Revisit: Table Verte, French vegetarian restaurant in NYC, New York

I was recently re-invited to Table Verte, a French restaurant that serves only vegetarian dishes.I am definitely a carnivore and, most of the meals I had when I was a kid, growing up in France, had a dish with either a meat, fish or poultry. My wife Jodi, loves burgers and filet mignon, but have an inclination to order vegetarian dishes. It is with her, when we were dating, that I went to my first vegetarian restaurant: Zen Palate, at their location in Union Square that since closed. Then I went to others, like Gobo or Angelica kitchen, the latter being the worst vegetarian meal I ever had, the food being bland and mushy.  I discovered Table Verte beginning of the year, and it made me realize how we easily get stuck with labels. Think about it: in Italian restaurant, we may order pasta with a tomato and basil sauce. We do not call that vegetarian. A cheese pizza is not called vegetarian. A ratatouille is not called vegetarian. etc. etc. I could go forever with dishes that we love but never think about associating them with being vegetarian. 

Execute Chef Ken Larsen (left) & Sous Chef Matt Roth

So, what makes Table Verte different from other vegetarian restaurants?  Over there, Ken Larsen, the Executive Chef (who lived and worked in France) crafted a menu where he did not try to replace the meat or fish by other soy based proteins such as seitan or tofu. In the years he worked in France, he understood the importance of the garnish on the plate. In France, everything has to taste good: the garnish included. So, he decided to eliminate the meat and make the garnish the star of the dish. He also does not try to recreate a specific dish, but rather be inspired by it and make his own creation.

The difference between my last visit and today was, besides new dishes, that they replaced the a la carte formula by a series of prix-fixe menus. I admit that I prefer when both a la carte and prix-fixe are available, as we sometimes just want to have one dish each. 

So, here we are at Table Verte (the green table), in the dining room, where all tables are...green.

We decided to share some dishes and started with appetizers. We started off with roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic glazed strawberries.

I rediscovered Brussels sprouts few years ago, after eating a couple in a restaurant, regretting not to have more on my plate. Yes, when I was a kid, I hated it, but it might have been the way my Mom cooked them (Sorry Mom!) or maybe my palate evolved...What was interesting with this dish was the pairing with strawberries, not a sweet and salty combination because strawberries are not that sweet, but rather adding a different texture and maybe a delicate sour taste that made this dish successful.

The second dish was beets with a horseradish sherbet:

Chef Larsen thought about this dish after a trip in France back in August where he tried some crepes with savory flavored sherbets. Although it was very creative, it was my least favorite dish, the sherbet being a bit too icy and not having that much taste.

Then, we got my favorite appetizer: truffled mushroom duxelle.

Chef Larsen wanted to add a spread on the menu, similar to a pâté that is a traditional appetizer in France. The presentation was identical, with cornichons and mustard, but, instead of bread, he made a pâte sablée that is a rich crumbly crust.

The way you eat it is by putting a some duxelle on the pâte sablée, with or without mustard.

I have to say that I loved that dish. When it came to the table, we could smell the truffle, and the taste of the mushrooms was divine.

Then, for the entrées, we picked the eggplant lasagna:

It was made of goat cheese, Swiss cheese, spice roasted eggplant, harissa chickpea ragu and sautéed spinach. The pasta was cooked al dente. Jodi loved it to say the least! I liked it, especially because there was lost of cheese and was expecting a little kick from the harissa, but it was not the case.

The second entrée was Olive Polenta, made with an onion confit (fantastic!), roasted peppers, artichokes and cippolini onions with parsley caper sauce.

The presentation was sensational and it was as if the delicious olive polenta was like a piece of meat, soft, but not too much, perfectly paired with the onions that gave some sweetness to the dish and the haricots verts some crunch. 

These two entrées are the perfect example of dishes that do not need meat or fish and left us satisfied. But of course not enough to skip dessert! We ordered the Banana Brûlée made of French pastry cream, sweet cookies, with a caramelized sugar coating:

If you like banana, you cannot miss this dessert that is between the banana pudding and the creme brûlée.

It was creamy and not too sweet; so good that we finished it!

The second dessert was the tarte au chocolat:

I had that dessert last time, but it slightly changed: the crust was made with raisins this time and you could definitely taste it. 

The chocolate part was rich, dense with a strong chocolate taste and if you wonder how they make it, I know that they replace the butter with avocado that is a perfect substitute and a vegan dessert. 

I had again a nice dinner at Table Verte, a restaurant that more carnivores should know!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Maison, French Brasserie located Midtown, NYC, New York

Maison is a brasserie located Midtown that is opened 24/7. Its decor is really impressive, between the high ceilings and the giant old ads. The place is of medium size, benefiting from the outside area that is perfect on a warm day.

It has ben a while I did not go there: at least since I started this blog! The last time was with our friends Diana and Peter, for brunch, and I had a succulent duck confit crepe that is not anymore on the menu.

We went for brunch and did not start that well as they kind of forgot us...The manager came and apologized, offering us some drinks; I just went for coffee (sorry, no bellini)! But we thought the service would be better once they realized we were there, unfortunately, it was not the case: it was the poorest service we had in a long time! And it was so unusual for that place.

Concerning the menu, you will find lots of basic dishes you would find in brasseries, although the restaurant features mainly specialties from Brittany, such as crepes, as well as standard brunch dishes such as eggs Benedict.

Jodi decided to try their Croque Monsieur, made with ham and beer marinated Swiss cheese:

When ordering, they ask you if you want fries or the mixed salad. She picked the salad. The presentation was wonderfully rustic and appetizing! And the croque monsieur was delicious! The bread was soft and there was a lot of cheese.

On my side, I ordered the smoked ham and gruyere cheese crepe with a fried egg on top:

Similar to Jodi, I had choice between fries or salad: I picked salad. The crepe itself was just ok: too thin, you could barely taste it! However, there were a lot of ham and cheese and I loved the fact that the fried egg was cooked over easy, so I could dip the crepe in the runny yolk!

And it is only few seconds before our dishes came that they asked us if we wanted some bread with some sort of pepper butter and olive oil!!!

Despite the service, it was a good brunch and we will probably go back. This time, hopefully, it will be a more enjoyable experience!

Enjoy (I did)!

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The burger at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

I could not resist to go to DB Bistro Modern to try their burger, The Original DB Burger! Yes, you can skip the menu and bring it to me! You are probably wondering what this burger is; it is a sirloin burger filled with short ribs, foie gras and black truffle! Of course, it is pricey and some may say that they would never pay $32 for a burger, but they would for a steak frites though and, considering the ingredients, the price might just be right. 

DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

So, here we are, at DB Bistro Modern! The place is...modern, with a nice balance between the dark wood and red leather that is also present on the walls. It definitely gives a warmth and elegance to the place. I loved the black and white photos that were covering one of the walls: simply beautiful!

coffee at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

It took a while for somebody to take care of us, whether it was to bring us the menus or just water. I guess there were under staffed and our waiter was clearly overwhelmed, apologetic each time he was checking on us. Would that be a repeat of what happened at DBGB? Looked like it! 

sugar at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

Fortunately my coffee did not take too long!

bread at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

As well as some fresh bread, similar to pain de campagne.

bread and butter at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

Our food took a bit if time to come...and it even came earlier than the table next to us that ordered 5 minutes before! Jodi got her Croque Monsieur, served with a salad.

croque monsieur at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

It was made with Swiss cheese and there was a lot of ham. Unfortunately, the bread in the bottom was very hard to cut through because overcooked. Too bad, because otherwise it would have been a great one!

Then was my burger! It looked fantastic! The meat patty was huge (a bit difficult to eat...), and was resting on a Parmesan bun, with a tomato confit in the bottom and some red onions on top for a bit of crunch. 

burger at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

It was conveniently cut in half, revealing a piece if foie gras. I ordered it medium cooked and it was perfect: flavorful and juicy, the taste of the short rib definitely went through. In fact, you could see the short rib meat in the patty. 

burger at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

The first bite was divine: you could definitely taste the sirloin, then the short rib and finally the foie gras (when biting in the center). However, I did not smell or taste any black truffle, making me wonder if there was really some in it. 

Let's not forget the fries that were very good and served with mustard, ketchup and a delicious homemade mayonnaise. 

It was good, but for me, if I want to go eat a fancier burger, I will pick the one in the tap room at Colicchio & Son's!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brunch at DBGB in NYC, New York

Being a fan of Daniel Boulud, we decided to go for brunch at DBGB, a bistro located on Bowery. Casual, but a bit trendy! The decor is spectacular, with two different rooms separated by shelves, one of them full of pans and pots "donated" by famous Chefs (Paul Bocuse, who is a legend in France or Gordon Ramsay being some of them). 

Both dining rooms are different and carry a different feel: the first one, after the entrance is very casual, modern, bright, with wall covered with mirrors where you can read famous people's quotes. 

In the back is the bar, with a wall covered in bottles.

Then, there is the second dining room, that is more formal, with shelves all over, mainly occupied by wine bottles. 

In the back, is the huge open kitchen. The menu at DBGB features both French and American traditional dishes. For instance, on the French side, you can order the charcuterie plate made of pâté, jambon (ham) or head cheese; they serve also blood sausage or croque Monsieur. On the American side, they have hotdogs as well as burgers. For the latter, they propose a French version, the Frenchie, that I tried! The French touch is: confit pork belly, tomato-onion compote and morbier cheese! 

The beef patty, that was served on a peppered brioche bun, was perfectly cooked medium and very juicy, to the point that i did not need to add any ketchup or mayo. You could taste the layered components one after the other, delightfully complementing each other.

The only ingredient I was not a fan of was the arugula and I should have asked not to include it. It was not a big deal though and I have to say that it was a fantastic burger, better than the one at Minetta Tavern and close to the one at Colicchio & Sons! Yes, I dare comparing!!!

The burger was served with some delicious fries, that were crispy as I like them. 

Jodi ordered the "oeuf forestier", that is in fact two eggs "en cocotte" (baked eggs) served with wild mushrooms, gruyere and herbs. 

It was a very good dish: the yolk was orange, slightly runny, and they were not cheap on the gruyere and mushrooms! This is definitely a dish I recommend! 

This was a great brunch, although the service was a bit slow. But I am looking forward to going back to try some other mouth watering dishes they propose!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Another visit at Le Relais de Venise in NYC, New York

I am back at Le Relais De Venise, one of my favorite steak places in New York! I love the concept: they have a prix fixe menu for $26.95 (at the time of this post) where you get steak frites and a salad. There is no other food and you can only order alcohol, desserts (nice selection), tea and coffee. At least, there is no waiting for anybody to decide what they want!

This menu and concept is identical in all three locations: the original in Paris (opened in 1959), that I visited last winter, the one in London, that I saw when looking for what was supposed to be the best fish and chips in town and the one in New York.

What I did not notice in the one in New York last time, were the paintings on the wall representing scenes of Venice (well it is called Le Relais de Venise after all!). Go figure, in a French restaurant! The explanation is simple: the original original restaurant used to be an Italian restaurant and the owner left the decor as is, keeping the name.

The way it works is that they ask you for the temperature of the meat. It can be cooked blue (rare is already pretty red as you will see on a photo later, so blue? Do they bring the cow on the table at that point???), rare, medium and well done. To remember who wants what, they will map the table on the paper table cloth and write the customer's choice on it.

Then, they bring you a green salad with walnuts.

I admit that it was a bit overdressed...

Then, there is a first serving of meat and fries. Yes, you read well: a first serving, meaning that there is a second one. But do not worry, it is not like a Man vs. Food challenge where they will serve you a huge amount of food! The servings are reasonable and the two will be close to what a regular serving would be in a brasserie. While you wait, you see the staff carrying the trays containing the fries and meats cooked at different temperature, the most impressive one being the stack of fries (no, this was not one portion!)!  So, I got my first serving, asking for the sirloin steak to be rare.

And the second serving.

That time, I asked for some sauce on the fries! Like disco fries without cheese... The meat, sliced, was cooked perfectly and of good quality. I loved the sauce (it is a secret recipe) that was rich, slightly creamy and slightly salty. And with the fries, that was definitely delicious, softening the fries and pairing perfectly (as you can see they put lots of sauce the second time...).

Then was dessert! I did not pick Le vacherin du relais, one of their signature desserts, that I tried the last time I came here and also in Paris: it is a huge and very sweet dessert and at that point I started to be full. I preferred going for something "lighter" and cold, because, similar to my previous visit, it was warm in the restaurant. Therefore, I went for the Praline Liegeois.

It is a praline ice cream (very creamy) with whipped cream. Praline being one of my favorite ice cream flavors, I inhaled it!

I was also able to try the profiteroles that are made on the premises.

It was fantastic! The chocolate sauce was divine: made with dark chocolate, it was not too sweet and really had a great chocolate taste, not diluted, that completely bathed the profiteroles!

Steak frites is a brasserie and bistro standard. Having a place specialized in it, you can expect that they will make it good and I think that Le Relais de Venise delivers: great fries (soft inside and crispy outside with a nice golden color), delicious meat (sirloin, perfectly cooked) and fantastic secret sauce (people are still trying to figure out how it is made, some hinting that there might be chicken liver in it!). Know that there you cannot make reservations and, the last time I went, I noticed a lot of families.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Finally!!!

I tasted it! Yes, I know, some of you are envious right now! So let me say it in plain English: I ate a cronut! I am sure you are either wondering how I ended up with one (two in fact), maybe thanks to my blog, or thinking that I went this time at 6am to get the precious pastry after a three hours wait! It is not what happened. Before I tell you how I ended up with two cronuts, let me summarize the previous episodes. 

Episode 1:

I heard about the new creation from Chef Dominique Ansel. Being a fan, I decided to try and with confidence, showed up at 11:30am on a week end to get a cronut. They are sold out (of course!). The buzz increases and the press reports long lines in front of the bakery. 

Episode 2:

We decide to try again, but show up a little before 8:30am this time, the bakery opening at 9am. After three hours of wait, we are in front of the door hoping to get rewarded. Suddenly, a woman, not fearing for her life, screams "I got the last one!" . At this point, I really thought there would be a riot! Some people left, disappointed, but we decided to wait a little more to get some breakfast: a delicious Kouign Amann and a fantastic almond croissant. Were we disappointed? Sure, but it was a fun experience: the excitement of maybe getting one, talking to people in line, but also to the passerby who were wondering what we were waiting in line for. The funniest being their faces when one responded "a cronut" and they had no idea what it was. 

So, now is episode 3! 

My friend and blog fan Benedicte brings me two cronuts ($5 each) on Monday, cronuts that she purchased after a now famous three hour wait. I receive the precious package, hiding it from everybody around me, taking care of it as if it was a family heirloom. I carefully carry the two cronuts in my possession home and proceed with unwrapping them from the aluminum foil they are in, some of it sticking to the icing. After taking photos and eating dinner, it is time for a tasting. Jodi and I each get one, me secretly hopping she will only eat half of it...

The first bite is divine! You get four layers in fact: 

- the icing: not too sweet at all

- the outer part of the cronut, full of granulated sugar, similar to a sugar twist. 

- the flaky buttery croissant like inside. 

- the cream with it subtle but fantastic coconut taste (Jodi's favorite on top of that!). 

Although we ate it the next day, it was very good, not dry at all, probably thanks to the butter and cream. It tasted more like a donut (I mentioned earlier a sugar twist), but with butter and a flakiness close to a croissant. 

We are happy now to be part of the few of had the chance to try it! I bet that, fresh, it would have been spectacular, more flaky and a bit crunchy! But I am not sure I am ready for another long wait...Although you never know!!!

Enjoy (I sure did)!

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Sandwiches at Francois Payard Bakery in NYC, New York

I went to Francois Payard few times already, mainly their location on West Houston. This time, we decided to go to the one near Columbus Circle to grab sandwiches. I always like to go there because their pastries look fantastic. 

We decided to order a croque Monsieur first. 

It was made with big pieces of ham, cheese and bechamel sauce, served between two slices of white bread. It was very good; the bechamel sauce adding some gooey-ness to it. It is one of the best ones I had so far for a reasonable price. No need to serve it fancy, just simply!

Then, we ordered the ham and Brie. 

They asked us if we wanted it heated: we said no as we wanted to go authentic. There again, there was a lot of ham and thick slices of Brie. They made it with a piece of salad, some butter and some mustard. I personally would have preferred just butter, ham and Brie, the mustard over powering at time the sandwich. Also, the bread was not that fresh. I guess that it is because they prepare it in the morning (we went after 2pm) and keep it refrigerated. 

Still, I love Francois Payard: they have good sandwiches and amazing pastries. 

Francois Payard Bakery
Midtown West
1775 Broadway
New York, NY

Enjoy (I did)!

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Vive La Crepe in Greenwich Village, NYC, New York

Crepes: a typically French dish that some people call thin pancakes...I love crepes. In fact I learned how to make crepes at school, when I was probably 7 or 8... So I was really excited to try Vive La Crepe, located near Union Square! It is Jodi who found this place and we added it to the long list of places to try. 

This small place was fairly busy and the staff was efficient. At least, they had five crepe makers to work with!

The menu offers sweet and savory choices, French inspired for the most part. 

Jodi ordered the ham and gruyere crepe:

I ordered the raclette:

Raclette is a dish popular in France and Switzerland, where cheese is melted on potatoes. So this crepe was made of cheese, boiled potatoes and prosciutto. There was enough meat, but clearly not enough cheese! Also, the potatoes were bland; I would have preferred less potatoes or maybe skin on would have given a bit of taste. 

The ham and cheese did not have enough ham...and cheese either!

What was very disappointing was the crepe batter: weird taste! I do not understand how they can screw it up! It is so simple to make ( I should post the recipe!). 

For dessert, we ordered the sugar and butter crepe and the banana and Nutella one:

I could unfortunately not get past the taste of the batter. Too bad because there was a lot of nutella!

So it was clearly disappointing ! And pricey! Bar Suzette remains for me the best so far, although I am always amazed by the cost of this cheap dish!

Enjoy (...)!

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French roast in NYC, New York

French Roast is a French bistro that has two locations in New York City: one Downtown and one Uptown. It is affiliated with some of the famous French bistros / brasseries like Nice Matin or Marseille. 

The decor is pretty standard with its bistro feel, accentuated by the old ads that I love to look at: colorful and amazing. 

The menu is also standard for a bistro, with the traditional dishes: escargots, moules frites, steak frites...

We decided to go for appetizers only, so we could try several dishes and hopefully dessert!

I started of with the escargots de Bourgogne:

They were cooked in butter, garlic and parsley. Good, but it was as if they added something else, the butter being overpowered by a secret ingredient, that reminded me the taste of escargots made with Pastis...

Then, we shared the Goujonettes or crispy Atlantic Pollack fritters:

They were like fish beignets and the sauce was like a lemon preserved aioli (you could not miss the hints of lemon)! I really liked it: the fish was flaky and perfectly cooked. The batter was soft and not overpowering. A great appetizer to share!

Then, Jodi got the salade d'été:

It was made with bucheron goat cheese, grilled corn, summer squash...

It was pretty good and a nice twist to the salade de chèvre chaud (goat cheese salad) that Jodi loves to order when we go to France. 

On my side, I ordered the confit de canard or petit salad. 

It was a house made duck confit simply served with frisée salad. I loved it: tasty, it was not salty, that is often the case with that dish. Perfectly slow cooked or shall I say over cooked, the meat fell of the bones! Delicious!

Then, we decided to share a dessert and went for the chocolate mousse. 

It was made with three layers of chocolate: white, milk and dark, each if them having a different texture, more dense as the color went darker. It was very good, light and again a nice twist on the very traditional chocolate mousse. 

The food at French Roast was very good and I am sure we will be back to try other dishes! I would like to mention, however, that the service was not great and took forever, although the restaurant was not that crowded that night! Nevertheless, the food was worth the wait!

French Roast
Greenwich Village
78 W 11th St
New York, NY 10011

Enjoy (I did)!

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Maison Kayser in NYC, New York

Maison Kayser, located on the Upper East side is the flagship restaurant of French Chef Eric Kayser who opened this place last year and is currently in process of opening additional ones near the Flatiron and Columbus Circle. It is an interesting place. At the entrance, is the store where you can look at the yummy pastries and viennoiseries. 

Then, on the right is the dining room where we decided to sit. 

The staff was dressed with sailor t-shirts ("t-shirt marin") that are mainly worn in West of France, particularly in Brittany. 

We already had lunch before, at Francois Payard Bakery near Columbus Circle, not at the one that opened across the street from Maison Kayser recently!!! So we decided to have coffee and desserts. 

Jodi had a mint green tea that she loved, as well as a Mille feuilles. 

I was so disappointed when I saw the Mille feuilles! It was not at all the traditional one and was really not as good. I mean, the best part in the Mille feuilles is the icing on top that is phenomenal and this pastry did not have any! 

On my side, I ordered a cafe gourmand.

The concept of cafe gourmand is coffee with small size pastries. It started few years ago in France and is now quite common.

The pastries we got were: financiers (bottom left), Paris Brest (top left), tarte au citron (lemon tart - top right) and raspberry tart (bottom right). 

The financiers were good, but not as dense as they should be, missing a bit the almond taste. 

The tarte au citron had a very weird after taste. 

The Paris Brest shell was overcooked and the cream so so (praline cream).

Only the raspberry tart was good. 

We also shared an elephant ear or palmier. 

It was big, but unfortunately overcooked and dry, missing the buttery taste that makes this cookie so good. 

Fortunately, I tasted the viennoiseries another time. It was the chocolate croissant and the pain aux raisins. Both were good, although the pain aux raisins was a bit undercooked. 

Yes, it was disappointing because so many people told me good things about this place. I think that Dominique Ansel Bakery is much better, serving incredible pastries that would satisfy any sweet tooth!

Maison Kayser
1294 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10022

Enjoy (...)!

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Jacques Brasserie on the Upper East Side, NYC, New York

With a name like this, Jacques Brasserie is surely French! I know this place from when we used to live on the Upper East Side. We went often for their steak frites with béarnaise sauce, as well as their chocolate soufflé. So, after going to the Metropolitan Museum to see the Punk costume exhibit, we decided to go back to Jacques Brasserie for brunch. The place did not change: spacious, with the large mirrors on the walls, the warm atmosphere projected by all the dark wood, and the old ads all over the place, giving to the place some authenticity. 

I recognized most of the items on the menu. After we ordered, they brought us some delicious bread, warm and a bit crunchy in the bottom. 

I started off with the escargots de Bourgogne. 

They served it out of the shell and yes, some people may find them disgusting looking, but they are so good!

I used the bread to dip it in the sauce made of butter, garlic and parsley. This was very good and as escargots de Bourgogne should be: no need to add anything else like bread crumbs for instance! If you never had them and would like to try, this is the place to go! 

For entrees, Jodi ordered the salade niçoise.

This salad comes from Nice, a lovely city South of France known for its beach front called La promenade des Anglais. It is composed of tomatoes, green beans, tuna, Hard-boiled eggs, olives, anchovies and dressed with a vinaigrette. The olives are normally small, called olives niçoises, that are difficult to pit, so they put some black olives, pitted. If you go to France, normally, the tuna is canned. But, most of the restaurants are trying now to elevate this dish and serve it with seared tuna that is for sure much better, but pricier!

I then had the crepe jambon-fromage (ham and cheese):

There were two Crepes filled with cheese and ham and topped with melted cheese: message here is that if you like cheese, this is a good choice!!! The crepe itself was good, probably made with white flour rather than buckwheat considering the light color. It also came with a salad that was a good addition, kind of making it as if it was healthier...

It was a wonderful brunch at Jacques Brasserie, that brought back lots of memories. Jacques Brasserie remains one of my favorite French restaurant in the city.

Jacques Brasserie

204 E 85th St 

New York, NY 10028

http://www.jacquesbrasserie.com/

Enjoy (I did)!

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Another attempt to get a Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery in NYC, New York !

There has been a storm in NYC the past months and it is called a Cronut. No, it is not a prehistoric artifact, simply the genius creation of Chef Dominique Ansel that combines a croissant and a donut. Before I explain why it is not as simple as that, let me tell you that I am a big fan of Chef Ansel, because he could have just gotten comfortable and serve classic French pastries. That would have for sure been a hit. Instead, he decided to propose classic desserts sometimes introducing a twist, such as the Paris-New York, that is his take on the Paris-Brest, where the praline cream is replaced by peanut butter. I tried it; I enjoyed it!

So, why is the cronut (that is now trademarked) is not just a fried croissant with some glaze on top? As it says on the website of the bakery:

Made with a laminated dough similar to a croissant (but not exactly), the Cronut™ is first proofed and then fried in grapeseed oil at a specific temperature. Once cooked, each Cronut™ is flavored in three ways: 1. rolled in sugar; 2. filled with cream; and 3. topped with glaze. Cronuts™ are made fresh daily, and completely done in house. The entire process takes up to 3 days.

There is only one flavor of Cronut every month. The inaugural flavor in May was Rose Vanilla, and for June it is Lemon Maple".

The cronut. for the past weeks, has been in every newspaper or on TV. It has also been featured in the foreign press, the proudest being the French press as Chef Ansel is from France. But the incredulity of people came from seeing the long lines and the black market where you can find the cronut for up to $50 (it costs $5). The frenzy has been such, that they limited the cronut to two per person. So we decided to go at some point, thinking that this frenzy would be over. We showed up at 8:30am on the week end and were astonished by the number of people already waiting in front of the bakery.

People were excited, but also anxious, not knowing if they would be able to get that precious little thing. At the same time, people bonded, talking about this phenomenon or answering to the questions of passerby who were wondering why there was such a line in the street. Some of them were surprised to hear that people were waiting for a donut, others asking what a cronut was. Most of them leaving saying "I hope it is good!". 

After 1h30, we are close to the door. One of the employees of the bakery announces that there might not be enough cronuts to serve everybody in line. 15 minutes after, we are in front of the door. A woman exits the bakery with a bag claiming: "I got the last one!". Nice to mock us, the poor people who waited 2 hours to hear they were sold out! Fortunately nobody had the idea to jump her, but you could see some despised her for continuing to say that she had the last one (she kept saying it!). At least we heard that she arrived at 7:30am, meaning 3 hours wait and one hour before us! No regrets on our side, but a bit of disappointment. Some people left, also disappointed, but we decided to stay to get some breakfast.

There was still a line inside, so we had time to look inside the kitchen, through the window that separates it from the rest of the bakery. It was so small, so they must have another room to prepare all these mouth watering pastries and viennoiseries!

Then we saw one of the staff members making madeleines (they are prepared to order). Graciously, he handed some over to us so we could try them, probably also feeling bad for us.

They were fantastic: buttery, warm, with a bit of lemon zest, I could have eaten a full batch!

But I had another item in mind: the almond croissant!

I was at first put off by the confectioner sugar on top because I do not remember any when I was in France. But the first bite made me forget that! It was amazing: buttery, it had a lot of almond cream that was delicious. It is one of the best almond croissant I found in NYC! Yes, I repeat: it is one of the best almond croissant I found in NYC! 

Jodi went for the DKA or Dominique Kouign Aman, that cannot also be missed if you go to Dominique Ansel Bakery!

Look how good it looks with the sugar all over!

So, were we disappointed that we did not get the cronut? Yes, but it was a fun experience and we ended up with a delicious breakfast. So Dominique, please make more cronuts!!!

Updated on 8/18/13: you may think it is over, but it is not! Check out this post and see how it ended up...

Enjoy (I did)!


Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring St
New York, NY 10012

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A trip to Montreal - Part 8: French Bistro L'Express

On Sunday night, we went rue Saint-Denis to eat in a popular Parisian style bistro called L'Express. It was definitely a trendy place with an elegant decor and a typically French menu, from the appetizers to the desserts. The menu, elaborated by Chef Joel Chapouile, offers classic French dishes such as the rillette, oeufs mayonnaise (deviled eggs), foie gras or steak frites. 

When we arrived, there were not that many people. Normal I thought as it was Sunday night. But, as the evening went, more and more people arrived. When we left, the place was packed!

After we ordered, they brought us some bread and butter:

As well as some crunchy cornichons in a jar that gave a relaxed and rustic feel to the experience:

Jodi decided to order only a salad as she really wanted a dessert. She picked the goat cheese salad:

Goat cheese salad is pretty standard on a French menu. Sometimes the cheese is toasted, sometimes it is not. At L'express, it was not. The goat cheese can also vary, from buche to crotin de Chavignoles. It was a good salad: simple, refreshing and not overdressed.

I decided to order the salmon tartare:

It was served on a bed of micro greens. I liked it but would have liked more texture to it, maybe by cutting the salmon thicker. 

Then, for the main dish, I ordered the veal kidneys in mustard sauce:

This is a very classic French dish and I was looking forward to it! I was not disappointed! The kidneys were cooked as ordered, medium, and were tender with a delicate but particular flavor that I am not sure how to describe! They were mixed with delicious mushrooms and the sauce was phenomenal. I do not know how they make it but it was so good! And then there were sauteed potatoes that were awesome! Cooked all the way through, they were a bit crunchy. This was the best dish we had on that trip!!!

They it was time for dessert! Jodi got her long awaited Ile Flottante!

Ile flottante is made egg whites topped with caramel (sauce or harden) served on a vanilla custard sauce. It was delicious: light, not too sweet, the egg whites were perfectly firm and melted in my mouth immediately. The vanilla custard was creamy and tasty, a perfect complement to the eggs. 

I could not resist and ordered the Baba au Rhum!

The portion was big too. It was just ok: the cake was not as light and airy as it should and the rum was watered down a little. Between the two desserts, I clearly preferred the Ile flottante!

The walk back to the hotel was really necessary after this excellent feast we had at L'Express! It was a great dinner and if you go, I recommend the veal kidneys! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 6: French Patisserie Boulangerie O Gateries in Longueuil

Before reading this post, please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

When my friend Malika came to New York, we told her that we were going to Montreal for a week end and she suggested to visit her friends Jean-Francois and Lise who own a Pastry shop in Longueuil, a suburb that is a few minutes from Montreal. 

Jean-Francois is a French pastry Chef who was trained by Les Compagnons du Devoir, a companionship that originated in the Middle Ages, during the construction of Cathedrals. The goal was to  teach and train very skilled workers during many years of apprenticeship. They then expanded to more traditional jobs. Being part of Les Compagnons du Devoir is not a small thing and not everybody can be part of it: you have to be dedicated, motivated and skilled. It is during his apprenticeship that Jean-Francois ended up in Canada, where he met Lise, and together, they opened O Gateries, that will celebrate 20 years this year, in July.

Besides talking about personal stuff with Jean-Francois and Lise, we spoke about being a boulanger - patissier and I could really sense a passion that I always like to find in people. One thing that I still remember that Jean-Francois said, was about technique: when making something, what matters is not the ingredients, but the technique. It makes sense, otherwise, each time I follow a recipe, I should have the same result as anybody, no? No.

To give you an idea of O Gateries, now: I was expecting a smaller place, but it was of a good size, with a terrace and a dining room. In fact, O Gateries is not only a bakery and pastry shop: it also does some catering (apparently their duck confit pie is a big hit) and serves meals. 

But, because of all the work, Jean-Francois decided to hand over part of the products he sells to local artisans: for the bread and the chocolates (at the exception of the truffles that he makes). This way, he can focus on making viennoiseries (croissants, chocolate croissants called in Canada "Chocolatines" and in France, "Pains au chocolat",...) and pastries. He tries to stay traditional and looking at the pastries, we saw the classic ones: eclairs au chocolat, mille feuilles, religieuses...

As we were there for breakfast, they proposed us to try few things. Jodi ordered the chocolatine or Chocolate croissant.

It was very good: flaky and buttery!

Lise suggested to me to get the Eggs Benedict: I could not refuse, especially as I love that dish! But the way they prepare it is with a French twist!

It was composed of a slice of French bread, sauteed mushrooms that were fantastic, brie and a perfectly poached egg topped by Hollandaise sauce. They added some moutarde de Dijon / Dijon mustard that gave a nice kick. 

We also got the opportunity to try the palmier or elephant ears that were delicious: fresh, flaky, crunchy and buttery.

As well as the religieuse that is one of my favorite pastries!

I really appreciated the fact that it was not too sweet and we could really taste the chocolate in the custard that is inside the puff pastry. 

We definitely had a good time there whether it was for the food or the company! O Gateries is definitely an address to know!

Enjoy (Id did)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 2: dinner at Leméac, a French Bistro!

For our first dinner in Montreal, we went to Leméac, a French Bistro. 

The place was gorgeous with four sections: the bar that was very busy with not only people drinking but also diners, the main dining room, the patio with its large windows and the garden. 

We decided to walk to the restaurant from the hotel and it probably took us close to an hour, discovering leisurely part of the Old Montreal. So no wonder we arrived hungry! For sure the bread and butter were welcome!

For appetizer, I ordered the escargots (snails):

They were served with some pasta, with portobello mushrooms, a tomato coulis and a basil butter sauce. This was fantastic with plenty of different flavors coming from the different main ingredients. Even without the snails, I would have had appreciated that dish as an appetizers. The basil butter sauce was fantastic: smooth and tasty, it brought the dish to an entire level!

For the entrees, Jodi ordered the hanger steak with French fries and "Maitre d'Hotel" butter (called a "compound butter," which simply means that there is some sort of flavoring or seasoning ingredient added to the butter, usually parsley).

The steak, ordered medium, was perfectly cooked and tender, and had some kosher salt on it. I just wished it was a bit warmer so the butter could melt a bit more. The fries, served with mayonnaise, were like I like them: crispy outside and soft inside. 

I ordered the Duck leg confit, roasted fingerling potatoes and salad:

This was a fantastic fish: the duck confit was not too salty that is the issue sometimes with this dish. The potatoes, served skin on, were delicious, tasty and tender. I ate them with the salad that accompanied the duck. Overall a very good dish!

For dessert, we went for the French toast, milk jam ice cream & maple caramel:

I have to say that it was a big portion!!! I could not resist though! The bread was a buttery brioche bread that, although thick, was saturated with the batter. Adding to it the maple caramel that was not too sweet and the delicious ice cream, it was the perfect dessert to end the meal. 

We definitely had a great dinner at Lemeac and the service was courteous and efficient. This is definitely a great place for fine dining without being pretentious. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Crepes at Cafe Jolie in Hell's kitchen, NYC, New York

Coming from France, where crepes are pretty popular, I was thrilled to try Cafe Jolie in Hell's Kitchen. Not that I crave crepes as Jodi makes them regularly, but still: thrilled! 

If you do not know what they are, crepes are thin pancakes that originated in west of France, in a region called Brittany. The recipe is pretty straight forward, except that people usually use white flour, instead of the original buckwheat that will give to the crepe a stronger taste and darker color. Also, Crepes can be savory or sweet: some people use beer for savory, others milk for sweet. Personally, I use milk as I do not have time to make two different batters. 

So, here we are at Cafe Jolie. The place is more like a casual restaurant where you order and pick your crepe at the counter and go sit somewhere. Similar to a pizza place in fact. While you wait, you can learn some French...

They make their crepes on crepe makers, instead of a pan, as any creperie would. 

The restaurant was not that crowded, but apparently it is because they deliver a lot. They told me that, in average, they make 120 Crepes in the evening. 

I ordered the traditional ham and cheese, called The Amsterdam. 

The crepe looked very nice and had a lot of ham and cheese in it. Unfortunately, it was not fully cooked, probably because the crepe was not flipped to cook on both sides. 

Jodi ordered La Petite Mort:

It was filled with Brie cheese, avocado and black olives. The avocado was ripe and the olives have a nice salty taste to the crepe. But again, the crepe was undercooked. Well, when you know that La Petite Mort ("The little death") is an euphemism for orgasm, I can tell you that with this crepe, there was no Sally moment...

For dessert, Jodi ordered the butter and sugar:

It was just ok: greasy and again undercooked, it had however a nice nuttiness to it thanks to the brown sugar. 

I decided to order the S'mores crepe:

The crepe was filled with marshmallow fluff, dark chocolate chips and Graham crackers. The filling was good, although I barely tasted the Graham cracker and it was undercooked. 

I have to say that I was disappointed: it was expensive for crepes (we paid close to $38 for 4 crepes) and was not that great. I definitely prefer Bar Suzette located in Chelsea Market!

Enjoy (...)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Dinner at Nice Matin in NYC, New York

After a wonderful day walking around in the City, from the East Village to the Upper East Side, via Central Park, we decided to have dinner at Nice Matin. I went there few years ago and I remember that I had a good dinner. So, why not go back!

First, let me give you some information on the name! Nice is a city located South of France, in the Cote D'Azur. It is known for many things such as the boardwalk (La Promenade Des Anglais) or the flower market. "Nice Matin" is the main newspaper of the city, hence the name.

To give this market feel, they even have a small market on top of their door!

A good reason to know Nice Matin is their burger! Even if you never went there, you may know it! It is the 5 Napkin Burger! Yes, the burger at Nice Matin was so popular that the owners decided to open a burger place where this burger would be the signature dish: that is how 5 Napkin burger started!

The place is nice, with a clean and bright decor, accentuated by the yellow formica tables!

They started off bringing bread,

and butter.

Then, I ordered the escargots (snails):

They were not the traditional Escargots de Bourgogne, cooked in butter, with garlic and parsley. It was made of butter, breadcrumbs, garlic and fines herbes, a blend of herbs made mainly of parsley, chives and tarragon. The presentation was very nice and surprisingly, there were 2 snails in each little compartment. It was good, but I prefer the more traditional recipe or to say it better, it would have been better without the breadcrumbs. It did not prevent me from dipping bread in the sauce though!!!

For the entree, I ordered the Moules Provençales (Mussels Provençales):

It was served with French fries:

There was for sure a nice amount of mussels and they were of a very decent size. They were perfectly cooked and seemed fresh. The Provençal sauce was composed of tomato sauce, basil, garlic, shallots and dry chili pepper. It was delicious: tasty and homey, it was not spicy even with the chili pepper. 

The fries were very good too and I dipped them in the sauce! They were crispy outside and soft inside as I like them! Clearly better than Pommes Frites!

Jodi ordered the salade niçoise:

It was served with sushi grade tuna that was pan seared. It was composed as well of anchovies, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, olives, radicchio, beans, cucumber, fennel, zucchini, red onion and potatoes. The sauce was conveniently on the side.

The presentation was definitely beautiful with all the different colors. The tuna was excellent and definitely good quality. Know that it is an elevated version of the salade niçoise, because normally, it is made with canned tuna...I doubt you can find sushi grade canned tuna!!! So, it was definitely a good salad and I would think that the price was justified by the use of prime ingredients, especially the fish.

We skipped dessert as the day was full of food stops (yes, I was able to resist to the urge to order the chocolate hazelnut mousse or the butternut brown sugar crème brûlée).

I noticed that the restaurant has a prix-fixe menu and calculated that adding what I ate with a dessert would be 50 cents more than the price of the prix-fixe. So I guess it is not that interesting! Anyway, it was a good dinner in a nice setting. Definitely a nice French restaurant to know on the Upper West Side!

Enjoy (I did)!



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Croque Monsieur at La Maison du Croque Monsieur in NYC, New York

Union Square has lots of cheap and delicious eateries, probably because of the proximity of NYU. Our last discovery is La Maison Du Croque Monsieur, the place of Yves Jadot and Alberto Benenati from La Petit Abeille.

I do not remember that Croque Monsieur was that popular when I was in France. My Mom used to cook it from time to time, very simply, and there were even, sometimes, some variation of it, with Crème fraîche and a slice of tomato. Because Croque Monsieur was a quick and simple sandwich to make, we never put any Béchamel sauce. The original version of Croque Monsieur was with cheese (usually Emmental or Gruyère cheese) and ham. The béchamel inside and outside makes it a fancier version, not to mention when there is béchamel and cheese on top: even fancier!

So, La Maison Du Croque Monsieur is serving a simpler version, as well as some variation of it, using cheese from Murray's. 

It is a small place with two tiny floors. We ordered and then went upstairs where they brought us our food.

Of course, we decided to try the original Croque Monsieur, Croque Mr Henry, made with jambon de Paris (ham), Béchamel sauce and a choice of cheese (we picked Comté  from France).

The second Croque Monsieur was Mr Eduardo (Bresaola, Béchamel, Smoked Mozzarella & Truffle Oil).

I have to say that I preferred Mr Eduardo: tastier, it had fantastic flavors from the bresaola and the smoked mozzarella, with the truffle oil really coming through. The original Croque was good, but the flavors did not stand out. I think it was missing a bit of béchamel sauce and cheese.

We also got one Croque for dessert...The Mr Gonzalo.

It was made of banana, nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread) and mascarpone.

This was succulent! Think about it: banana and nutella are the perfect combination for either a sandwich or a crepe. The mascarpone was kind of non-existent in it, maybe because there was not that much. This sandwich was slightly warm, so the nutella was melting a bit, dripping down on my fingers...A bit challenging to eat, but who cares! 

Even if the original Croque Monsieur was not my favorite, I really enjoyed La Maison du Croque Monsieur! It is an original and very affordable place: $32 for 3 sandwiches, chips and a bottle of water. Not bad!

Enjoy (I did)!

 


And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Lunch at Benoit in NYC, New York

I had lunch at Benoit recently! Benoit is a classic Parisian brasserie that Chef Alain Ducasse opened in 2008, replacing La Cote Basque. What I did not know is that there is an original Benoit in Paris that opened in 1912 by Benoit Matray. This family restaurant was then sold in 2005 to Alain Ducasse. I might have to check that out the next time I am in Paris, although, it seems to be a bit pricey (not that the one in NYC is not)...

I was excited for sure as I recently read some articles about Alain Ducasse who was ranked number 6 Most successful Chef by Forbes in 2012 and number 1 of the French Chefs in revenue: 120 Million Euros, 27 restaurants all over the world and 19 Michelin stars (the second is Joel Robuchon with 75 Million Euros, 16 restaurants and 28 Michelin stars). 

People often say that Benoit is a casual brasserie: I kind of disagree! It is an upscale brasserie with a splendid decor, especially the huge vase in the back of the dining room, the walls covered in mirrors and the old style ads.

While we were waiting for out meal to come, they brought us some delicious  gougères, that are cheese puffs (choux).

These savory delicacies were light and airy. They are a bad idea to serve before lunch, because you can't stop eating them!!!

The traditional bread and butter followed.

So, here are some of the dishes I tried!

The country salad: frisée, lardons, poached egg and croutons.

I am not a big fan of frisée salad because it can sometimes be very bitter, but it was not the case. I liked the light dressing. The poached egg was perfectly cooked and created like a secondary sauce. It was very delicate.

The escargots de Bourgogne:

They were good, especially the parsley and butter sauce that I could just eat with bread!

The special of the day: seared scallops:

I have to admit that this being a special and as I never take notes, I do not remember what the sauce was made of...They were served with salsify, that I usually do not like, but not this time. The scallops had a nice sear and a bit of salt on the outside that gave a little crunch. Unfortunately, I found them to be undercooked inside. 

The cassoulet:

It has been a while since I had cassoulet and in fact, I thought about it thanks to the vegetarian cassoulet I had at Table Verte recently! The way they serve it and the way it looks is very rustic: I love it!

Cassoulet is a traditional dish from the South West of France. It is a slow cooked casserole made of white beans and meat, usually pork and duck. In this one, there was duck confit, pork sausage and pork meat (not sure if it was pork belly).

The dish was rich and earthy. It was definitely slow cooked all together and was not just put together once I ordered it! The beans were melting in my mouth, as did the duck that was delicious and did not have too much saltiness to it. This is the perfect example of a traditional French dish where the taste supersedes the presentation.

Then I could not leave without having the Baba!

Baba is a yeast cake that will be saturated with a hard liquor, usually rum. At Benoit, it is Armagnac. They first bring the cake, pour the armagnac and then put some delicious homemade whipped cream (they leave you the rest of it on the table in case you did not get enough...). This is the second time I have this dessert there and it is fantastic! Definitely a recommendation!

Interestingly and for those with a sweet tooth, they give you a delicious homemade meringue cookie when you leave! What? After all this food?

Benoit definitely met my expectations! Delicious food, great service in a beautiful decor!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
 

French Vegetarian at Table Verte in NYC, New York

Before you read this, please note that this post is about a press dinner: understand that the restaurant knew who we were and this was a complementary dinner.

Going to a French Vegetarian restaurant sounds like an oxymoron so I was extremely curious to go to a Press Dinner at Table Verte, located in the East Village. I had vegetarian experiences previously either in true vegetarian restaurants like Gobo, Zen Palate or Angelika Kitchen, as well as Asian restaurants where vegetarian dishes are always available (think about Indian, Chinese or Thai)! But French? I was excited to see what it was all about!

So, here I am, walking to this place, passing the crowded Saint Marks Place, and ending up on the same block as Caracas, the Venezuelan restaurant that serves delicious arepas! Fortunately, I always rely on the address because I could have passed next to Table Verte without noticing it: no extravagant lights or outside decoration. The place is tiny with its 38 seats (each table is green, matching the name of the restaurant) and I retrieved there the type of atmosphere that I was used to when living in Paris, especially at La Butte aux cailles, in the 13th district, close to Place d'Italie. La butte aux cailles has these small restaurants, very casual, warm, where the food is the star and where you feel so comfortable, you tend to forget you are in a restaurant and are just enjoying the moment you share with others at a meal. In fact, the press dinner was on a Tuesday and the place was packed. I did not notice though that they were rushing people so they had to eat quickly and free their tables for other customers as it is customary in a lot of restaurants in New York. 

I did not meet with the owner, Chef Didier Pawlicki (Taureau and La Sirène), but had a quick chat with Executive Chef Ken Larsen. Chef Larsen was classically trained at the French Culinary Institute, and spent few years as a Chef in France, near Nancy. There, he discovered that French people attach a lot of importance to food and that everything on the plate has to be good, including the garnish.

Later, being himself a vegetarian, he decided to make these garnishes the star of the dishes, without trying to recreate proteins with tofu or seitan, crafting a menu with not only vegetarian, but also vegan and gluten free dishes. I was pretty intrigued, of course as a Frenchman, but also because vegetarian has not always been successful in the past (Angelika kitchen was terrible!).

We started the dinner with a medley of salads that the Chef proposes on his menu - Le plat froid:

• Celeri rave remoulade: shredded celery root marinated with lemon juice and dressed with homemade mayonnaise.
• Lentils vinaigrette: lentils served with a brunoise of carrots (carrots are first julienned and then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing small cubes), celery and leeks with Dijon vinaigrette.
• Beets with horseradish seasoned with shallots, tarragon and herbs.
• Assiette de carottes: carrots, chickpeas, leeks and raisins in a lemon spiced vinaigrette.

I really liked it: rustic, pretty traditional, it easily reminded me of a dish my family would serve at the beginning of a meal (in France, the entrée is the appetizer). I truly liked the flavors and appreciated the fact that it was not overdressed. The assiette of carottes had definitely a Mediterranean influence thanks to the raisins. The salads were served with some delicious homemade onion focaccia bread that I could have eaten entirely!

The next dish was the cassoulet vegetarien, served with yam cake.

I would not have associated the yam cake with French cuisine, but the cassoulet is definitely one of the most famous French specialties from the South West and I could hardly imagine what the vegetarian version would be! If you never had a cassoulet, know that it is made of white beans with different meats: pork, duck or goose. This one, that was vegan and gluten free, was made with mixed beans that were stewed with roasted shallots. Normally, the restaurant serves it with wild rice, that is not how you would serve it in France. This time, it was served with a yam cake that was delicious! It was made of layered sweet potatoes seasoned with nutmeg and cinnamon. This was smooth and sweet, and paired very well with the cassoulet: going from sweet to salty was fantastic. We even told Chef Larsen that instead of serving the cassoulet with wild rice, he should always pair it with the yam cake! He told us that he would definitely consider it and that in fact, he likes to have feedback from the diners: that is how he came up with some ideas of items, such as the vegan chocolate ganache cake!

I loved the cassoulet because it was very hearty with great flavors: it was definitely a surprise, because it stood up on its own and I did not miss any meat in it! I was also thinking that this is the type of dish that people could try to make home.

The next dish was the Gnocchi Parisien au gratin: Chef Larsen's own version of Mac & Cheese. 

It was made with truffles, white sauce and Swiss cheese. This dish was fantastic! First of all, they used real truffles and not truffle oil: you could tell the difference. Then the gnocchi were very light and not potato-y. This dish was very rich, but it was so good that I finished the side portion they served us; I cannot imagine eating the full size by myself...although, knowing me...

As Table Verte is a French Vegetarian, they could in fact stay true to their theme and call the gnocchi "vegetarian quenelles"!

Last, came dessert!!! We started off with the long awaited Tarte au chocolat vegetalienne et sans gluten (vegetarian and gluten free chocolate tart):

As mentioned above, it was based on the suggestion of a diner. The crust is made of overcooked rice, raisins and almond flour. The chocolate ganache is made with chocolate and avocado (not surprising as avocado can sometimes replace butter because of its fatty content). I liked the crust that was crunchy, but did not really like the ganache where the dark chocolate taste was a bit lost.

However, the next dessert was amazing! It was a banana brulée!

This was a great way of finishing the meal! It was made of banana, nilla crackers, Crème Pâtissière (custard) and had a caramel crust similar to a creme brulée. The crème was smooth and definitely tasted banana. It was not too sweet and perfectly set, like a fusion of banana pudding and crème brulée! Definitely a dessert not to miss!

This was an incredible and sensational dinner! I did not know what to expect, but this concept not only makes sense, but works! I really liked the passion of the Executive Chef that really came through his food. Apparently they started to serve brunch, so I will have to go back to see what they have!

In conclusion, Table Verte can satisfy any type of diner: vegetarian or not! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!