Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!  

Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Frère de Lys is a French restaurant located on the Upper East Side that discovered last week end. I met with two of the owners of this place Alexis and Thibault Piettre, who before that worked in other restaurants in New York, before fulfilling the dream to open their own restaurant. Their mother was even there and chat proudly about this adventure. I was intrigued by the name as it seems to be a play on fleur de lys (iris flower), a symbol of monarchy in Europe; According to French historian Georges Duby, the three petals represent the medieval social classes: those who worked, those who fought, and those who prayed (source: wikipedia). 

Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Alexis told me that they are not royalist at all, but wanted to celebrate the renaissance period, their renaissance and as he and his brother have a fleur de lys tattooed on their arms, they thought about Frère de Lys as the name to their new adventure, frère meaning brother in French.

Alexis and Thibault Piettre from Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Decor wise, it is a simple place with a lot of warmth thanks to the dark wood of the tables, chairs and long banquette, keeping a touch of modernity. 

bar at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

At the entrance is the bar with its bulbs that give a vintage feel.

vintage bulb at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Then, the dining room, simply decorated.

dining room at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

With of course a photo of an iris in the back.

iris flower at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Menu wise, do not expect to see a bistro type menu: there are no escargots, no confit de canard and no steak frites. There, the menu has classic French dishes, modernized and sometimes changed with an American twist. Know that we were there for a tasting, so the portions were smaller that what is shown on the actual menu. In fact, they were perfect portions for sharing and trying plenty of dishes and, who knows, their menu may include smaller dishes at some point!

bread basket at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Like any good French menu, it started with bread (toasted and served with olive oil) and wine. I got to try two wines:

The first one was a château de la sèlve palissaire 2012:

château de la sèlve palissaire 2012 at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

The second one was a Domaine du Colombier Chinon 2010:

Domaine du Colombier Chinon 2010 at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

I went for the Chinon. 

Then, we chose three appetizers:

Roasted figs and prosciutto, that is one of their best sellers:

Roasted figs and prosciutto at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

The tiny figs were topped with goat cheese and complimented with arugula, all of this drizzled with a house vinaigrette. 

Roasted figs and prosciutto at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

I thought it was a nice pairing and I loved the combination of the fig, with its particular texture, and goat cheese. It was definitely a good start.

Roasted figs and prosciutto at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

The next appetizer was smoked eggplant gratin:

Roasted eggplant au gratin at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

It was made with ricotta and a homemade tomato sauce. Considering the way it was prepared, I would more associate this dish to Italian cuisine. It was very good, letting the eggplant be the star of the dish, and it was very comforting. 

The last appetizer was the veggie and quinoa tartine:

veggie and quinoa tartine at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

A tartine is a slice of bread with a spread or ingredients on top. At Frère de Lys, they propose few of them, with for instance prosciutto or smoked salmon. But we decided to go for the veggie and quinoa as we were intrigued by this vegetarian option. What was interesting with this dish is that it was simple: bread, cucumber and quinoa, served with arugula salad on the side. But as simple as it was, it was very good and filling, the cucumber adding a nice cooling and freshness to the dish.

For the entrees, we picked three:

pan seared chicken at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

The pan seared chicken, served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, haricots verts‏ (string beans), mushrooms, tarragon and mustard sauce. This was delicious: the chicken was perfectly cooked and moist, and the sauce delightful but not heavy. The mash potatoes were homemade and I truly appreciated the fact that it was not garlic-ey. The haricots verts were interesting: they were crunchy, that is the way veggies are cooked in the US, but not in France, where they would be cooked longer, until very soft, probably in a bit of butter. The two brothers disagree on the way they should be cooked: Alexis prefers the French way (as I do) and Thibault the way they are served. 

The second appetizer was the rack of lamb:

rack of lamb at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

It was served also with haricots verts and sweet potato. The lamb was good, but unfortunately a bit overcooked; I did not really care about the red wine reduction that came with it as the meat was still moist. I loved the fact that it was paired with a sweet potato that was simply cooked in the oven before being sliced in half and served: simple and delicious.

The last entree was a vegetarian dish that was definitely a high point: paleo zucchini pasta.

paleo zucchini pasta at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

Imagine zucchini shredded like thick pasta, served with an avocado cream sauce. That was a fantastic dish, between the crunchiness of the zucchini to the richness of the avocado. Full of flavors, this is the type of dish that even a carnivore like me would like.

Last was dessert, eaten with a decaf espresso.

decaf espresso at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

We got a sampler that is normally not proposed on the menu (all restaurants should have a sampler - wink, wink!), with the slices of tarts being smaller than usually served.

dessert sampler at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

We got to try:

The flour less chocolate cake:

flour less chocolate cake at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

The pear and rosemary tart:

pear and rosemary tart at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

The grand-mère apple and honey cake:

grand-mère apple and honey cake at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

All the desserts, made on premises, were really good and not too sweet, my favorite being the last one. But I admit that the pear and rosemary was quite surprising as pear is a common ingredient for a tart, but rosemary is not, and there was just enough quantity to give a subtle taste to the tart.

I was ready to go when they propose a glass of mirabelle from Alsace, the region in France where the brothers are from. I could not refuse...

Eau de vie de mirabelle d'Alsace at Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

It is an eau de vie, that is a clear fruit-based spirit (made with mirabelle plum in this case) perfect for the digestion.

Although the dishes were not heavy, I needed a walk after that feast: the food was delicious and well presented. The menu, with seasonal dishes is not large, that is perfect as it is better to have a small menu well executed than a large menu poorly made. I truly appreciated the fact that they had vegetarian dishes that did not look or taste like sides, but really like complete dishes that would satisfy anybody and not just vegetarians. I also loved the atmosphere of the restaurant: with its neighborhood feel, it reminded me some of the small joints I used to go to in Paris, where you feel welcome and in a way part of a family. This is of course thanks to the dynamism and warmth of the two brothers, Alexis and Thibault. Frère de Lys is definitely worth a trip to the Upper East Side! Chapeau! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!  

Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Paname, that means

Paris

in slang, is a French restaurant located Midtown East, opened a year ago by Chef Bernard Ros, a veteran of the New York food scene, known not only for his cuisine, but also his mentorship in the industry, helping people get jobs or training them, solely for the love of food. The adventure started in 1967, when Chef Ros came to Montreal for the World's Fair. He then decided to go visit New York...and never went back to France, working in many restaurants, before opening Meli Melo and then Paname.

Chef Bernard Ros of Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Chef Bernard Ros with the "Marilyn Monroe's legs"

I spoke at length with him during my dinner at Paname and truly felt that he was more interested in making his customers pleased with the experience at the restaurant, serving them classic bistro dishes, reinvented, at low prices, creating a loyal clientele, instead of one time diners. 

dining room at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Chef Ros goes everyday to the market to pick ingredients, putting an emphasis on the quality of the meat and seafood he will serve. If you go to Paname, you will definitely see him (he is there 7/7) going from table to table, to ensure everything is fine. 

dining room at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Menu wise, you will find classics, but as I mentioned before, reinvented. For instance, there are escargots (snails), but not cooked the usual way, with garlic and butter. Also, everything is homemade, including the desserts, that can be a challenge for a Chef, but not for Bernard Ros, as you will see in this post.

We started our meal with an amuse bouche that was made with gorgonzola and a tomato coulis, a perfect combination. 

amuse bouche at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Then, I tried few appetizers:

Tomato and mozzarella:

tomato and mozzarella at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Grilled portobello mushrooms with mozzarella:

portobello mushrooms and mozzarella at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Homemade pâté with cornichons:

Homemade pâté with cornichons at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Homemade pâté with cornichons at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Escargots de Bourgogne with Russet potatoes:

Escargots de Bourgogne with Russet potatoes at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Escargots de Bourgogne with Russet potatoes at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

The first thing I noticed was the presentation and then, the originality of the escargot dish: it was definitely a different way of preparing escargot, like a twist to stuffed vegetables, a French classic, where the snails replaced the ground meat. On the plate were stuffed potatoes and zucchini.

Also, the pâté had this rustic taste, full of authenticity.

For entrees, I tried:

The paella Valenciana:

Paella Valenciana at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

You are right, it is a Spanish dish, but it seems that customers love this special, so it is often proposed. It was prepared with seafood (a lot, such as calamari, clams, shrimp and mussels), as well as chorizo and chicken. Delicious dish, very appetizing with all these vivid colors.

The sautéed cod fish à la niçoise with a tomato fondant:

The sautéed cod fish à la niçoise with a tomato fondant at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

I really liked it: the fish, sitting on top of smooth mashed potatoes, was perfectly cooked and topped with a sort of stew made with roasted tomatoes, peppers and a black olives (the 

à la niçoise

part of the dish) that was sublime, giving another dimension to the dish.

Last was the bouillabaisse, a fish stew that comes from the city of Marseille in the South of France, where I was born!

bouillabaisse at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

When the dish came to the table, it had this wonderful aroma and I could not wait to taste the broth that was delicious and very flavorful, perfectly seasoned. It was composed of mussels, clams, baby scallops, shrimp and cod, accompanied with a garlic aioli (on two pieces of toasted bread, as well as on a spoon, to mix with the broth)..

bouillabaisse at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

That was very good and very comforting, definitely a dish I would recommend, even in Summer time.

Then, it was time for dessert. At Paname, they have classic ones, such as crème brûlée, tarte tatin or mousse au chocolat. I did not eat the latter, but Bernard Ros, showed me how they served it and it was amazing: not served in the usual bowl, it was truly artistic.

mousse au chocolate at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

I tried the flourless chocolate cake that was probably one of the best I had so far. Prepared with some Valhrona bittersweet chocolate, it was dense and very chocolatey.

flour less chocolate cake at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

Last were the homemade crêpes, made with Grand Marnier and served with almonds.

crepes at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

The crêpes were thicker than what I am used to, making them a bit heavier. However, I truly appreciated that they put the right amount of alcohol and the added texture of the toasted almonds.

Last were cookies:

cookies at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

I should mention that I drank a glass (or two) of Côtes du Rhône with my meal.

Cotes du Rhone at Paname, French restaurant in New York, NY

The short walk after we left was welcome...Paname is a nice place to go to, simple and unpretentious, where the passion of its Chef and owner really reflects into the dishes. And with a $35 prix-fixe with an appetizer, entree and dessert, you cannot go wrong!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Per Se in New York, NY

Per Se in New York, NY

We dreamt about going to Per Se for a while and decided, for our wedding anniversary, to go there instead of traveling. It was worth it. Acclaimed Chef Thomas Keller and his crew, led by Chef de Cuisine Eli Kaimeh are like magicians. They not only make disappear your appetite and a large sum of money from your bank account, they also erase any memory or reference to any good meal you had before going to Per Se. Yes, after dining at Per Se, any good restaurant will be like going to MacDonald's after tasting the burger at Minetta Tavern. This team shows so much technique and artistry that we were blown away.

Time Warner Center going to Per Se in New York, NY

Before I talk about the food, let me tell you a bit about this restaurant. Located on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center, the American Chef Thomas Keller opened Per Se in 2004. It soon received the accolades of critics and easily gained three Michelin stars, reaching the top of the New York dining scene and being constantly mentioned in best restaurants ranking, including world best. 

Per Se in New York, NY

Arriving at the restaurant, my heart was beating faster from the excitement to finally go there. We sat few minutes in their anti chamber of heaven, looking at the blue doors that are a reference to Thomas Keller's flagship The French Laundry in California (the dining room has 62 seats like The French Laundry - another reference?).

Per Se in New York, NY

Then, it was time to start this culinary adventure. We were warmly welcomed by the staff and got seated at a table overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park, the latter reminding me that I would probably need the gym later on...

Per Se in New York, NY

To make sure everything was at its place, they brought Jodi a little stool for her bag...

Per Se in New York, NY

I started by ordering a glass of wine picked from their impressive list displayed on an IPad. 

wine list on iPad at Per Se in New York, NY

I went for a glass of Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py, 2012:

Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py, 2012 at Per Se in New York, NY

We made our choice from the menu. Per Se proposes two prix fixe for $310 service included: the vegetarian menu (Jodi's pick) and the Chef's Tasting, each of them having 9 courses. For each course, you have two choices, some of them including an up charge, as prepared with luxurious items such as foie gras, caviar or truffles. Know that the menu will change on a daily basis, although some of the dishes, search as the first course I got seems to be a recurring choice.

So, let's see what we got!

Amuse-Bouche:

For Jodi, it was a cone with Belgian endives, grapefruit and cream cheese:

Amuse bouche at Per Se in New York, NY

For me, a cone with marinated salmon and cream cheese:

Amuse bouche at Per Se in New York, NY

Cheese gougères (choux pastry mixed with cheese):

Amuse bouche Cheese gougères at Per Se in New York, NY

I love when they bring amuse, because not only it opens your appetite, but it also contributes to the excitement of the whole experience.

First Course:

For Jodi - Meyer lemon-lime sorbet, served with Rocky sweet melon, Hass avocado puree, Yarrow blossoms and finger limes:

Meyer lemon-lime sorbet at Per Se in New York, NY

For me -

Oysters and Pearls

Oysters and pearls at Per Se in New York, NY

Sabayon of pearl tapioca with Island Creek oysters and white sturgeon caviar. This dish is very often served on the menu apparently and, after the first bite, I understood why: what is surprising about it is how well these ingredients worked together, texture wise, flavor wise and temperature wise. The sabayon was hot while the caviar and oysters were not; it was sweet, while the caviar was slightly salty. I really loved that dish that was like bringing the appetizer and dessert together.

Second course

For Jodi - turnip "Bavarois":

turnip "Bavarois" at Per Se in New York, NY

Composed of Stonington nori, compressed nectarine, Persian cucumber and charred hearts of romaine lettuce.

For me - Hudson Valley Moulard duck foie gras:

Hudson Valley Moulard duck foie gras at Per Se in New York, NY

At that point, I had a choice between a salad of marinated tomatoes or a foie gras for $40 supplement. I did not think twice and went for the latter. It was served with a confit de canard sauce, oat Streusel, stewed blueberries, fennel bulb, amaranth and black winter truffle, as well as the most delicious brioche ever, drizzled with coarse salt:

Brioche bread at Per Se in New York, NY

Funny enough, I was half way through the brioche when they removed it from the table, causing my heart to drop, but it was to replace it with another one. Well, they could have left both on the table: they would not have made it that long there...

There was also some salt for the foie gras brought to the table, coming from different countries such as a sel de Guérande from France or the black salt from Hawaii.

salt at Per Se in New York, NY

I did not use the salt as I thought the dish did not need any and was perfect as is. The only regret is that, although it had the visual of truffle, it did not have the aroma.

At the same time they brought us the second course, they brought some butter and bread. The first butter was a honey butter, shaped like a beehive:

honey butter at Per Se in New York, NY

The second one was from a farm in Vermont where they have only ten cows:

butter at Per Se in New York, NY

 It came with a small bread:

bread at Per Se in New York, NY

But then, before the third course arrived, they came with a beautiful bread basket:

bread at Per Se in New York, NY

Jodi chose the pretzel bread:

pretzel bread at Per Se in New York, NY

While I chose the mini-baguette:

mini baguette bread at Per Se in New York, NY

All these bread were deliciously fresh and crunchy when expected.

Third course

Jodi - Griddled corn cake:

Griddled corn cake at Per Se in New York, NY

Served with Brentwood corn relish, pole beans, tomatoes, quail eggs, mâche (green salad) and black winter truffle.

For me - Crispy skin Mediterranean lubina:

Crispy skin Mediterranean lubina at Per Se in New York, NY

Served with Rick Bishop's snow peas, green market radishes and horseradish crème fraîche. Lubina is in fact sea bass; that was definitely the star of the dish: it was perfectly cooked and that crispy skin was succulent. I also appreciated the fact that the crème fraîche was not overpowered by the horseradish.

Fourth course

Jodi - English pea "flan"

English pea "flan" at Per Se in New York, NY

It was served with morel mushrooms, asparagus, heirloom carrots and garlic scapes.

For me - Butter poached Nova Scotia Lobster:

Butter poached Nova Scotia Lobster at Per Se in New York, NY

The dish was composed of the lobster, greek bottarga (salted, cured fish roe called

poutargue

in French), avocado squash, cranberry beans, stonecrop and garbanzo beans vinaigrette. Just the presentation was amazing, from the plating to the popping colors. But the best was of course the flavors that were like a concert in my mouth, the bottarga adding a subtle bitterness and the avocado some richness to a perfectly cooked lobster.

Fifth course

This was a long awaited course: the truffle course. For Jodi, it was a pasta course and she had the choice between basil agnolotti and the gnocchi with truffles. For me, it was either the fricassee of Salmon Creek Farms' pork belly or the tagliatelle with truffles. Each truffle dishes required a supplement of $125. I admit that we hesitated a bit and then went for it, thinking that we would probably regret not having them and, as it was a special occasion...

Australian black winter truffles at Per Se in New York, NY

The black winter truffles, that are from Australia, came in a box. When they opened the lid, our noses got invaded that this fantastic smell so characteristic of these ugly fungus. They shaved them generously on our plates, making us wonder how they know when there have to stop.

Australian black winter truffles at Per Se in New York, NY

So, the dishes were:

For Jodi - russet potatoes gnocchi with parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) and black winter truffles (of course):

russet potatoes gnocchi with parmigiano reggiano at Per Se in New York, NY

For me - hand cut tagliatelle with parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) and black winter truffles (of course):

hand cut tagliatelle with parmigiano reggiano at Per Se in New York, NY

Do not think that we left the shavings that were on the side of the dishes: for that price, we surely ate them!

It was delicious: not only because of the truffles with their pungent aroma and wonderful taste, but also because the creamy cheese sauce and the pasta were scrumptious. We definitely did not regret the extra cost.

Sixth course

For Jodi - Croustillant de pommes de terre:

Croustillant de pommes de terre at Per Se in New York, NY

It was served with ruby beets, French leeks, Spring onions, mustard cress and "bordelaise".

For me - Marcho Farms' "selle de veau" (veal loin):

Marcho Farms' "selle de veau" (veal loin) at Per Se in New York, NY

It was composed of Oregon morel mushrooms, good nugget potatoes, Tokyo turnips and brown butter jus. The veal loin was just ok for me, as I did to really like the texture, but, with all the components of the plate, it made it successful, especially the morel mushrooms and the brown butter jus.

Seventh course - cheese course

For Jodi, Moses sleeper cheese from Vermont (it is close to a French brie), with walnut "melba", heirloom cauliflower, stonecrop and Royal Blenheim apricot compote.

Moses sleeper cheese from Vermont at Per Se in New York, NY

For me, Consider Bardwell Farm's "pawlet", with Hadley Orchards' Medjool dates, Jingle bell peppers, glazed broccoli, petite parsley and "Romesco":

Consider Bardwell Farm's "pawlet" at Per Se in New York, NY

It came with a tiny garlic ciabatta bread:

garlic ciabatta bread at Per Se in New York, NY

I did not know what pawlet was, but I really liked this soft and buttery cheese from Vermont.

Eight Course - Assortment of desserts

That is when the madness started: desserts were coming one after the other, each one more exquisite than the other.

First, Jodi got a Victoria sponge cake with blackberry jam, vanilla and white chocolate buttercream and green market berries.

Victoria sponge cake with blackberry jam at Per Se in New York, NY

For me, a strawberry soda, lemon verbena pastry cream, champagne granité and French meringue:

strawberry soda at Per Se in New York, NY

strawberry soda at Per Se in New York, NY

Then, Jodi got the fig ice cream with a rose geranium gelée:

fig ice cream with a rose geranium gelée at Per Se in New York, NY

And I got a toasted almond ice cream with a garniture from Montélimar, a city in France known for its nougat.

toasted almond ice cream with a garniture from Montélimar at Per Se in New York, NY

For our anniversary, they brought us a dessert made of white and dark chocolate mousse inside:

white and dark chocolate mousse at Per Se in New York, NY

And when we thought we were done, they brought us some more. For Jodi, a dessert called "Loma Sotavento", made with salted caramel, peanut "Nutella" and red verjus jelly.

"Loma Sotavento" dessert at Per Se in New York, NY

For me, a chocolate mint made with a Valrhona chocolate ganache and with an "After Eight" and mint tea purée.

chocolate mint made with a Valrhona chocolate ganache at Per Se in New York, NY

And when we thought we were done, they brought us some more (I think I already said that...)! First were chocolates:

chocolates at Per Se in New York, NY

They came with this big box full of different chocolates, the top row being dark chocolate, the middle row white and the bottom row milk chocolate.

chocolates at Per Se in New York, NY

I picked:

- on the left, an olive oil and rosemary white chocolate where these two surprising ingredients burst into my mouth delightfully.

- on the bottom right, a vanilla bourbon milk chocolate.

- on the top right, a Mats brothers Madagascar dark chocolate.

Few minutes later, came a semifredo cappuccino and donuts, a dessert from The French Laundry:

semifredo cappuccino and donuts at Per Se in New York, NY

semifredo cappuccino and donuts at Per Se in New York, NY

And what I would call a magic box:

magic box of sweets at Per Se in New York, NY

It opened, revealing some more sweets!

magic box of sweets at Per Se in New York, NY

In the bottom were chocolate truffles:

truffles at Per Se in New York, NY

In the middle, macarons:

macarons at Per Se in New York, NY

On top, some nougats and caramels:

nougats and caramels at Per Se in New York, NY

And then for home, some shortbread cookies with chocolate in the middle.

shortbread cookies at Per Se in New York, NY

It was as if the dinner was ending with fireworks. We left full, not only in our bellies, but full of memories: we will remember that dinner for sure. Everything was on point and the food was spectacular, not only taste wise, but also the way it was presented, each plate used to serve the dish looking as if it was custom made.

Butter poached Nova Scotia Lobster at Per Se in New York, NY

This is definitely a restaurant I recommend for a special occasion if the price is not an issue. Chapeau Per Se!

Enjoy (I surely did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Per Se

Le Bernardin in New York, NY

Le Bernardin in New York, NY

Before stating that you definitely do not like fish, go to Le Bernardin, the three Michelin starred restaurant of Chef Eric Ripert and Maguy Coze, located in Midtown Manhattan. This place, opened in 1986 is the pinnacle of seafood in America and kept a solid reputation all these years. There is no doubt Chef Ripert is talented, crafting an elegant and tasteful menu that even the most skeptical will rave about, but, behind the scenes is one man, an incredible fish butcher by the name of Justo Thomas, who takes care of more than 1,000 pounds of fish per day, requiring three people to replace him when he is on vacation! Thanks to his craftsmanship, you will not find one bone or fish part that you cannot eat, filleting fishes to perfection and ensuring you have the best quality on your plate, making the whole experience there unforgettable (I just drooled by the way just thinking about it).

Le Bernardin in New York, NY

We went there for our wedding anniversary, for a first celebration (yes, we had two!). I do not really remember the decor, three years ago, when we went for dinner, right before their renovations, adding a lounge to the restaurant, where I believe you can just walk in and have a more casual experience than in the dining room (Gentlemen, jacket is required). The decor is classy, modern and warm, with a beautiful painting in the back from Brooklyn artist Ran Ortner representing the sea, dominating the entire dining room.

As we were still deciding what to pick from the menu, they brought us an amuse bouche.

amuse bouche at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

It was composed of:

Goat cheese and beet in phyllo:

goat cheese and beet in phyllo at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

Oyster from Washington State with sea beans:

oyster with sea bean at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

Carrot and ginger soup with a tuile:

carrot and ginger soup at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

That was a great way to start, my preference going to the soup because I thought that it had complex flavors. Even Jodi, who does not like carrot loved it.

Then, they brought us some bread and butter.

butter at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

There was a large choice of bread for sure.

bread basket at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

Jodi picked the pretzel bread

pretzel bread at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

And me, the sundried tomatoe and fennel (pretty good).

sun dried tomato and fennel bread at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

We opted for the prix fixe dinner, the tasting menu looking good, but having plenty of dishes that Jodi would not like. For $135, you get three dishes and a dessert. Pricey, but totally worth it.

The first dishes were in the section

Almost raw

. For Jodi, it was the striped bass:

striped bass at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

It was a wild striped bass tartare, Jicama salad with a champagne-mango emulsion. For most of the dishes, the sauce or emulsion was put at the end, poured slowly by the wait staff, like a ceremonial gesture.

striped bass at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

It was served with some toasted sourdough bread.

toasted bread at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

I got the yellowfin tuna that was layered over foie gras and toasted baguette, with chives and extra virgin olive oil on top:

yellowfin tuna and foie gras at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

This was a nice take on surf and turf, and it worked! Similar to a carpaccio, I loved the combination of fish / foie gras, with the added crispiness from the baguette.

The second dishes were from the section

Barely touched

. For Jodi, it was the white tuna or escolar poached in olive oil and served with niçoise olives, grilled maitake mushrooms and a citron (lemon) vinaigrette.

escolar poached in olive oil at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

For me, the king fish and caviar:

king fish and caviar at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

It was served with brioche bread.

brioche toast at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

Similar to Jodi's first dish, the light marinière broth was added at the table.

king fish and caviar at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

Et voila!

king fish and caviar at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

This was a fantastic dish: the king fish was sliced like a sashimi and not at all overpowered by either the broth or the caviar that gave a very slight saltiness to the dish.

Then was the last dish, from the section

lightly cooked

. Jodi ordered the crispy black bass, served with wood ears mushrooms and water chestnuts, and bathed in a black truffle hot and sour pot au feu:

crispy black bass at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

She was a bit disappointed, especially after she tasted my dish...I tried it and liked it, the fish skin being deliciously crispy and the fish being perfectly cooked, but I have to agree with her that we could barely taste the truffle.

So, on my side, my last dish was spectacular! It was a surf and turf made of white tuna (escolar) and kobe beef.

white tuna and kobe beef at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

There were three elements to the dish:

The escolar with its soy-lemon emulsion:

white tuna or escolar at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

The kimchi and Asian pear:

kimchi and Asian pear at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

The kobe beef:

kobe beef at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

That was the best dish of the evening and, considering what we had so far, it is a pretty big statement! The escolar was so good, with its nice grilled taste, it was literally melting in my mouth. So was the beef that was tender and juicy (I drooled again!).

Last was dessert. Jodi ordered the S'mores (smoked Madagascan chocolate crémeux, Graham cracker sablé, Tahitian vanilla ice cream) that she inhaled:

S'mores at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

And I ordered the banana, a dessert composed of a roasted banana mousse cake and ice cream, Piedmont hazelnuts:

banana dessert at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

I loved it: it was quite light and delicate, not too sweet, perfect if you love banana!

But it was not the end. They brought us a small plate with, from left to right, a cherry chocolate (that had peanut in it), a salted caramel (my favorite), a peach pate de fruit and black currant financier:

sweets at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

I should of course mention the wine. I went for a glass of Meursault "Les grands charrons", a Bourgogne from 2011.

Meursault "Les grands charrons", a Bourgogne from 2011 at Le Bernardin in New York, NY

With its medium-bodied flavor, it was perfect with the fish.

Dining at Le Bernardin was a sublime experience: the service was outstanding and the food beautifully presented and delicious. Yes it is pricey, but this is the kind of restaurant where you will not be disappointed. So I guess there is no need to ask me if I would go back: you know the answer!

Enjoy (I surely did)!

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Le Bernardin

My trip to Europe: L'Eden in Coublevie, France

Few years ago, we discovered L'Eden, a seafood restaurant located in Coublevie, Isère (check out my previous post). This is a spot that my family knows well, so we decided to go there to celebrate Mother's Day. Know that Mother's Day in France is always the last week end of May. 

The place was packed with families when we arrived, but we were the last to leave, after a three hour lunch...

The service was a bit challenging because the restaurant was clearly understaffed on a pretty demanding day. 

While making up our mind with the menu, we ordered the house cocktail that was made with champagne and curaçao, the latter giving a nice light blue color. Floating in the glass was a raspberry that went up and down as time went. 

We also ordered a bottle of wine, a Rasteau from 2010:

The brand is ORTAS that is an anagram for Rasteau.

Few moments after the brought the drink, they gave us a delicious velouté de champignons (cream of mushroom):

They had a set menu for the event, although they agreed to allow Jodi to order a vegetarian dish, as she did not like what they were proposing. Similar to last time, we ordered a Saint-Marcellin cheese salad. 

Nice looking, they put quit a lot of cheese, slightly toasted, on top of mesclun salad. 

On my side, I started with a wild salmon carpaccio with lime, apple, berries and olive oil. 

The carpaccio looked beautiful, made with slices of salmon a bit thicker than usual. The fish was sublime: fresh and delightfully fatty. Unfortunately, it was missing some acidity and the dish was overpowered by the olive oil. 

Next was the magret de canard with a morel sauce: 

Magret is duck breast that is typically thinly sliced with a bit of fat in the outside, usually cooked pink in the center. 

This was served with an écrasé de pomme de terre (crushed potatoes) that was deliciously creamy and some mushrooms. I really liked that dish: the magret was perfectly cooked and had a perfect amount of fat that had this wonderful grilled taste. And that morel sauce...so good! 

They also propose some cheeses like the fromage Blanc below, but I admit that after the feast I had that week end, I skipped it. 

For dessert, I chose the mango soup with a lemon sherbet and fresh mint. 

It was just ok for me, missing some mint and the mango not being that tasty. However, Jodi ordered the moelleux au chocolat, a delicious cake with a melted center. 

We finished our meal with an espresso. 

It was a nice Mother's Day celebration, Bonne fête Maman!

I am sure you wonder if I would recommend this place. I think it is always difficult to judge a restaurant as events like this one are always challenging. Think about it: for valentine's day or New Year's Eve, lots of restaurants are proposing overpriced prix-fixe that are not of the best quality. That does not make them bad. The same applies to L'Eden. 

L'Eden

395 Chemin des Voûtes 

38500 Coublevie, France

www.restaurant-poisson-grenoble.com

Enjoy (I did)!

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My trip to Europe: Le Rempart, Tournus, France

Our last Michelin Star restaurant we tried in our trip in Bourgogne was Le Rempart in Tournus. Nice small city of approximately 6,200 inhabitants, located along the Saône river; it was very quiet at the time we were there, if not for the activity surrounding a small cruise boat where one could dine while sailing on the river.

The restaurant Le Rempart is located in a hotel with the same name. There is in fact the restaurant, as well as a low key bistro, located at the opposite side. 

The impressive building was a 15th century guardhouse, built on the ramparts that were surrounding the city, hence the name Le Rempart (The Rempart), and their logo that is everywhere. 

The decor is pretty elegant and it is definitely one level up from Pierre the restaurant that we visited the day before. At the entrance is a very small lounge where you can enjoy a drink from their large selection of alcohol. 

Then, the tables, not too close to each other. 

The menu, crafted by Chef Sylvain Gohier is very elegant, with an outstanding presentation that would make you think that the Chef is a painter and the plate his canvas. Again here, the food is not only for the pleasure of the palate, but also for the pleasure of the eyes. Showcasing incredible creativity, the Chef interprets dishes from different regions of France, sourcing the high quality ingredients he is using from French producers. 

We decided to start our meal with the house cocktail, made with whiskey, sweet wine (it might have been martini) and Pacherinc. 

With it, they served us some amuse-bouche. 

It was composed of:

Goat cheese

Tomato with chorizo

Tuna

They then served us bread and butter. 

Jodi picked the cereal bread

And I picked the olive and tomato one. 

Then, we all got a petit consommé de petits pois avec son anchoïade or peas consommé with anchovy cream. 

It started well! I love these little amuse that you get in restaurant of this caliber, because it opens your appetite. 

For the appetizer, I got the boeuf Charolais servi en tartare, copeaux de Cécina, Jaune d'oeuf confit et pissaladière aux anchois de Sicile. That is: beef tartare with yolk confit and pissaladière made with anchovies from Sicily. 

I tried beef tartare in the past, but did not like it. I was thinking that in this restaurant it would be fantastic; and I was right! It was succulent, the meat (boeuf Charolais is top quality beef) being very good, cut in very small cubes, giving a bit of texture compared to the ground meat I got in the past, that gave a mushy feel. I definitely discovered, if not re-discovered beef tartare there. 

Jodi got the saumon bio marqué au Fer rouge, tartare au citron Cedras et oeuf de poisson volant, sablé Parmesan et vinaigrette de betterave, or: organic salmon marked with an iron, tartare of lemon from Cedras, flying fish eggs, Parmesan crisp and beets vinaigrette. 

The salmon was delicious: simply cooked, it was a great piece of fish, very fresh. I liked the flying fish eggs with it as they added a delightful bitterness and saltiness to it. 

For my first entree, I had fish. Yes, I wrote first entree, because they propose a menu with fish and then meat. It was a bar de chalut cuit lentement, avec gnocchi de broccoli et écume de langue d'oursin or slow cooked bar fish, served with broccoli gnocchi and a sauce made with sea urchin. 

It was a succulent dish, the fish being cooked perfectly and very moist. I truly appreciated the fact that the light gnocchi had a very slight broccoli taste. 

In fact, Jodi got the same dish, but, as it was from the menu and not prix-fixe, she got a bigger portion and a totally different presentation.

The meat dish was agneau de lait d'Aveyron, carré servi rosé, avec asperges vertes or lamb rack cooked pink with asparagus. 

This was definitely my favorite dish: the meat was so good, tender and tasty with a nice charred fat, that I wish they had more. If you like lamb, I really recommend it. However, I did not like what was under that was surely not polenta, and had a weird taste. 

After the entree, they served us the cheese course. 

Yes, they brought the cheese cart and as Jodi put it, you could hear angels singing when they opened it! I could pick three different ones from a large selection of French cheeses. I chose:

Brillat Savarin, a triple-cream cheese made from cow's milk:

Epoisse (soft cow's milk cheese from Bourgogne):

Tomme de Corse (from sheep's milk):

It was served with une pâte de coing or quince jelly. 

Then we got a pre-dessert that was a crémeux de fleur d'oranger, purée de fruits rouges et chantilly. Meaning: orange blossom cream with red fruits purée and whipped cream. 

And dessert: that time, I went for the Grand-Marnier soufflé that did not only looked spectacular, but was succulent (and big). 

It was served with a lemon sherbet and a muffin that I really did not care about. 

Jodi got a selection of sherbet and ice cream. 

At that point, I was so full that I did not even think about writing down the flavors. We were also trying to figure out if the decorations on the plates were handmade. The answer from the waiter was funny: "We hired an artist and taught him how to make desserts". 

And they stuffed us with some cookies as if we still had room after such a feast...

I could not eat anymore and regretted not wearing stretch pants...

To accompany our meal, we got a white wine: Chassagne-Montrachet premier cru 2008. 

And a red: Chambolle-Musigny 2011. 

Both were proposed by the sommelier who did a great job advising about the wine. When asked if he prefers red or white with cheese, he interestingly said that he prefers white, because cheese would reveal too much the tannins of the wine, making it bitter, and vice-versa. 

This was a fantastic evening and dinner, in a nice place, with an outstanding service. Considering this and the cuisine perfectly executed by the Chef and his crew, I would not be surprised that a second Michelin Star follows...

Le Rempart

2 Avenue Gambetta

71700 Tournus, France

www.lerempart.com

Enjoy (I sure did)!

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My trip to Europe: Le Cloître in Cluny, France

We were in Cluny, famous for its abbey founded in the 10th Century, one of the largest before being destroyed.

Since the end of the 19th century, it is one of the centers of the Ecole des Arts et Métiers, that was organizing a party for the end of the school year. Cluny is also known for its stables, that we did not get a chance to visit.

We arrived there in the morning, walking around this small town and enjoying the market that was setup in front of the abbey.

We looked for restaurants and first wanted to go to the Bar du Centre, but the staff did not seem to be eager to serve customers. That is when we saw Le Cloître, a restaurant serving traditional French dishes, as well as crêpes.

The waiter warned us that the service would be slow because they had a party of 16. I appreciated the heads up as, at least, if we stayed, we knew what to expect.

At Le Cloître, they propose different prix-fixe menus. Jodi went for the appetizer-dessert and I went for the appetizer-entrée as we would probably share the dessert. For her appetizer, Jodi ordered the fried Saint-Marcellin cheese salad.

The cheese was delicious with its crispy and not greasy shell, all melty inside.

On my side, I started of with the escargots façon Beaujolaise:

It was quite interesting: I adore escargots de Bourgogne prepared with butter and parsley, tried them in a Roquefort sauce, but never this way, that is like a ragout made with red wine, with a taste similar to a daube, a classic French stew. I liked it, but my preference still remained with butter and parsley.

For the entrée, I ordered the quenelle de brochet et morilles au coulis de champignons, that is pike quenelle with morel and its mushroom sauce.

When the dish came, it was definitely overcooked and the sauce burnt. Problem was that this dish took 20 minutes to be prepared and, as the service was slow, we had no time to send it back, the abbey closing early. So we ate it. The quenelle itself was decent. But no trace of morel despite what the waiter told us.

It was served with some haricots verts that were not good, and a nice (at least) gratin Dauphinois, that is a potato au gratin. Overall, this was a promising, but very disappointing dish.

For dessert, Jodi ordered the brioche perdue au chocolat chaud. 

I thought it would be French toast with a hot chocolate spread, but it seemed like a store bought slice of brioche toasted, with an imitation of Nutella on top. Perfect for a homemade breakfast, but not something I would serve in a restaurant.

We also tried the creme brûlée that was just ok.

This was a disappointing lunch and next time, I'll pass Le Cloître...

Enjoy (...)!

Le Cloître
16 Rue Municipale
71250 Cluny, France

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My trip to Europe: Pierre in Mâcon, France

My brother Hervé and sister in law Rosa proposed to spend the week end in Bourgogne (Burgundy) and to try some Michelin Star restaurants there. We had a wide choice of restaurants, as the region has many with one or more Michelin Stars, some of them offer reasonably priced menus. For instance, Pierre that is the subject if this post, has a menu at 29 Eur ($40) including taxes and service, with appetizer, entrée and dessert. 

I was also thrilled to have Jodi discover Bourgogne, a region known for its wine, where I did not set foot in years. 

So, our first Michelin Star restaurant was Pierre in Mâcon. To give us some appetite, we first visited this small city, on the riverside of La Saone. 

I thought that Pierre was the name of the Chef and owner of the restaurant. Well, no: it used to be the name of the owner, before Chef Christian Gaulin and is wife Isabelle purchased the place. It is not a big place, with probably 10 to 12 tables spread across the room, so you do not have the impression of eating with your neighbors... That day, they had a party of twenty setup in a private room, but this did not disrupt at all the impeccable service we got. 

The menu is what I would call New French, in the sense that it is not the traditional dishes you would find in some restaurants, like fromage de tête, coq au vin, canard à l'orange, etc...But elegant dishes made with traditional ingredients, from the terroir, such as foie gras or volaille de Bresse (poultry from Bresse, a fairly known origin). There, the pleasure of the eyes is as important as the taste. 

To start off, we decided to try their house cocktail, suggested by Isabelle Gauchin herself who, while her husband is the Chef d'Orchestre in the kitchen, plays the role of Maître D and sommelier. 

The cocktail was made with crémant de Bourgogne and griotte. 

Very fruity and with not too much alcohol, it was the perfect drink to start. 

Then, they brought us some bread. We had the choice between one made with Sel de Guérande (salt of Guérande):

Or olive oil and herbes de Provence (blend of herbs from Provence that you can find in fine groceries or Whole Foods). 

It was served with some smokey salted butter made with smoked Sel de Guérande. 

Then, they brought us some Mises en bouche or amuse bouche:

Fish rillettes:

Foie gras crème brûlée with a cherry jam (my fav):

Crème coco avec jus de viande truffé or coconut cream with truffled meat juice. 

Petit sablé de Parmesan avec crème de roquette or Parmesan cookie with cream of roquette salad:

Chips de jambon cru or cured ham chips:

This was a great start, the presentation being fantastic and a nice way to experience many different flavors. 

We then started our dinner, paired with some white Bourgogne wine from Mâcon, that I completely forgot to photograph, to remember the name...

My appetizer (did I mention that we say entrée in French because it is the first course, while what we call entree in the US is the plat or plat principal?), was the foie gras de canard du Sud-Ouest aux fruits secs en gelée de pomme et Mâcon moeilleux, petite feuilles et brioche tréssée. 

It was a foie gras from South-West with dried fruits in an apple gelée. It was served with some salad and a toasted brioche. 

I loved the foie gras, but admit that I did not like the texture of the gelée that was a mix between the gelatinous part and the crunch of the dried fruits. 

Jodi got the ravioles de champignons avec bouillon de foie gras or mushroom ravioles with a foie gras stock. 

Know that, unlike me, Jodi does not like foie gras, so she was not sure she would like it. But she did! These ravioles that are like small ravioli, were delicious, thin, with the mushroom taste coming through. The foie gras stock was very good also, the foie gras taste not overpowering. 

For the main dish, I got the volaille de Bresse ("Maison Miéral") en deux préparations: la poîtrine rôtie, jus au suc de cuisson tranché; la traditionnelle cuisse à la crème de morilles, risotto truffé. 

It was a poultry from Bresse ("Maison Miéral") prepared in two ways: the breast was roasted and drizzled what I believe can be translated by the juice reduction; then the thigh with a morel cream. It was served with a truffled risotto. 

This was a great dish, the poultry being perfectly cooked and moist. I just wished there was more of that morel sauce that was succulent. The truffled risotto was also perfect with it, the rice perfectly cooked and creamy. 

Jodi got the Goujonnette de turbot au basilic et mini-ratatouille (Turbot fish with mini-ratatouille):

Then, we got a pre-dessert. Isn't it a nice concept? A dessert before dessert: that's my kind of thing! It was a crémeux de fromage Blanc avec une confiture d'abricot or creamy fromage Blanc with its apricot jam. 

But it was not over! We got some mignardises ;

Orange sucettes (lollipop):

Gâteau Mâconnais or cookie from Mâcon:

Gâteau au caramel et noix or caramel and walnut cookie:

Idéal Mâconnais with nougatine, meringue, crème patissière:

Guimauve fraise or strawberry marshmallow:

Then came desserts! Jodi got the ice cream and sherbet selection. The flavors were: vanilla/coconut, strawberry, banana, exotic fruits and cassis. 

On my side, I chose the entremet croustillant chocolat blond "Dulcey" aux Pommes, served with a salted caramel ice cream. 

I picked it because we discovered the chocolat blond "Dulcey" few days before at Valrhona (check out the post here). It was good, but not at the level of their soufflé with limoncello. 

And when we thought it was over, they brought us some chocolates...

This was a sublime dinner, Chef Gauchin definitely deserving his Michelin Star for a cuisine served in a nice and relaxed atmosphere, not stuffy at all. The service was also perfect, as expected in such place. 

Restaurant Pierre

7 Rue Dufour

71000 Mâcon, France

www.restaurant-pierre.com

Enjoy (I did)!

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My Trip to Europe: La Crêperie de Gordes in Grenoble, France

As we were having lunch with my friend Chrystelle, we decided to try La Crêperie de Gordes, get some crêpes. When I say crêpes, I may want to say galettes as they say in Bretagne where this delicious dish is coming from. The difference? A galette is made with buckwheat (Farine de sarrazin in French) and a crêpe with bread flour (Farine de froment). 

La Crêperie de Gordes is a nice place: they have a big terrace, perfect when weather permits, as it did when we went, as well as a fantastic decor inside, the theme being the Alpes and ski rather than Bretagne region. They have for instance a replica of a ski slope full of playmobil, a popular children toy. 

As well as an authentic cable car where two people can eat. 

The menu is fairly big, with lots of choices for crêpes that can satisfy the carnivores, as well as the vegetarian. Asking them to remove an ingredient or alter the crêpe slightly does not seem to be a problem. 

Jodi decided to order the pear and blue cheese crêpe (the crêpe bleuet) .

On my side, I went for the three cheese one (the fromagère). 

It was made of emmental, reblochon and blue cheese. I preferred this one over the one Jodi got: hers could have been better with the pear sliced in small pieces instead of half, and mixed with the blue cheese cream. Mine had lots of cheese, that was delightful. I have to mention that the galette itself was delicious, very slightly crispy. 

Chrystelle ordered the Sicilienne, that had tuna in it and an egg on top. Pretty good. 

For dessert, Jodi and I shared the beurre-sucre crêpe (butter and sugar), that is simple, but so good. Just smelling the butter makes it appetizing. 

Chrystelle got the same but with lemon. 

I tried it, but prefer the one we ordered. 

With our meal, we ordered a bolée de cidre or some apple cider, a typical drink with such food. 

This was a wonderful meal, not only because of the company, but also because the food was very good and at reasonable prices. 

Crêperie de Gordes
3 Place de Gordes
38000 Grenoble, France

Enjoy (I did)!

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My trip to Europe: Le Tacos de Lyon in Grenoble, France - Mexican tacos made by the French?

Each time I was visiting my family in Grenoble, France, my nephew Valentin was mentioning this place called Le Tacos de Lyon. As at the same time he was talking about kebab, I was definitely intrigued, wondering how the French would make Mexican tacos and proposed to go there for lunch.

It is a small place located in a short street close to the center of the town. Very colorful, they serve food until 1am, the crowd being different depending on the time of the day. Mainly young as they offer very affordable prices making it very attractive to high schoolers and students, as well as people who want to eat something original.

First of all, do not say "a taco": it is "a tacos". Then, do not think you will be served Mexican tacos. There, not fish taco, no adobo chicken, no guacamole or pico de gallo. It is a tacos with flavors from Maghreb: the sour cream is replaced by a homemade cheese sauce to balance with the heat some of the sauces or ingredients can have; the sauces are, for the most part, made with Harissa, a hot chili pepper paste coming from Tunisia; and they offer choices of meat like merguez, a lamb sausage fairly common in North African cuisine. I met with the manager, Salah Dardouri, a very warm and welcoming guy, who explained to me that the idea comes from Lyon, considered by most as the capital of French gastronomy. Hence the name Le Tacos de Lyon. Then, they opened a first restaurant in Saint-Martin D'Hères in 2006 and since then have three restaurants in the area. Salah told me that, when they opened in Grenoble, lots of people told them that they were crazy, but he proved them that they were wrong. In fact, I saw plenty of restaurants serving this type of tacos, in Grenoble and elsewhere, and they seem to have a clientele.

You order at the counter and they will bring your order at the table. First, you pick your meat. You can choose one or two, depending on your appetite. In fact, if you are really hungry, you can order a mega tacos with a choice of four meats, but I am not sure that even Adam Richman (Man vs Food) would be able to finish it. They propose: merguez, ground beef, chicken nuggets or chicken cordon bleu. Then, you pick the sauce: white (similar to the one we have in the US, that they put on kebab), ketchup, mayo, aioli, algérienne, Marocaine, Samourai, etc. As mentioned above, the latter being prepared with Harissa. 

Jodi ordered a vegetarian one, made with eggs and veggies, and with white sauce.

On my side, I ordered the merguez with aioli. 

When the sandwiches came, we noticed that they use a tortilla, similar to a burrito or enchilada, that they first stuffed and then grilled. It was heavy for sure. 

The first bite, we realized that they were fries in it, bathed in a lot of sauce. Let me tell you: this first bite was divine. Very comforting, the fries were better in the sandwich than outside, although I got to try them separately and they were as I like them: skinny, not greasy, cooked all the way through and crispy. The merguez was also very good. Salah explained to me that usually, merguez are made with meat leftovers. Not there: they chose the meat before transforming it into a delicious, sometimes spicy sausage.

I admit that I could not finish, the sandwich being very filling. 

So, as I mentioned before, we also tried the fries as my nephew wanted us to taste some of the original sauces they serve. We tried:

Samourai:

Andalouse:

Biggy burger (the most popular):

Homemade cheese (the same they put in the sandwich):

Tunisienne and Marocaine:

My favorite was the Biggy burger, probably because it is made with mayonnaise. But I admit that I liked the Tunisienne and Marocaine, because of the kick they had. 

I really liked my meal at Le Tacos de Lyon: it was very good and comforting for an affordable price, even if it is far from a Mexican Taco. Know that if you do not like the tacos, they offer platters, as well as burgers.

Le Tacos de Lyon
4 Rue Brocherie
38000 Grenoble, France
www.letacosdelyon.fr

Enjoy (I did)!

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My trip to Europe: Le Chaudron in Tournon, France

If you live in the New York and go to France, you might notice or I should say realize how spoiled we are there, places being opened daily and late at night if not 24/7. In France, it is not the case: supermarkets close at night; pharmacies are closed on the week end, except one per neighborhood for emergencies, and restaurants or boulangeries (bakeries) are closed once a week. If you are in Paris for instance, you will always find something opened, but in smaller cities, it might be a challenge. That is what we experienced when going to Tain L'Hermitage, a 6,000 souls city in the Drôme department, known for its wine and because Valrhona chocolatier has its Cité du Chocolat, a place where you can learn about chocolate and taste as many Valrhona chocolates as you want!

So, after walking around to try to find a place opened there for lunch, we went back to our car and drove to Tournon, the city close by. There, after desperately trying to find a place, we saw Le Chaudron, a French restaurant located located at the end of a cul-de-sac. 

Nice place, with a beautiful terrace that would have been perfect if we did not expect rain...that never came. 

The food there is elevated French or shall I say New French? Yes, they take classic ingredients such as foie gras or fish and create some interesting and mouth watering dishes. 

At the start of our meal, their brought us some caillette, a specialty from the area that is made with different parts of the porc. 

Then, I decided to go with the filets de rouget, a fish close to red snapper, but smaller and with a more pronounced taste. 

It was served with two tapenades, one made with black olives, the other with green, for some added saltiness.

The fish was perfectly cut and cooked.

Nice presentation and a great way to start a meal.

Then, I got the millefeuille of salmon with a curry sauce, served with ravioles (sort of small ravioli, a traditional dish there). 

The salmon was perfectly cooked, moist and deliciously flakey, with tuiles made with sesame seeds that gave a nice nuttiness to the dish.

The sauce was sublime, the curry being there for the color rather than the taste. 

Jodi ordered a cheese plate:

It had:

Fourme d'Ambert:

Picodon:

Coulomier:

Saint Felicien:

With it, she ordered a small salad that was a bit pricey (10 Euros). 

For dessert, we tried:

The pomme au four (oven baked apple) with salted caramel:

The crème brûlée:

The mi-cuit au chocolat:

The dessert were very disappointing: the crème brûlée had a weird taste and the mi-cuit cake was overcooked. Only the oven baked apple was good. 

With our coffee, they also gave us some small pieces of chocolate cake, a nice touch to finish a meal that would have been memorable if the dessert would have been at the same level as the rest of the food. Despite this, I really liked our meal at Le Chaudron: creative and delicious. 

Le Chaudron
7 Rue Saint-Antoine
07300 Tournon-sur-Rhône, France

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My trip to Europe: Le Lido Plage in Aix-Les-Bains, France

There are places where the location primes over the food and Le Lido Plage in Aix Les Bains (France) is surely one of them. Not that the food was not good, but we picked this place because it is located right next to the Lac du Bourget, a beautiful lake where fish, ducks, swans and swimmers coexist. 

When the weather permits, the restaurant will only serve at the terrace, overlooking the lake and the private beach. 

We went on a Sunday, to celebrate my Dad's birthday. They offer a menu à la carte, or prix fixe (know that in France, menu means prix-fixe, not to confuse anybody). We went for a prix-fixe that included appetizer, entrée and dessert. 

All of this accompanied with some delicious white and rosé wine to cool us down on that warm journey. I should add that if you need a hat, they will lend you one, and I was happy that I had one, because those that you can borrow, will for sure make you regret that you forgot yours. 

To start, Jodi got the burger of tomato and mozzarella with pesto and tapenade. 

The presentation was beautiful, the tomato replacing the bun and the mozzarella, that was delicious, the meat patty. It was a nice combination: I did not really care about the pesto, but the tapenade was fantastic with the tomato and mozzarella, elevating the dish that would have otherwise simply be a tomato and mozzarella salad. 

On my side, I had the beef carpaccio:

I definitely did not regret that choice: it was perfect, the thin slices of beef melting in my mouth and perfectly balanced, with not too much acidity. 

Then, for the entrée, Jodi ordered the fried filet of perch, served with French fries and tartare sauce. 

Imagine fish and chips, but French. I liked it, although the fish was a bit greasy and the fries just ok. 

On my side, I got the filet of lavaret, a European white fish, served with a butter sauce, rice and ratatouille. 

I liked it, the fish being perfectly cooked and flakey, but would have liked more sauce as the rice was a bit dry. However, the ratatouille was delicious, quite comforting with different flavors depending on which vegetable ended up on my fork. The addition of some small chickpeas was a good idea, as not only it added a nice flavor, but also some texture. 

Last was dessert. Jodi went for the creme brûlée. 

I went for the white chocolate panacotta with a red berry coulis. 

I admit that I preferred the creme brûlée that was sublime: it was a vanilla one and we could definitely see the vanilla beans. The panacotta was not set at all, being too liquid. Too bad. 

The meal at Le Lido Plage was good overall, dishes from the menu being better than the prix fixe according to my brother who went few times. It is a good place if you'd like to enjoy a decent meal in a restaurant with a stunning view. 

Lido Plage

Chemin du Lac

73100 Tresserve, France

lido.coraxis.pro

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My trip to Europe: Les Jardins de Sainte-Cécile in Grenoble, France

This post is the first of a series from our last vacation in France and Italy.

For a first celebration of my Dad's birthday, we went to Les Jardins de Sainte-Cécile in Grenoble, a restaurant located in an old convent. 

Interesting place for sure: it is the home office of the Edition Glénat, a popular French editor, and has been complemented recently with the restaurant, where the Chef and his crew refined classic dishes.

The decor is pretty amazing, the convent being modernized in a way, with the red and black theme used for the chairs, chandeliers as well as the walls covered with wine bottles, giving a feel of both trendy, but still classic restaurant. 

The wine cellar is located downstairs, where I could not miss the bottles of Coca Cola...

But, one of their main assets is definitely the garden, that is of a nice size, allowing for tables not to be too close to the others. 

The only negative was the service that was not to the level you would expect in such restaurant: very slow, a bit clumsy and missing manners that you would expect anyway in any places. Fortunately, the food was pretty good, original and the presentation was sublime. 

We started off with an apéritif. Jodi ordered an orangina, and I decided to try a Spritz, a Northeast Italian wine cocktail. It was made with Campari and some carbonated water. No prosecco. 

Then, Jodi ordered the Déclinaison de tomate, pétales de lomo, croquant au parmesan:

The lomo is veal and we asked not to have any, request that they accommodated without any problem, making this dish vegetarian. It was very refreshing, with a sort of tomato salad on one hand and a delicious and refreshing gazpacho on the other, without forgetting the tomato spread on top. Nice red matching the color of the restaurant!

On my side, I ordered the Dôme de foie gras, cœur de chutney de fruits, tressé de chocolat that is a foie gras with a fruit chutney in the center and a chocolate dome. 

Very creative: I never had foie gras with chocolate. It is fairly common to eat foie gras with a chutney like fig and to drink it with a sweet wine, but I have never seen it with chocolate. The difficulty there was to make sure we did not put too much chocolate as it would overpower the foie gras otherwise. 

For the entree, Jodi ordered the chaud-froid de saumon mi-cuit, sauce noisette et soja, oignons rouges, tomates cerises rôties, chemisée de courgettes:

Ok, I admit that a translation will be difficult...It was seared salmon with a hazelnut and soy sauce, roasted cherry tomatoes and zucchini. It was delicious: the fish was perfectly cooked, rare in the center and paired perfectly with the hazelnut and soy sauce for an added saltiness and nutiness.

On my side, I ordered the Filet de bœuf en croute roulade d’herbes et blettes, Poêlée d’asperges en deux façons. 

It is like a beef Wellington in a way, except that there is no foie gras and mushroom between the meat and the puff pastry, but spinach.

The meat, that was tenderloin, was as expected, rear, the temperature of such dish being driven by the color of the puff pastry. It was fantastic: juicy and tender, I loved the combination of the meat with the puff pastry, the latter adding a nice buttery flavor to the dish. 

For dessert, Jodi ordered the Chaud froid meringué dans sa nage de fruits rouges that was a meringue in a red fruit soup. 

On my side, I ordered the Croquant coco pistaché, crème acidulée, boule de neige givrée aux citrons verts. 

It was supposed to be a croquant of coconut and pistachio with a lime ice cream. I loved the latter, but not the croquant part that was not at all what I expected: not crunchy, I did not like the flavor that did not really taste like coconut. I for sure preferred Jodi's dessert that was phenomenal: not too sweet, it was very refreshing and a great combination. 

We of course finished our meal with an espresso. 

It was definitely a good meal, a bit pricey though. If they work out the kinks in the service, this will definitely be one of the gastronomic destinations in Grenoble. 

Les Jardins de Sainte Cécile
18 rue de l'Alma
38000 Grenoble
lesjardinsdesaintececile.com

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Eggs Benedict at Sel De Mer in Brooklyn, NY

As we had to be in Williamsbug on a Sunday afternoon, I looked on google map for restaurants nearby the location we were going to and noticed Sel de Mer. I rapidly glanced at the menu and proposed to Jodi to go there for brunch. 

The inside of the restaurant fits the name, decorated with sailors portraits as well as objects all related to the sea. I wonder if the owner comes from the Bretagne region (Brittany) in France as the theme is definitely from there.

As we were waiting for our food to come, they gave us some bread and butter, the latter being topped with crystals of salt (in France, salted butter is mainly eaten in the Bretagne region).

Then, came our dishes. For brunch, they have a small menu, with a majority of egg dishes. So we went for that. Jodi got the eggs and avocado.

The dish was composed of crushed avocado, cilantro, two poached eggs, on toasted baguette, mixed greens and home fries. As Jodi does not like poached eggs, she asked them to cook them longer, request that they executed without any problem. This was a very good dish, refreshing, the restaurant not being shy on the amount of avocado they put in it.

On my side, I got the Eggs De Mer:

It was two perfectly poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, sambuca cured salmon on an english muffin, with mixed greens and home fries. This was delicious: they put a nice amount of salmon that was both fatty and delicate. It was simple but well executed. We also both got the home fries and these also were perfect: crunchy, cooked all the way through, probably baked rather than fried.

This was a great brunch and the eggs were delicious and...cheap. This is definitely a place I want to go back to, for brunch, but most certainly for dinner as they seem to have some mouth watering seafood dishes.

enjoy (I did)!

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Sel de Mer

Celebrating Easter with La Maison du Chocolat

Please note that the chocolate was complimentary. However, I was not obliged to post and the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

La Maison Du Chocolat proposed to send me some samples of their Easter collection, crafted by Chef Nicolas Cloiseau. I, of course, accepted, being a big fan of this establishment (great hot cocoa, pastries and chocolates). 

They sent me some chocolate eggs with the following flavors:

• Praline with crispy crepe,
• Almond praline,
• Praline hazelnut (my favorite),
• crispy praline.

There was also a milk chocolate bunny with a surprise inside: yes, some of these chocolate eggs. 

Needless to say that these chocolates did not last long...

While preparing this post, I checked the Easter collection of La Maison du Chocolat, and was amazed by the creations of Chef Nicolas Cloiseau, such as the atelier:

Courtesy La Maison Du chocolat

It looks incredible and I do not see how one could eat that! Well, ok, it is good chocolate: I would eat that! I just wish it was always Easter...Although I do not need any reason to go to there!

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Brunch at Tartinery in Nolita, NYC, New York

We were looking for a place to get some brunch with our friends Jen and Gary and ended up at Tartinery in Nolita. I was expecting a small bistro, but when we arrived, we discovered a fairly modern place that seems to cater to a younger crowd rather than families.

Although, there is a bit of nostalgia as can attest the black and white photos on the walls (Jimi Hendrix, Serge Gainsbourg, a popular and scandalous French singer on top of his career between 1970 to 1991 when he passed away - check his interaction with Whitney Houston on Youtube...).

There are two main sections: upstairs, next to the bar, where couple of tables are lined up.

And downstairs, a more spectacular room with huge ceilings and wine bottles sitting in enclosures several feet from the floor, only accessible using the iron ladder.

The restaurant describes itself as a contemporary bistro: I would agree, although it can give the impression of dining in a dungeon!

Well, as you probably know, restaurants assign a number to their tables; at Tartinery, they paint the number on the tables themselves...so there is no confusion...

Let's talk about the menu: the main concept is a tartine, a French term for a slice of bread with a spread on top. At Tartinery, it is simply a whole meal served on a piece of rustic bread. Imagine a buschetta but with limitless choices on top of the bread. There, you can pick three different breads: country peasant and health multigrain from Eli's bakery or rustic sourdough from Poilane bakery in Paris.

Before we started our meal, we ordered some beverages. Gary went for a beer from Corsica called Pietra.

I went for a fresh squeezed juice, the Delicious Trio, made with apple, pineapple and orange:

This was very good, the taste of each fruit still standing on it's own.

But an espresso was also welcome.

Anyway, before we ordered our tartines, there was one dish that caught my eye: Ravioles De Royans. Ravioles are little ravioli filled with cheese that you find in the Dauphiné province. It is sold in supermarkets, usually in sheets of 48 ravioles (left), and are cooked like pasta (right).

They can be eaten simply with a cheese sauce (Crème fraîche and roquefort is succulent), in gratin or even on pizza (all photos from my last trip to France - and yes, I take photos of everything I eat)!

At Tartinery, they made the ravioles with some cream and truffle oil.

This was small and it is unfortunate because I would have eaten it on my own. It was so good, so creamy, with just a hint of truffle scent.

If you go to Tartinery, you cannot miss this dish!

Then, we had our tartines. Jodi ordered the Saint Marcellin:

 It was composed of Saint Marcellin cheese, prosciutto, arugula and olive oil.

It looked good, but was a total miss: not enough cheese and the prosciutto was very, very, very salty.

Jen and I each ordered the Croque Monsieur:

It was made of cooked ham chiffonade, gruyere cheese and béchamel sauce. 

This was another miss: dry probably because not enough béchamel sauce and very salty. 

Gary seemed to have a better chance with the Benedict tartine.

I was so disappointed when I left: not only I did not like the food, but I thought it was overpriced. This is unfortunate because this is a great concept. At least I got the delicious ravioles...

Enjoy (...)!

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French dinner at Sel et Poivre on the Upper East Side, NYC, New York

When I received an invite for a press dinner at Sel et Poivre, a French bistro on the Upper East Side, I was very excited...and curious. Yes, curious because there are so many restaurants claiming to serve French cuisine in the City, when in fact their menu is at most inspired. Not that it is bad, but there are not that many places that serve classic French dishes besides the usual steak frites or the quiche Lorraine. 

Sel et Poivre (salt and pepper in English) has been opened since 1989 and is currently owned by husband and wife, Pamela and Christian Schienle. I got to meet with Christian and really enjoyed talking to him. I did not get a chance to meet Pamela as they try to work separately, a good way to keep the peace in their marriage! 

Know that Christian, who is the Executive Chef and wine director is not French. So was I again in a bad copycat restaurant? I would know soon enough! 

The place first: I was curious to know if there was any story behind the name of the restaurant. 

Christian said that there was no particular meaning, but it was a way to pair the white and the black of the salt and pepper with the back and white photos that are all over the walls. I liked these photos, the lack of color giving a nice atmosphere to the place. They represent different places in the world, Paris of course, as well as personal photos such as Pamela and Christian's wedding. 

As soon as you enter, you feel like you are transported in a French restaurant in France. Normally, they have couple of tables outside, but, with this weather, needless to say that it was not setup! Near the entrance, are few tables, surrounding the bar; further, is the main dining room with its leather and fabric-upholstered banquettes, antique sconces, wood floors and classic mirrors that give a dimension to the room.

As we were waiting for other guests to arrive, they offered me a glass of wine. Looking at the extensive wine list, I noticed that they serve wines from many countries, not only France. But hey, I had to stay true to what I was looking to experience and ordered a fantastic glass of Brouilly 2005 - Domaine Du Moulin-Favre (Beaujolais).

If you like red wine, this is definitely a good choice.

Then, as guests arrived, we sat at our table where the tasting menu was printed. Not that their menu was completely unknown to me: before going to any restaurant, I check the menu. So did I for Sel et Poivre, the day before, drooling over the escargots, frog legs, liver and kidneys. And I smiled when reading what would be served to us...Let's see why. 

The first dish was a celery remoulade with red beets. 

This was, as for the other dishes, a tasting portion. 

It was perfect with a piece of baguette, that is an essential element of a French meal: you cannot serve a meal in France without some bread.

The second dish was not a dish I would have associated to French cuisine: red pepper bisque. 

It had a bright red color and a nice smell that definitely made me want to try it. It was not a thick bisque as not made with cream, but with a potato broth, making it a lighter and healthier version. I loved the taste of red pepper it had, keeping it the star of the dish as not being diluted in the broth.

Then came a wild striped sea bass with artichoke hearts, fennel and black olive, drizzled in some lemon oil.

This was a very nice dish, presentation wise and taste wise. The fish was perfectly cooked, flakey and moist, with a slightly crispy skin on top. I liked that they served it with tomatoes, olives, arugula, fennel and artichokes, the last two bringing their own particular flavors, allowing each bite to be unique.

Then, we got a canard a l'orange or duck a l'orange.

It was served with wild rice and spinach. This is also a classic French dish. However, whenever I had it, it was with a magret de canard rather than the way it was served that was close to a confit, although less (over) cooked and less salty. It was good though, but I wish there was more sauce.

After that was the steak (sirloin) with sauce au Roquefort and sauce au Poivre.

Served with fries, this is definitely a classic, although not that many people tried steak with a Roquefort sauce.

Whenever I have some steak leftover, I cook it in sour cream and blue cheese. It is rich...but delicious.

The pepper sauce was also very good, not being too peppery, although I admit that the cracked pepper on top tickled my throat at some point!

I really liked the steak (cooked medium and tender with a nice char) and the sauces that were also perfect with the fries, or a piece of bread. 

Then was the long awaited veal kidneys!

I was so happy to see it coming. I know that some people consider this a creepy meat, but for me it is a delicacy. I admit that I could not resist going for a second....It was served with a fantastic mustard sauce, boiled potatoes and spinach.

The main difficulty with kidneys is to clean them and these were perfect.

But it did not stop there! When Christian realized that the table was ready for this type of dish, he decided to add to the tasting the calf liver. It was served with a traditional Lyonnaise sauce that was scrumptious. 

The dish was composed of onions, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Although the liver was a bit gamey, it was delicious, the dish not being too heavy and the onions adding a nice sweetness. 

After this feast, believe it or not but we still had some space for dessert. The first one was the chocolate lava cake, served with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. 

Homemade, it was perfectly cooked, the center being runny. I also appreciated the fact that it was not too sweet, although the cream and ice cream were perfect to neutralize any sweetness that persisted. 

The second dessert was a vanilla creme brûlée. 

Pretty classic, it was well set, with a nice torched sugar layer on top. 

I really liked my dinner at Sel et Poivre: the food was delicious and, although a bit elevated, stayed true to traditional French cuisine, bringing me back to France for the evening. Whether or not you are adventurous, this is definitely the place to go to! Chapeau!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own! 

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Sel & Poivre
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Upper East Side / Mediterranean / French
	* Street Address
	853 Lexington Ave. (Between 64th St. & 65th St.), New York, NY 10065
	* Phone
	(212) 517-5780

Brunch at Lafayette in Greenwich Village, NYC, New York

After watching an episode of Unique Sweets, we had Lafayette in our list of restaurants to try. And we tried it! We decided to go for brunch, as the item displayed on the tv show was from the bakery. In fact, we did not think that restaurant was so big at that time, because they only showed the bakery located at the entrance.

They had lots of delicious things there, prepared by Chef Pâtissière Jen Yee and Boulanger James Belisle:  from standard viennoiseries (croissants, pains au chocolat, pains aux amandes) you find elsewhere in New York, to delicacies that I had when I was a kid in France, such as the Petit Beurres.

These are homemade, not like the ones I use to have that were mass produced and that I love to dip in a café au lait. Well, I did not try these...yet!

So, back to the restaurant: it is huge! On the left side is the dining room:

And on the right side is the bar with its classic look and amazing display.

We sat at one of the tables that had a banquette on one side, like a half booth.

Some patrons chose to sit next to each other on the banquette, but I decided not to as I like to see the person I am talking to...

Jodi ordered a tea as a beverage:

And I ordered a coke. Yes, no espresso this time!

I am happy I took a photo of it so I can remember it, considering that it was $5 for just a glass of soda!!! This is crazy!

Then it was time to try what we were coming for: the coconut banana chocolate croissant or pain au chocolat a la banane et noix de coco.

Let's be honest here: it was mainly for Jodi as she loved coconut. 

Imagine a pain au chocolat cut in half where some banana will be spread over as well as a coconut frangipane. It was quite good, having the flakiness and buttery taste of a pain au chocolat, as well as the texture of a frangipane (almond paste that you find in almond croissants). However, I wish they put two bars of chocolate and that there were more pieces of banana. Jodi, however, was in heaven!

For the main dishes, we had quite a large choice of French dishes prepared by Chef Andrew Carmellini and Chef de Cuisine Damon Wise: duck confit, beef tartare or Pâté Maison. French specialties, yes, but interpreted and brought to a higher level by the chef. For instance, the beef tartare is served with a quail egg; the duck confit with curried lentils and crème fraîche. 

Jodi ordered the egg white frittata with mushrooms:

It was good, but there were mushrooms only on one part of the omelet, the other part being just egg whites.

On my side, I ordered the soft scrambled eggs vol-au-vent with chèvre and leeks:

When the dish came, I could definitely smell some truffle that was present in the sauce. If you wonder what vol-au-vent is, it is like a well made with puff pastry that you would fill with whatever you want. This vol-au-vent was probably homemade; it was flakey and deliciously buttery. Inside was the scrambled eggs that were very soft and not dry, the way I like them. It was a good dish, however, not enough if you have a normal appetite and only order this. I think they should have thrown some potatoes with it.

I think the food at Lafayette was decent and we got good service there. Would I go back? Probably, but maybe more for the bakery than the restaurant that is a bit overpriced.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Dark Dining Projects - blindfolded dinner at Camaje bistro in Greenwich Village, NYC, New York

Last week, I was invited to a blindfolded dinner organized by the Dark Dining Projects at Camaje, a bistro located in Greenwich Village, serving French-American cuisine. 

Dark Dining Projects started in 2005 from the imagination of Dana Salisbury, a New York City based artist / choreographer. She stepped down in September of this year, being replaced by Amy Baumgarten who was hosting this event, helped by Breanna Gimble.
The principle seems simple: you eat while wearing a blindfold, adjusting it so you do not see any light. Well, the only moment during the event where you could see the light is if you go to the bathroom. You would then raise your hand and somebody would guide you to the bathroom, holding your hand and moving them to make you understand which direction your body should follow. Once the door is closed, you can then decide to remove the blindfold or not. When you are done, you put it back, knock at the door, and they bring you back to your table.

Not only it forces you to trust the Chef for the food you are going to eat, but also the wait staff who will not only serve you but also help. I think that lots of people are freaked out that there will be something weird or disgusting in their food, so imagine when you cannot see! It is also a way to heighten your senses; don't we say that we first eat with our eyes? 

So we put those blindfolds outside the restaurant, before entering, and were guided inside by the organizers. I cannot imagine what people in the street were thinking when they saw this line of blindfolded people (in fact, I can imagine...). If you look in the mirror in the photo above, on the left, you can see people being seated with one hand on the shoulder of the person preceding them. And yes, the photos in this post have been taken blindly, so to speak, by myself and Jodi for the one above. I later discovered that taking photos blindfolded would also prove to be a challenge!

So, as I mentioned previously, we put the blindfolds before entering the restaurant and, as the windows were covered by thick drapes, I only discovered how the place was when looking at the photos (by the way, did you notice the guy on the left of the photo above?). However, when seated, I tried to imagine the space, listening to the people around us and   thus placing tables in my mind. Coincidently, our neighbors, Valerie and Joe, lived few blocks from us and we spent the evening chatting together.

The event was not just about the food and at some point, we could feel some movements, objects or hands on us, adding a bit more to the mystery. 

We started off with a hot towel for our hands.

Then they served us a glass of wine.

Amy asked us to first smell it, feel the temperature and the shape of the glass. As it was cold, we guessed right away it was a white wine. 

After that, they brought us the crunch course that I just called garlic bread at that time...We received the menu few days later and I included the description of the dish that was more appealing than mine...

It was a toasted Stirato (Italian baguette) with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. We immediately smelled the garlic and could hear the distinctive noise it made when people where eating it, the bread being toasted and crunchy.

The second appetizer was a caramelized onions and goat cheese tart (the menu says: "Caramelized onion and goat cheese puff pastry tart with Lucknow Fennel & Kohlrabi sprouts):

The crust was made with a puff pastry. I was able to guess what it was at the first bite, although I did not guess the micro greens that were on top.

The first two dishes were perfect to start because they can naturally be eaten with our hands. The next ones proved to be more challenging. It started with a fish dish, made with Arctic char and sea scallops (menu: seared Arctic char with a sauce of sea scallops, tomatoes, chipotle, cilantro, fish broth over mixed greens).

I did not recognize the Arctic char and thought it was halibut because of the flakiness. It was also disturbing because each bite was different. I think that the first one was the fish and then the second one was the sea scallops, two different tastes that threw me off! 

One of the challenges in eating these dishes was to know when to stop, meaning when the dish was empty. I admit that I brought few times an empty fork to my mouth, thinking that anyway nobody could see me, except the staff who was probably used to it...

Then I got another glass of white wine:

The next dish was oxtail with a creamy polenta (menu: red wine-braised ox tail over Polenta with Parmigiano):

I knew it was a meat dish from the smell and then identified the oxtail after trying a first challenging bite of the meat. It was definitely slow cooked in red wine and I even tasted a carrot, cooking process that was later confirmed by the Chef and owner Abigail Hitchcock. 

As I was struggling to eat the meat, I heard "You do not need to eat with your utensils" and, like many people, I ate with my hands. At that point, I it was really all about the taste, the touch and the smell. People were laughing about the fact that they had to use their hands and all inhibitions that they would have if they were not in that situation were gone. Their family, friends or dining neighbors would not tell them that they had no table manners as they could not see.

At that moment, we had a spill. Not a big deal and treated diligently by the staff.

I tried to capture it, but unsuccessfully...

After this dish and before serving us dessert, they brought us some ginger beer:

This was interesting as I never had that before. Sparkling, it was a good palate cleanser with a nice ginger taste and smell.

Dessert was a chocolate cake with puffed rice and almonds (menu: flourless chocolate-almond cake with egg nog crème Anglaise and sprinkled with puffed rice).

It was light, chocolaty and not too sweet, with a nice crunch from the puffed rice.  Because of the cream, I decided not to go with my hands, and I guess I did a good job eating it, although, without the blindfold, I would have probably finished that cream!

The evening finished with Chef Abigail Hitchcock telling us what we ate.

She described the regular menu served that night, but I have to mention that they took care of any dietary requirements. For instance, Jodi asked for a vegetarian menu (that I did not try as I did not want a fork in my eye), but others asked for no nuts or no seafood. 

At $120 per person, you may think it is pricey, think about it: it is a 4 courses meal with wine pairing, but also a unique experience that I am glad I participated to, similar to a show. It can really be fun with family, friends or co-workers for a team building evening. The food was good, but I wonder how different my opinion of it would have been if I could see it. But this, we will never know...

Thanks to Dark Dining Projects and Camaje for hosting us!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own! 

AOC - L'Aile Ou la Cuisse in NYC, New York

AOC means L'Aile Ou la Cuisse in French (the wing or thigh) and does not refer at all to the French wine certification (Appellation d'Origine Controllee). It has been a while since I wanted to try this restaurant, probably because I realized that I do not go that often to French restaurants...

So we decided to go there before seeing a documentary downtown. When we arrived, they sat us in the back, in what I consider a large room, with a bar and a TV screen showing some European soccer. You may think it is an insignificant detail, but you will understand at the end of this post why it is not!

So the place has two dining rooms, one in the back and one in the front, plus a garden that must be nice during warmer days.

The Chef crafted a menu that is for the most part French, with classics such as poulet roti (roasted chicken), croque Monsieur or salade Niçoise. 

We ordered our food and it took forever to come, the staff more interested by the soccer game than taking care of us. The bread basket took also forever to come and I noticed that some of the bread was slightly burnt.

I am always suspicious with warm baguette, because we use to heat it when it was stale to make it better.

So, after waiting for quite some time, our food comes. Jodi ordered the croque Monsieur:

It started well as it has lots of cheese and a nice amount of ham. It was good, but barely warm, making us think that it sat there.

On my side, I ordered the merguez sandwich:

I ordered it with fries (similar to Jodi, I had the choice between fries and salad, Jodi opting for the healthiest)...The fries were good: crispy but soft inside. The sandwich was good too: it had merguez (lamb sausage) and peppers in it, and had a nice kick. 

But one of the sides was burnt! 

I mentioned it to the waitress who laughed and apologized, but still laughing at the same time. She then went to one of the managers and simply asked for the check. When he came to us, I explained to him what happened and he seemed fairly upset. I told him that we were on a time schedule (especially considering the time the food came) and there was no way I could have asked for the food to be remade. As a nice gesture, he removed the sandwich from the bill and apologized again. 

We left with mixed feelings about that place: their menu looked appetizing, but the execution and service was not good. Hopefully they will improve...

Enjoy (...)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!