Mini Comté Burgers
by Celia Cheng
June 30th, 2008
LE CIRQUE WINE LOUNGE
151 E 58th St
(Lexington & 3rd Ave)
212-644-0202
Le Cirque needs no introduction. Through two facelifts, it’s remained a New York classic since 1974. Originally Le Cirque on East 65th Street, it was then Le Cirque 2000 in the Palace Hotel, and now it’s back to Le Cirque but in the new Bloomberg building on East 58th Street. Over the years, it’s been a staple for bankers and tourists alike, a very formal dining affair.
Through its multiple iterations, it has transformed itself from old school classic to modern classic, and now with the wine lounge, the audience continues to broaden, reaching a more casual crowd who can watch TV at the bar, enjoy lite-bites and drinks but not have to dress too formally (no jackets required). There’s even music, live at times, in the bar area.
I find the TV to be rather inappropriate even for a more “causal” environment, but I understand that during the day, traders must follow MSNBC obsessively. But perhaps after hours is time to turn off the television and enjoy good company and the delicious food prepared by Chef Christophe Bellanca. He’s created an entirely new menu, including an all-day bar menu, in addition to prix-fixe for lunch and dinner respectively.
The bar menu is an approachable list of 20 plus dishes, including some outstanding items. The tuna tataki with carpaccio of daikon and avocado, sesame vinaigrette, yuzu cucumber granité and seaweed salad is a magnificently light starter for this time of year. The tuna, daikon and avocado are sliced so thin, and the yuzu cucumber granité is a surprisingly cool and refreshing touch that dissolves as soon as it hits your tongue. It took me about two seconds to finish this elegant plate.
Everyone at the bar was raving about the mini Comté burgers. There’s also regular mini cheeseburgers on the menu, but when I inquired which was better, there was no contest; the Comté burgers won unanimously. One order serves two mini burgers, so it’s a perfect share. The Comté is melted over the beef patty, and the chanterelle and oyster mushrooms are rich and creamy. I should have been burgered out by now since I’ve tasted so many lately, but these were irresistible. Fries accompanied, and I had too many of those as well.
Surprisingly, the tortelli amatriciana was not a hit for me. These little tortelli, about six to a plate, were stuffed with guanciale and tomato and dusted with shaved pecorino. The guanciale was too salty and the tomato too sweet, and the marriage of the two resulted more in bickering than union on my palate.
But the cheese plate for dessert saved the day. It’s a selection of three or five, but there actually aren’t that many cheeses to choose from. Still, it was a very amiable way to unwind and end a meal of delicious small plates.
The lounge has 30 wines by the glass available for “tastes” or “pours,” which is another great plus. The bar menu itself has many suggested beverage pairings. I love variety and this way I can try something different with every plate. How brilliant! For lunch, cocktails, or dinner, Le Cirque Wine Lounge is a great option in Midtown for stellar food, and no longer a too-stuffy atmosphere.
Posted in Burger , French , Midtown East
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
Fischer Farm Suckling Pig Confit
by Ike Cheung
May 20th, 2007
ELEVEN MADISON PARK
11 Madison Ave
@ 24th St
212-889-0905
“First impressions can go a long way,” so they say. More often than not, it lies furthest away from the truth; additional exploration is needed to reveal its veracity. This is one reason I hesitated in reviewing Eleven Madison Park as my first piece for Cravings. Let me explain. Just in case you haven’t kept up with the restaurant scene, Eleven Madison Park is not the starlet restaurant du jour, but rather has a pedigree of the highest standards in culinary excellence and is ranked one of the fine dining staples on this island. It has earned accolades from esteemed journalists and foodies alike on both coasts. Now do you understand my dilemma? For my first log, do I just simply play it safe with an already acclaimed approved establishment? And more importantly, what else can I possibly contribute that hasn’t already been said?
If you are the kind of person who likes to skip to the end, I will save you the trouble and tell you right now. It is what any fine restaurant has to measure up to: The food is divine, the service is impeccable and the décor is timeless. However, this is not how I would like to tell my story, but rather about how I almost missed my latest visit.
On the day of my dinner reservation, I had a client meeting outside the City. However, a predicted storm made the drive in and out of the City a living nightmare. Based on the horrific traffic conditions, I knew I was going to be late for my 6pm reservation.
By the time I finally got to the restaurant, I was more than two hours late. The hostess escorted me to the most remote table from her post. Walking past the entire restaurant, I had the feeling everyone was staring at me, knowing that I had kept my dinner guest waiting. But the sight of my smiling date holding a glass of champagne was a relief from my self-inflected guilt. And by half way through my martini, I was ready to look at the menu.
Here is the short history of Eleven Madison Park. The restaurant is part of Danny Meyer’s empire of restaurants. It first opened its doors in 1998, which is a lifetime in the restaurant business in this town. The first chef, Kerry Heffernan, leaned more towards French country cooking, with emphasis on hearty fare. For the past two years, a young Swiss chef, Daniel Humm, took over the helm and revamped the entire menu.
Restoring a classic such as Eleven Madison Park can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, to stay fresh in this competitive restaurant climate, change is vital and welcoming for new and curious patrons. Then again, change can turn off long-time clientele. Unlike opening a new restaurant with a new concept, it takes careful scrutiny and editing to refresh an existing classic.
The super-sized main dining area was left mostly untouched from its inception. A new Art Deco–inspired chandelier was the only obvious change I spotted, a perfect mate with the rest of the décor. Furniture and banquettes were slipped with new upholstery. Bathrooms were upgraded with glimmering new fixtures. New china and flatware served as steward for the artfully prepared dishes. For the most part, tired existing pieces were replaced with fresh ones that resembled the original. Nothing was overlooked but rather careful and precise alteration was executed.
The once à la carte menu has been relinquished in favor of a three-tier tasting menu. The offering of three or four courses or the gourmand of eleven courses depends on how hungry you are, how much time you have or how much of a dent you want to put on your plastic. We decided on the middle tier of four courses.
A series of bite-sized morsels set the stage for the courses to come. Our eyes lit up as we admired the stunning display of delicacies. To label them as hors d’oeuvres would be pedestrian on my part. Crisp sweetbread cornet, citrus-marinated hamachi wrap with zucchini and tobiko, black truffle macaroon stuffed with foie gras accompanied by apple cider gelée, and my favorite — goat cheese galette with Meyer lemon comfiture.
We had waived the idea of selecting a wine for our meal. Instead, we left the full discretion for wine pairing with our sommelier. That was when I noticed what sets Eleven Madison Park apart from other fine establishments. Flawless and helpful service from a restaurant of this caliber was to be expected, but can sometimes lean towards stolid military precision. It was the cheerful and respectful gestures of interaction among the staff that had a soothing effect and assured my sentiments of a fine dining experience.
The following courses showcased Daniel Humm’s talent in reductions, foams and slow cooking. The former two techniques in incapable hands can often result in a frivolous consequence. Not so with the young Swiss, his techniques in culinary alchemy were purposeful and refined. Compared to the former chef, his delicate performance brings out a graceful sensibility in his dishes.
My gnocchi appetizer of la ratte potatoes with Hawaiian prawns, calamari, celery and Meyer lemon was simply delightful. The poached Nova Scotia lobster with Florence fennel and chamomile dazzled my taste buds and had me wishing for more. But the showstopper was the candy bar — shaped suckling pig confit. The slow cooking technique brought out all the juicy flavors that are simply inherent in this dish. The last of the four courses was the dessert or a selection of cheeses. I chose without hesitation the blood orange tart with fromage blanc and fennel ice cream. It was a perfect finale to an eventful meal.
Dining at Eleven Madison Park was a salvation to my dreadful day. From my table, as I sat and gazed out into the evening, a dreamlike halo from the reflected light on tree branches reminded me how rewarding life can be. As so was my first revisit to this fine restaurant that likewise had a lasting impression.
Ike Cheung, an architecturally trained interior designer and professor, has lived in New York City for nearly a decade and enjoys discovering the City’s diverse culture. In addition to working with his design clients and teaching, he writes for an industry newsletter covering the pulse of the restaurant and bar scenes.
Posted in American , French , Madison Square , Pork
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
Calotte de Boeuf Grillée
by Celia Cheng
February 8th, 2007
PER SE
10 Columbus Circle
@ 60th St, 4rd Floor
212-823-9335
In terms of monumental dining experiences, to visit a Thomas Keller restaurant ranks at the top of culinary excursions in the US. I find it difficult then to share this experience because I presume the expectations for describing it are as high as my expectations were going into this meal. I’m not sure how to do justice to such a lavish adventure so I’ve decided to just break things down. I’m sure that we will be featuring Per Se again, so think of this as an introduction, as it was for me.
Per Se serves the same menu at lunch and dinner, changing daily. There are two prix-fixe nine-course menus to choose from: Chef’s Tasting Menu and Tasting of Vegetables. Both are set at $250. I was extremely enticed by the vegetable tasting menu, particularly since it was lunch and I was leaning towards a lighter repast, but for my first meal at Per Se, I opted for the full experience with the Chef’s Tasting Menu. I’ve posted the menu below. For any course that required a choice, I have highlighted the one I chose.
Chef’s Tasting Menu — February 8, 2007
“OYSTER AND PEARLS”
“Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar
___
SALAD OF HAWAIIAN HEARTS OF PEACH PALM
Satur Farm’s Carrots, Medjool Date and Candied Marcona Almonds with Cilantro-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
or
“TERRINE” OF HUDSON VALLEY MOULARD DUCK “FOIE GRAS”
Black Winter Truffles, Frisée Lettuce and Balsamic Reduction with Toasted “Brioche”
($40 supplement)
___
SAUTÉED MEDITERRANEAN ROUGET
“Confit” of Violet Artichokes and “Brandade Barbajuan” with “Sauce Rouille”
___
BUTTER POACHED NOVA SCOTIA LOBSTER
“Topinambours en Trois Facons,” Meyer Lemon “Suprêmes,” Young Sorrel and Meyer Lemon “Mousseline”
___
SIRLOIN OF HALLOW FARM’S RABBIT
Wrapped in Applewood Smoked Bacon, “Petite” Onions and Forest Mushrooms “à la Grecque” with Rabbit “Jus”
or
“FRICASSÉE DE CERVELLE DE VEAU”
“Gnocchi Parisienne,” California Crosnes and Wilted “Roquette” with Black Winter Truffle-Veal Sauce
___
SNAKE RIVER FARM’S “CALOTTE DE BOEUF GRILLÉE”
Crispy Bone Marrow, Toasted Farro, Braised Swiss Chard Leaves and “Sauce Bordelaise”
___
“WINNEMERE”
Per Se Coleslaw, Red Wine Poached Gala Apple, Garden Mâche and Blis Maple Syrup
___
GUAVA SORBET
“Crème de Yaourt Frais,” Black Licorice “Dust” and Pomegranate “Nuage”
___
“TENTATION AU CHOCOLAT, NOISETTE ET LAIT”
Milk Chocolate “Crémeux” and Hazelnut “Streusel” with Condensed Milk Sorbet, “Pain au Lait” Sauce and Sweetened Salty Hazelnuts
___
“Mignardises”
The food was magnificent! Particularly the calotte de boeuf grillée, which I had heard raving reviews about before. As explained to my dining companion and I, “calotte” is the cut of beef wrapped around the rib eye that butchers usually discard. Thomas Keller decided to make use of the cut of meat that’s usually disposed of and we are so glad he did! The calotte is marbled and tender, a juicy cut of meat in and of itself but in the sauce Bordelaise it was so scrumptious that I devoured the entire dish even though I had only picked at some of previous dishes because I was so full. I’m a bone marrow fanatic and found this little piece of lightly deep-fried tempura-like marrow so elegant! The farro and Swiss chard were so beautifully paired in this dish that it was sheer perfection!
The fricassée de cervelle de veau, or sautéed beef brains, was another winner. The dish is extremely rich, what with the gnocchi, the black winter truffle-veal sauce and the brains themselves, but oh-so-good! The crosnes, small white tubers from a plant of the mint family — they look like strings of connected pearls and taste like Jerusalem artichokes – was a delightful crunchy surprise in contrast to the softness and chewiness of both the brains and the gnocchi.
The butter poached Nova Scotia lobster was also outstanding. Once again, Thomas Keller’s decision to pair succulent lobster meat with the refreshing tastes of Meyer lemon and the smokier and richer fullness of sorrels was mind blowing.
My favorite dessert was the guava sorbet. I always attribute my attachment to guava to my childhood, eating the fruit and drinking the juice both in Taiwan and Hawaii. I’m not a fan of licorice, but the licorice dust was subtle in flavor and the texture gave it the effect of finely pulverized Oreos, without the sweetness. The crème of yogurt and strawberry and the pomegranate cloud — a poetic interpretation of foam — was beyond just right. I often find desserts to be too heavy and rich, and am so delighted when there’s something as original in thought and flavor as this work of art.
The Chef’s Tasting Menu was amazing! And the cost of the meal is well worth it. You are right if you feel a “but…” coming on. But… with wine pairings and other extraneous add-ons, the tab came to about $600 per person, including service. Since I am just breaking things down, I’ll be concise. The three main factors for judging a dining experience usually are: food, atmosphere and service. Per Se has mastered the first category hands down. In fact, the food is so good that it will make up for what it lacks in the second two categories. And when I say lacks, I mean in relation to its price point. Even though the interior of the restaurant is pleasant and there is a gorgeous view of Central Park, I hate feeling like I’m eating in Vegas mall environment. Going to the Time Warner Center for a three star meal doesn’t feel luxurious but actually cheapens the experience. The service is professional but seems too rehearsed and insincere. It’s a routine that they have down pat, but while all servers are pleasant, I found them to be too robotic and lacked warmth and attention to detail. At the end of the meal, a tour of the kitchen is part of the show-and-tell. But simple requests like a copy of the menu were forgotten, and even when requested by phone there was no follow-up. While I found the meal memorable, the service made me feel like us diners were rather forgettable and inconsequential. I am looking forward to future meals at Per Se but I do hope that their hospitality will have improved by then.
Posted in American , Beef , French , UWS
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
Sole Stuffed with Salmon and Cabbage
by Everett Hutt
June 12th, 2006
THE WATERSIDE INN
Ferry Road
Bray
Berkshire
SL6 2AT
+44 (0)1628 620691
The Fat Duck. Who familiar with world-class dining has not heard of this restaurant? Voted Best Restaurant in the World in 2005 by over 600 food critics, the cuisine of Heston Blumenthal is reputed to be stunning.
My friends and I were planning a festive weekend in London and The Fat Duck was first on our list for dinner. But alas, it was not to be, for despite 30 minutes of speed dialing on three phones, I was unable to get a reservation. The Fat Duck is so popular that you must reserve precisely two months in advance to the day at 11:00 am. I played my part, but the phone companies let me down! When I finally got through, the reservations staff at The Fat Duck was very sympathetic to their credit.
So I went to my “fallback,” which has to be the best “fallback” I have ever had: The Waterside Inn. In what is seemingly a wonderful quirk of fate, but obviously is a clustering of culinary greats, The Waterside Inn is only 100 yards down the road from The Fat Duck. Both are nestled in the small English village of Bray-on-Thames, a wealthy suburb of London. Both are also in old buildings that have been lovingly restored.
That is where the similarities end, however. While The Fat Duck’s Heston Blumenthal is a self-taught chef, the chef-owner of The Waterside Inn is as close to cooking aristocracy as you can get. The story of Michel Roux and his brother Albert is well known. The brothers came to London in 1971 and founded La Gavroche, still one of the city’s best restaurants. Two years later they opened up their “countryside” address. Together, they transformed the culinary scene in London and Great Britain, with Michel eventually taking over full control of The Waterside Inn. Flash forward some 30 odd years and the brothers have retired. Alain, Michel’s son, runs The Waterside Inn, but one has the feeling that his father’s spirit still dominates.
The Waterside Inn feels like France. Waiters wear traditional black tie attire while treading softly across plush carpets. Most are French or speak it perfectly. The table is set with the best French crystal and china, with fresh flowers; the room is a symphony of muted beige tone. Upon being seated, we were immediately offered a selection of champagnes. We chose a bottle of Henriot 1995 Brut. It had a light straw color with a subtle nose of honey and apples. It was perfect for an aperitif while enjoying a pleasing view over the Thames where in summer you can moor your yacht if you are so fortunate. The menu, of course, is very French — at least at first glance — but with a number of surprising twists.
Indeed, despite being at one table, my friends and I experienced two very different dinners in parallel. Half the table, myself included, chose from more classic French offerings. The other half went for a more adventurous route. They made the better choice, for while Alain Roux can certainly do the classics as well as anyone at this level of the game, it seems that he has caught wind of Blumenthal’s modern creativity and stepped into his own. The results are more than promising.
The “classic” choices were a study in how to cook traditional haut French cuisine. My starter of foie gras chaud was accompanied by white beans, mushrooms and a citrus sauce. The latter two items perfectly balanced the richness of the foie gras and the starch of the beans. The fish course was a lobster, perfectly cooked, with baby vegetables. The only off-note was the pinch too much of ginger that overpowered the lobster. There was a return to form, however, with the perfectly cooked Scottish beef accompanied by a brilliant garlic puree. I was purring along in a lovely Rolls Royce.
My friends, however, were zooming away in an Aston Martin Vanquish. Their starter was a stunning granny smith cream soup. The richness of the cream was wonderfully offset by the tartness of the apples. A single piece of black truffle added just the right punch. The fish course was also a triumph: sole stuffed with salmon and cabbage. Sole is often a challenge: bland if cooked simply, yet so delicate that it is hard to season. The smoked salmon and cabbage paste stuffing added the perfect flavor to bring out the best of the sole’s flakiness. To conclude, the duck with pineapple was, if not quite as original, at least a step towards fusion-Asian cuisine.
One can see the same subtle creativity running through the wine list at The Waterside Inn. The list is almost entirely made up of French wines and, given the clientele, there is an impressive list of trophy wines. Yet our sommelier was able to guide us to lovely, lesser known (and lower priced) wines. For our starter and fish course, we had a Puligny Montrachet 1998 from a young producer, M. Carillon. For a simple Burgundy “village” appellation, this Chardonnay was a wine of extraordinary power and depth. The star of the evening, however, was the Santenay 1er Cru “la Maladière” 2000 from Vincent Girardin. Most Santenay wines from Burgundy are easy-drinking and pleasant wines, accenting Pinot Noir’s light fruity characteristics. This one, however, was an explosion of darker berries with a surprising amount of spice. But mostly it lingered lovingly in the mouth long after it was swallowed.
The end of the meal brought us more together, mixing classic and contemporary. The Rhubarb soufflé had that rich yet light balance in a classic soufflé but was tinged with just the right amount of tartness from the rhubarb to make it more intriguing. It was a perfect statement of what Alain Roux is trying to achieve at The Waterside Inn.
As the night faded into cognac and cigars for the men, and a lovely eau-de-vie framboise sauvage for the ladies, my friends and I compared our meal with other dinners at Michelin three stars. Like most restaurants of this quality, one’s memories and reactions are not only about the food, but also about the wine, the service, the ambiance and the mood. The Waterside Inn falls squarely in the middle of the pack. It lacked the daring for food and wine of a Pierre Gagnaire, the perfect tradition of a Taillevent, the sleek ambiance of an Arpège or the light hearted mood of a Ledoyen. But it struck a balance between all of these and nothing was glaringly wrong. Of course, in reality it is splitting hairs for me to say that it fell in the middle of anything, since the overall quality at this level of restaurants is so high that only a real grinch would not have a wonderful evening.
Everett Hutt has lived in Paris for over eight years. When not working on his day job in Marketing, he spends his time enjoying all that Paris and France have to offer in the way of great wine and food.
Posted in French , Meat , Seafood
website • tell-a-friend • print • comment
Duck Confit
by Celia Cheng
May 10th, 2006
BAR ROOM AT THE MODERN
9 W 53rd St
(5th & 6th Ave)
212-333-1220
I love having drinks and light bites at restaurant bars. I think I’ve said this a million times. The Modern has a generous portion of its space carved out as the Bar Room at The Modern. Even still, it’s always packed. The Neue Galerie started the trend of good museum restaurants with Kurt Gutenbrunner’s Café Sabarsky. MoMA followed suit by teaming up with restaurateur Danny Meyer and asking him to take charge of all the café and restaurant food in the museum when it reopened in late 2004. The Modern’s restaurant opened in January 2005 and was selected “Best New Restaurant” at the 2006 James Beard Foundation Awards. Since I didn’t have a detailed recollection of my last visit to The Modern, I popped by for drinks the day after the awards to refresh my memory.
A couple of things I did remember: There is a great wine-by-the-glass selection, and the tables and seats are modern and trendy but not entirely functional. The tables are too small for dining, and I mean just casual dining. My friend and I resorted to putting some of our food on the chaise longue we were sitting on. The service is a bit spotty, as it was sometimes hard to get anyone’s attention, and we got little assistance when too many dishes were piled up on our table.
But let’s move on to the good stuff — the food. The duck confit is perfect. The meat is succulent, sliding right off the bone, and the skin is cooked to a light crisp. Given my dietary habits, it’s no wonder that I love duck confit — anything cooked in its own fat sealing it in to give the meat a juicy, tender richness is right up my alley. The duck confit is accompanied by pommes lyonnaises and a tiny frisée salad with balsamic vinegar. The potatoes are deep-fried and cut into quarter-inch pieces that were a little bland for my taste. I was hoping that the potatoes would be as tasty as the duck, but they were more of an unobtrusive side.
I honestly don’t remember much of anything else I tried, perhaps because I was so happy with the duck confit. (Although I do recall that I have now twice ordered the poached egg with cockles served with Serrano ham and a garlic-almond sauce, because it sounds so great, and was disappointed both times.) I would gladly stop by for some duck confit and wine anytime after viewing an exhibit or film next door. What a supremely enriching way to spend some time, both culturally and culinarily.
Posted in French , Meat , Midtown West
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
