the same French family that founded it in 1962, and one suspects the menu hasn’t changed much in all that time. Thanks to a renovation in the 1990s, it doesn’t have the same time-warp feeling as Le Veau d’Or, and it is also a bit larger.

However, one is still acutely aware of a bygone era. My friend and I are in our 40s, and we were surely the youngest people there. The restaurant, which seats 90, was less than half full. In the most recent New York Times review—perhaps the only one—John Canaday awarded two stars in 1975.

We ordered the four course prix fixe at $38.50. A duck mousse terrine was uncomplicated, but offered all the simple pleasure such a dish should. I am fairly certain the soup was the same cream of leek that John Canaday raved about, though to my taste it was merely average. Chicken breast stuffed with spinach and goat cheese (a recited special) was excellent. I seldom order chicken in a restaurant, but the promise of goat cheese was enough to tempt me, and I wasn’t disappointed. For dessert, a blueberry tart was rather forgettable.

Le Boeuf à la Mode’s perch on 81st Street is too far out-of-the-way for me to consider becoming a regular. Besides, I liked Le Veau d’Or’s ancient charm slightly better, and it is closer. But if you are hungry for the old-fashioned French classics, Le Boeuf is certainly worth a look.

Le Boeuf à la Mode (539 East 81st Street between First and York Avenues, Upper East Side)

Food: *½
Service: **
Ambiance: *½
Overall: *½

Saturday
Dec092006

Mas (farmhouse)

Note: Click here for a more recent review of Mas (farmhouse).

mas.jpgI’ve had Mas on my mind since it opened in 2004. Although Frank Bruni in the Times was lukewarm, awarding just one star, Adam Platt raved in New York. I was more inclined to trust Platt. But I tend to make most of my bookings just a few days in advance, and it seemed Mas was always full. Anyhow,  I finally got my act together, and scored a 6:45 p.m. table on Friday night.

The restaurant’s name means “farmhouse” in Provençal. Indeed, the décor announces its rusticity beginning with the enormous wooden door. However, it is also one of the more elegant restaurants in Greenwich Village, with its white tablecloths, bone china, and polished service.

The farmhouse reference also suggests Galen Zamarra’s zeal for seasonal ingredients. The menu changes daily, with only about six or seven appetizers, and a similar number of entrees. Each one comes with a long list of accompaniments, such as “Roasted beets baked with Westfield Farm goat cheese, baby greens, almonds & cucumbers”; or, “Roasted wild sea trout, thumbelina carrot stew, beans & white asparagus.”

Alas, there is no online version of what we had. The amuse bouche was a small square of butternut squash quiche—naturally, with three or four other ingredients that the server dutifully recited. My friend and I both started with the Trout Piscator ($16). She said, “There’s no way you’ll be able to describe everything that’s in here.” Even Frank Bruni was stumped, simply referring to “the delicious trout appetizer.”

The chicken entree ($34) was more straightforward: it came with wild mushrooms and mashed potatoes. The skin was crisp, the flesh tender. My friend ordered turkey ($36), which we both found slightly dry and a bit less flavorful. It did strike me that even the better of the two dishes, the chicken, was a tad over-priced at $34.

Only a restaurant like Mas would offer a butternut squash cake ($10) for dessert and get away with it, but the accompanying raspberry sorbet was an odd bedfellow.

The wine list is excellent, but expensive. I noted only one red under $50. We were delighted with a Herman Story Grenache, but at $70 it was more than we usually pay for wine.

Service was polished and attentive. Mas is one of those restaurants that does not leave the open wine bottle on your table. I usually prefer to control the bottle myself, but I didn’t mind at Mas, as they were always diligent about refilling our glasses. The one glitch was the bread service, which came with butter that was still frozen.

Mas always makes the list of the city’s most romantic restaurants. The room is  charming, the service excellent, and the food first-class.

Mas (39 Downing St. between Bedford St. and Seventh Ave. South, West Village)

Food: **
Service: **½
Ambiance: ***
Overall: **½

Friday
Dec012006

Le Veau d'Or

Le Veau d’Or (“The Golden Calf”) has been serving traditional French cuisine since 1937. They say it has hardly changed since then. The owner, Robert Tréboux, who lives upstairs, looks like he’s about 85. The only waiter appears to be about 75. The lavatories probably haven’t been renovated since the Eisenhower administration.

Craig Claiborne awarded four stars in the 1960s. The last rated review I can find comes from Mimi Sheraton in 1977. She awarded one star, but it almost sounds like she’s describing a different place:

One recommended formula for success in the restaurant business is to have a jam-packed, noisy, elbow-to-elbow setting with plenty of bumping and pushing among waiters and clientele and an overall atmosphere suggestive of a subway rush. The idea, supposedly, is that everyone wants to be where everyone else wants to be and that such a place is necessarily part of the “in” scene. It is a theory that certainly gains credence at Le Veau d’Or, the 31-year-old, very authentic French bistro…

Recent visits indicated, unfortnately, that although the three-deep scene at the bar is still intact, and waiters continue practically to trample patrons standing at the door so they can serve the awkwardly placed front tables, the food is not nearly what it used to be, with only a few exceptions. The myth, apparently, is outliving the reality.

Sheraton considered the prices “moderately high,” the wines “overpriced,” and the atmosphere “jammed, noisy, attractive.” 

As far as I can find, the last Times critic to mention it was William Grimes, in an article called “The Restaurants That Time Forgot.”

Not long ago, a stylish South American woman walked into Le Veau d’Or, a small French bistro near Bloomingdale’s. She had not set foot in the place for 40 years, but looking around, all seemed in order. The décor remained intact, with the painting of a calf sleeping in bed, the covers pulled up under its chin. The menu, a rote recitation of bistro classics, certainly hadn’t changed. But something was not quite right. “Have you changed some of the waiters?” she asked suspiciously. Robert Treboux, the owner, tried to break the news gently. “I told her, ‘Some have died, some have gotten rich,’” he said. “It was a very funny question.”

I’ve been thinking of a visit to Le Veau d’Or for about a year now. My mom is in town, and she loves nothing more than classic French cooking. A review in this week’s Sun reminded me. It was time to give it a try.

You might think that no one under sixty visits Le Veau d’Or, but you’d be wrong. We actually saw young people there. Their presence gives hope that Le Veau d’Or could be with us for a long while—assuming Monsieur Tréboux and his heirs hold on.

The menu at Le Veau d’Or is as classic as it gets, but you don’t need to be on Social Security to appreciate it. Whatever your age, you’ll love the prices. M. Tréboux owns the place free-and-clear, and he has no need to jack up the bill. You get three courses for around $30, all impeccably prepared. One of the best wines we’ve had in a while was just $42 for the bottle.

We started with the escargots ($8 suppl.), and if anyone is preparing it better, we’d like to know who it is. It was decadent as all get-out. What’s not to like about garlic and melted butter? We happily mopped up every drop with the French bread. Duck with cherry sauce ($29) came with wild rice and a helping of potatoes au gratin that could easily become addictive. The duck was perhaps a bit dry, but I didn’t leave a morsel behind, and it was an ample portion (half the bird).

Rum parfait was nothing complicated: chocolate ice cream with rum poured on top. But the waiter left the rum bottle, and I added plenty more. Coffee came, and we added rum to that too. They didn’t seem to mind.

Many other dishes appeared to be worth a look on future visits. Even after a full dinner, my mouth was watering at a half-rack of lamb, delivered to an adjacent party and carved tableside. Cassoulet also looked impressive. Many dishes are finished at the table, with sauces coming in gravy boats or large copper pots.

The serving staff (the lone waiter and a busboy) are occasionally confused. We got a good look at that cassoulet because it was delivered to our table by mistake. The waiter smiled wryly when we pointed out the error. Earlier, when my mom asked if the duck was good, he had a deadpan reply: “If it wasn’t good, we wouldn’t serve it.”

A few patrons at Le Veau d’Or wanted to practice their French. One man asked the watier, “Êtes-vous français?” “Non, je suis Americain,” replied the obviously French waiter.

The food came out a little slowly, but we were having a good time and were in no hurry. With less than half of the restaurant’s seventeen tables taken, they were in no rush to get rid of us. If we wanted, I think we could still be there.

My mom and I wished that my late father could have seen this place. There are few places like it any more—even in France. There’s a slightly frayed elegance to the bistro décor, as old French songs play in the background. Yet, it is entirely sincere. What’s not to love?

Le Veau d’Or (129 E. 60th Street between Park & Lexington Avenues, Upper East Side)

Food: **
Service: *½
Ambiance: **
Overall: **

Tuesday
Nov282006

Jean Georges

Note: Click here for a more recent review.

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The dining room at Jean Georges
Over at eGullet, there’s a long-standing discussion thread that asks: “Has Jean-Georges Vongerichten Jumped the Shark? Or does he still have the magic touch?”

In other words, can a chef manage an empire of sixteen restaurants, and still turn out four-star food at his flagship, the eponymous Jean Georges? To be sure, many of those restaurants don’t generate the excitement they once did. JoJo has left me underwhelmed on each of two visits; I found Perry St uneven (though many swear by it); most people won’t touch Spice Market with a ten-foot pole; Frank Bruni demoted both Vong and Mercer Kitchen earlier this year; and V Steakhouse at the Time-Warner Center folded quickly. I was a fan of 66 before it closed, but few diners took it seriously.

No other elite chef has attempted to juggle so many responsibilities at once. But against all odds, most people agree that Jean Georges is still the extraordinary restaurant it was in 1997, when Ruth Reichl awarded four stars, a verdict that Frank Bruni re-confirmed earlier this year. The Michelin Guide has been the butt of every imaginable criticism, but no one disputes that the Michelin inspectors know French cooking, and the Guide has awarded its top honor of three stars to Jean Georges in each of the last two years.

That’s the backdrop to my own first visit to Jean Georges last weekend for a 46th birthday celebration. The restaurant offers a choice of four courses prix fixe at $95, a seven-course tasting of Vongerichten favorites at $125, or a seven-course seasonal tasting menu, also $125. We chose the autumn tasting menu, which was fairly close to what is now displayed on MenuPages (sure to change in the near future):

Hamachi Sashimi Fresh Herbs, Champagne Grapes and Buttermilk
Foie Gras Brulé Spiced Jam and Toasted Brioche
Wild Mushroom Tea Parmesan, Chili and Thyme
Red Snapper Lily Bulb-radish Salad, White Sesame and Lavender
Butter-Poached Maine Lobster Fuji Apple, Endive and Crystallized Wasabi
Roasted Venison Quince Madeira Condiment, Broccoli Rabe and Cabrales Foam
Dessert Tasting

(The night we were there, the first course on the menu was scallops, but we requested the Hamachi Sashimi as a substitution.)

The were two highlights. Foie Gras Brulé was one of the best foie gras preparations we could recall, with a light crisp crust covering a perfectly prepared lobe of foie gras, and the spiced jam adding a contrasting flavor kick. Likewise, the snapper was probably the best seafood dish we’ve had all year, again because of the contrast of ingredients—the fish and the radish salad. On the other hand, the Hamachi Sashimi, the Lobster, and the Venison, are all dishes I will quickly forget.

My friend and I had different reactions to the Wild Mushroom Tea (actually a soup). This dish is served tableside from a silver bowl, with the warm soup poured over parmesan shavings. My friend seems to have gotten far more of the chili peppers than I did, so whereas my portion lacked the contrast that is essential to these dishes, her portion was far more successful.

I haven’t found the desserts anywhere on the web, and after seven courses I’m afraid my memory has failed me. I do know that we were offered a trio of options, each of which was a quartet of small desserts on a square plate. I have completely forgotten what they were, but all four were excellent—and it is rare that I feel that way about desserts. This was followed up by petits-fours and servings of home-made flavored marshmallows, cut tableside from large multi-colored strips. There was also, of course, birthday cake.

The amuses bouches were also strong. As often occurs in restaurants like this, the server’s explanations went by all too quickly, but there was a trio of them—a small square of goat cheese, a small sliver of sashimi-quality fish, and one other item.

The bread service was distinctly inferior for a restaurant in Jean Georges’ class, with a choice of simple French-style baguette rolls or sourdough bread (neither warm) and garden-variety butter. Per Se, Alain Ducasse, and Bouley all have far more impressive bread service than this.

We noted that all of the serving staff are quite young. (Our primary server reminded us of Pat Sajak in his twenties.) Perhaps this explains a number of service glitches. At one point, the server started to pour my wine glass before catching himself at the last moment, as he had not yet poured for my girlfriend. At another point, plates were deposited, taken away, then brought back again. Servers were at times unsure about when to pour and clear wine glasses, and at one point in the meal we felt that the pace was slightly rushed.

We ordered a wine pairing and received six excellent choices, with contrasting varieties and regions, although at no point did we speak to a sommelier—again, I consider this a minor lapse for a restaurant in this class. It is not the wine staff’s fault that five of the six wines were white, as they were all sensible choices for the menu. But perhaps the overall effect would have been better had the fifth course (the lobster) been an item that paired with red.

There are a couple of wonderful tables at Jean Georges that occupy small alcoves, and we were lucky enough to have one of these. With a wall on three sides of us, it almost felt like our own private world. However, it meant that all we saw out the window was the Time-Warner Center across the street, instead of the more compelling park views that many of the other tables have. We noted that there is nothing particularly lovely about the room itself, although it is of course tastefully decorated, and the service accoutrements are all lavish. When we left, we were sent on our way with just a tiny paper bag, containing a tiny box, containing two tiny pieces of chocolate.

On our tasting menu, the foie gras, the red snapper, and the desserts showed how Vongerichten’s cuisine can still be extraordinary, even if (as Frank Bruni claimed in his review) not much has changed in ten years. I do realize that it’s nearly impossible for every course out of seven to be a mind-bending experience. Certainly everything we tasted was at a high level of competence. But I wanted just one or two more of those courses to be sublime.

Jean Georges (1 Central Park West at 60th Street, Upper West Side)

Food: ***½
Service: ***
Ambiance: ***
Overall: ***½

Monday
Nov062006

Fleur de Sel

Note: Fleur de Sel closed on February 21, 2009. Chef Cyril Renaud plans to focus on his casual restaurant nearby, Bar Breton.

*

I had dinner at Fleur de Sel on Christmas Eve a few years ago. It didn’t wow me. Like other expensive restaurant dinners I’ve had at holiday times, it seemed mass-produced and over-priced. But with Fleur de Sel winning a Michelin star for the second year in a row, I thought it was time to give it another chance and was very glad I did.

Dinner at Fleur de Sel is $79 for a three-course prix fixe, which we had. Also available are a six-course tasting menu (with two choices for most courses) at $87, and the chef’s tasting menu (number of courses not specified) at $112.

The evening’s only dud was my appetizer choice: Maine Lobster salad, with truffle mayonaise and Asian pair ($5 suppl.). I found the cold lobster thin and flavorless. My mom and my girlfriend both had the goat cheese and artichoke ravioli topped with caviar. Both of them gave me a taste, and it was outstanding. The kitchen sent out a a trio of crabmeat pancakes as a bonus mid-course, which were also excellent.

We went our own ways for the main course. I had the crispy poussin, with organic arugula, wild mushrooms, and foie gras emulsion. This was the best poultry dish I’ve had since the bluefoot chicken at Alain Ducasse. The crispness of the skin and the tenderness of the flesh inside were a perfect contrast. My mom ordered the Atlantic Halibut, and my girlfriend the Duo of Lamb ($6 suppl.), and both pronounced themselves delighted.

A roasted fig dessert (which two of us had) was wonderful, as was a chocolate tart. A complimentary order of the raspberry feulletteé with white chocolate and caramel ganache was also sent out for us to share.

The wine list is rather expensive. Many pages have no choices under $125; bottles under $75 are scarce. I was happy with a Chateauneuf du Pape at $80, but I don’t think it would hurt to offer a few choices at lower prices. In an unusual arrangement, open bottles for the whole restaurant are kept on a table in the center of the room. We found this annoying, as we are quite capable of refilling our own glasses, and would prefer to do so at our own convenience, rather than a server’s.

The space at Fleur de Sel has a quiet, comfortable elegance. The décor is understated, but arguably a bit bland. The restaurant was less than half full on a Sunday night. Indeed, there was only one other occupied table when we arrived at about 6:20, although it had started to fill up nicely by the time we left.

Fleur de Sel (5 East 20th Street between 5th Avenue & Broadway, Flatiron District)

Food: ***
Service: **½
Ambiance: **½
Overall: ***

Monday
Aug212006

Café Boulud

Note: This is a review under Chef Bertrand Chemel, who has since left the restaurant. Click here for a review under his replacement, Gavin Kaysen.

*

A friend has just celebrated her 45th birthday. For the occasion, I decided to take her to Café Boulud, the three-star sibling of Daniel Boulud’s four-star flagship, Daniel. I’ve heard great things about Café Boulud over the years, but Andrew Carmellini, the chef de cuisine to whom it owes its reputation, jumped ship recently to open A Voce, leaving the kitchen in the hands of Bertrand Chemel.

We weren’t blown away. One can never go too far wrong with seared foie gras ($26), but there was nothing distinguished about the preparation. Peking Duck ($36) was likewise competent, and an ample portion, but wasn’t special. My friend had a similar reaction to sweetbreads ($19) and hangar steak ($34). Her cheese course ($21) was one of the comparative bargains.

One server offered a special dessert, but moments later another server told us it was unavailable. The strawberry grati ($13) was just fine, although quickly forgotten.

On the plus side, I was impressed to see that the wine list had a full page of white wine selections under $60, and another full page with reds under $60. I’ve been to plenty of restaurants less ambitious than Café Boulud where the choices under $60 were few and far between.

With so much more to choose from on the menu, I hesitate to say that Café Boulud is coasting, but both of us found the cooking uninspired, given the price point.

Café Boulud (20 E. 76th St. between Fifth & Madison Avenues, Upper East Side)

Food: **
Service: **
Ambiance: ***
Overall: **

Thursday
Jul272006

Le Pont de la Tour

A colleague recommended Le Pont de la Tour for its superb views of Tower Bridge (for which it’s named) and the Tower of London, from a perch along the boardwalk on the south bank of the Thames. There are numerous outdoor tables. None of these were available, but I was given an excellent window table facing the Tower, and as the windows were wide open, it amounted to the same thing. The décor is refined and elegant. I was overheated from an unexpectedly long walk, and started with a Pimms cocktail (£5.95) to cool off.

The menu is squarely in the French tradition. My colleague particularly recommended the chateaubriand, advice that several reviews on the web confirmed, but this signature dish is available only for two. I asked the server for an alternative recommendation. He must love the menu, for he went on to describe pretty much all of it, but his knowledge of the cuisine was impeccable—at least for the two dishes I tried. All of the options placed Le Pont de la Tour squarely in the French tradition.

I started with the morteaux sausage (£9.50), which came sliced, and with a honey mustard sauce. Sea trout, at £18.00, was the least expensive of the main courses. I wasn’t particularly looking to economize, but the server said the poached sea trout was ideal if one didn’t want to eat anything “heavy,” which was indeed the case on a sweltering evening. I’m usually not keen on filet fish prepared that simply, but this dish showed there are an exceptions to every rule when the flesh is as tender and the preparation as perfect as this one was.

The sommelier recommended a wonderful half-bottle of Chablis. I’m most definitely not a Chablis guy—it always seems to be the dullest of the white grapes, the way Merlot so often is among the reds. But this one, at £19.25, was wonderful, showing that even Chablis can rise above the commonplace.

When I arrived shortly after 8:00 p.m., most of the inside tables weren’t yet occupied, but by the time I’d finished my appetizer and main course—around 9:00 p.m.—the restaurant was nearly full. Service had been superb up to that point, but things slowed down considerably. It would take another 50 minutes for me to order and receive an order of French Coffee (£6.75), and to settle my bill. It was nice to know that they weren’t hurrying to unseat me from my table with a prime view, but that coffee took an awfully long time to prepare.

All-in, dinner came to £59.45 before tip.

Le Pont de al Tour (Butlers Wharf, 36d Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE)

Food: ***
Service: ***
Ambiance: ***
Overall: ***