Why oh why would one bastardize French onion soup by adding bacon to it? Just to make sure my memory isn't failing me, I just looked up a dozen recipes.
Some call for beef stock, some for chicken, some for half of each. (No vegetable stock in the recipes I saw, but that works just fine.) Some call for wine, others for sherry. Some use more oil, others more butter. Some add a bit of this and a bit of that, like Worcestershire sauce. None call for bacon, including Julia Child's original recipe and those of some other legendary French chefs.
Easiest trick in the book, just add more fat and salt to make something taste "better." Also completely unnecessary in many situations.
The pics of these restaurants seem to show almost nothing but white folks with an occasional Asian thrown in. Is that what rising inequality has done to the better restaurants in NYC?
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@Ignatius J. Reilly: Classics should remain that way, untouched. Though ancient, it 150 years of proving in its modern form. Innovation can take on a different name and serve its own purpose
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@Ignatius J. Reilly And why shouldn't the chef tweak the recipe to his liking?
We made onion soup with straight matsutake stock, and it was the best onion soup we ever tasted. Sure, it wasn't traditional. But it was better!
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@Christopher Lee
It used to be "classic" to grow and kill your own food. Ever try "classical" dentistry or medicine? Go back 50 or 100 years and see how ya fair.
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You had me at their preferred cooking surface is Teflon. No thanks.
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@Roberta
Absolutely. How incredibly irresponsible. Was shocking to read that.
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A valiant and praiseworty attempt to broaden the tastes of New Yorkers and other gastro-tourist pilgrims to the City. The pâtés and prifiteroles look wonderful and mouthwatering. But the chicken -- oh, please! -- how tiringly proletarian and lacking in imagination ...
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Wait until you try the succulent, mouth watering roasted chicken and frites before you turn up your nose at it’s inclusion on the menu. You don’t have to take my word for it. Check out Hanna Goldfield’s review in the March 2nd issue of the New Yorker.
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Ask nearly any accomplished chef what the measure of a good kitchen is and they will tell you the answer lies in the way they roast a “proletarian” chicken. “Oh please” indeed.
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Good luck to them, but in the middle of the coronavirus scare, I don't think so.
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@A. Stanton You think that's going to keep New Yorkers from going out to restaurants? We ride the subway every day. We're tough.
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@A. Stanton How in the world does this even have to do with the Corona Virus???Please.
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What’s with the fries? My local brasserie does the same. They’re everywhere. Yikes
When I was in New York in September, I had dinner with friends at deMarcheliers on the Upper East Side. I knew the owners from Martinique many decades ago and they serve authentic bistro/brasserie type food at very reasonable prices. I had the roast chicken with frites just like the signature dish at Le Crocodile, which was fabulous, true comfort food. Nothing fancy about the place and small/intimate surroundings. Not the least bit trendy.
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I love Chez ma tante, will be giving this a try. Thanks Pete
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How does it compare with the former many Michelin started Crocodile in Strasbourg??
This food is disgusting i don't see how people like it. But desert was really good. I rate this place a 3 1/2 star review
I'm surprised and disappointed by the use of Teflon cookware. The dishwashing crew probably approves however.
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A $19 omelette cooked on a Teflon skillet? I'll pass on this bistro.
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They have a huge number of desserts but NONE are reviewed.
Steak and fries, the key bistro dish, is not reviewed.
We are told how the place looks, but we can easily see for ourselves on Google.
Then we are told about other restaurants.
This review is an epic fail.
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Two desserts were reviewed as well as the desserts as a whole. And the signature dish at Le Crocodile is the chicken. This was a perfectly reasonable review.
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@DFaf I too found the review lacking in terms of actually describing the food. And I was quite surprised to see so much space devoted to descriptions of other restaurants.
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Sounds like the menu from Le Gamin nearby and looks like their Instagram.
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Worst pics ever in a review! Who cares what the kitchen looks like, only 3 pics of food?
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I read your review up to the word "teflon"....
Thnaks but no thanks, I don't need to add more polluted food to my poor body, regardless how good it tastes, yikes!!!
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Three stars seems generous. And for the prices , I think a tablecloth should cover the wooden tables. This looks more like a "bistrot" style than a "brasserie".
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I've never been. My favorite restaurant in North America is Le Crocodile in Vancouver. It is an exceptional french restaurant. We have been going there for over 30 years. I once asked the owner and chef about the name. He said the restaurant was named after his favorite restaurant, the Michelin starred Au Crocodile in Strasbourg, France. So, we went to Strasbourg to check it out, and it was well worth the trip.
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@Les Bois
I ate at Le Crocodile in Vancouver.
I would not qualify it as exceptional but close to it.
Recomment it highly.
Merci.
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A true brasserie would offer choucroute garni (sp?), and I know it'd be world-class here. I hope they'll put it on the menu eventually. But for now, the food they do produce sounds absolutely grand. I want to get on a plane today!
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Their wine list is amazing!
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I am sure this restaurant has very good food (at least for gourmets) but be prepared to take a loan out from your local bank if you are not rich and walk on coals to get in.
There are countless very good restaurants all around this place at a fraction of the cost and unless you go at peak time can get a seat ie don't have to walk on hot coals to get in.
Note: I visited the previous restaurant in this hotel when it opened awhile back. It looked like an upscale, dreary factory. I asked the greeter where is the red carpet, he said we wanted to maintain the look of the old, shabby chic factory that was here.
I told him he succeeded 100%.
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No onion soup on the menus in la belle France.
@ Anna UWS
Neither are there frog legs nor bouillabaisse no ortolan bunting, whether served legally or illegally.
You would never ever see this food called brasserie food in france. I am not saying it is not tasty and even excellent. But it is not brasserie. But that pate! Please go to Maison Verot next time you are in Paris and you will see what I am talking about.
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Good insight. I missed it the 8 times Pete made that very point.
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Awesome, guys, nothing like the toxicity of Teflon all over my food.
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Lardons are everywhere! They must be delicious!
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@pat wow. So impressed. My French grandfather called lardons “la graisse des pauvres”. Athlètes have chronic tendinitis, Brooklynites (since 2000) have chronic trendyitis!
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The chicken just crackles looking at it. I’m having dreams about splatching. Thank you for the pictures.
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Sounds lovely. but Teflon is a health hazard per lawsuit with DuPont. See Mark Ruffalo's film "Dark waters"
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Hey Pete, I’m a New Yorker, and I know what a Brasserie should look like, it’s called Balthazar. It’s down on Spring Street. Check it out.
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@David Krauss
I went there in December and it really felt like it lost it's luster.
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I live two blocks away from this place and I’ve eaten there three times. The food is absolutely fantastic and the staff could not be nicer or more helpful.
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I always read a Pete Wells review and it never disappoints. This is a great restaurant and would definitely visit when I am in NYC. BTW, the prices are on the high side but considering the quality and NYC, I don't think they are that expensive.
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I looked at the menu. Looks excellent, but the wine list. Why so expensive? The cost of wines is more than a weeks rent.
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Teflon? No thanks. It’s toxic, it chips, it’s not a good option at all. Ceramic which contains lead but is said to be sealed is marketed as a better option for low to medium heat cooking.
There are ways to cook something delicate without using Teflon or ceramic. Classically trained chefs have been doing it for centuries.
Lastly, the restaurant sounds lovely overall.
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@Nycgal It's impossible to oil a Teflon pan. It doesn't spread when heated, it just glops together. I don't see how any serious chef could use such a pan.
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Balthazar is my all time favourite.
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@HKGuy
Correct.
I seem to remember dining some years back at a Brooklyn eatery called Le Crocodile, clearly not this one. If memory serves (which is does less and less these days) it was in one of the yuppified neighborhoods, probably Park Slope or environs. I also remember it as being quite good.
Can anyone enlighten me?
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@Kelly Monaghan In Manhattan, there was a Cafe Crocodile on 74th between 1st and 2nd. It was great. It's been closed for years.
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Is it just me or is SriPraPhai one of the most mouthwatering delish restaurants in New York? My last supper is one of everything and a South Indian thali at Saravana Bhavan.
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@Hollis Possibly the most over-rated Thai restaurant in North America, but okay...
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@Hollis simply for the pad thai, my vote will always go to Jaiya.
looks absolutely wonderful. one of the few reviews that makes me wish i still lived in NY. will add it to my list of places!
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After I win the lottery tonight, I'm going to move into the hotel next door and eat here every night until they a la carte me away...
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@Patti
The real estate taxes and business taxes are included in the price. Gratuities are not.
And there's nothing like a $16 martini plus tax and tip.
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@Patti nicely done.
Chez Ma Tante serves delicious, beautiful food. I don't mean or want to be a nay-sayer, but I'm compelled to add this admonition: Please watch the documentary on Dupont and their development of Teflon, "The Devil We Know" https://thedevilweknow.com before considering eating food cooked in Teflon. There are safe alternatives.
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@Christopher Lee
Indeed. Every good restaurateur understands a good seasoned pan.
2
Transport me there right now!
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Le pâté aux mushrooms!??? No thank you. Fly to Paris instead.
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@Papapunk
Not that this dish particularly interests me but are you generally opposed to new and inventive twists on old standards?
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With all due respect to Mr. Wells, the "default" dish that a brasserie should be judged by is the Steak Frites (or in this case the Steak Frite au Poivre). This is the ubiquitous dish for any decent brasserie. It's unfortunate that Mr. Wells could not find the time to review their Steak Frite au Poivre. By rule the Steak Frites is the first dish I will try when going to a brasserie (or any French café) for the first time, regardless of which western metropolitan city I am traveling through. If the Steak Frites is solid, then 99% of the time I know this is a restaurant I can bring clients to without fear of someone not liking the food.
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Not much on that menu for vegetarians. My crowd and I will give it a pass...
9
Hello! There are actually 9 fully vegetarian options that are incredible and delicious for both meat eaters and non-meat eaters. They have leeks vinaigrette (incredible!), creamed leek gratine, mushroom pâté, Waldorf salad, beets with pistachio & goat cheese (my personal favorite!), petit salade verte, orzo cacio e pepe, an omelette with chanterelles & gruyere, and a delightful vegetarian tagine— just to name a few. Additionally there are 12 decadent desserts. Of note, I have had the chefs do a number of the other dishes without meat or fish for myself, as a long-time vegetarian, including the friseé salad and Sardinian pasta. All of that said, it is an unbelievable restaurant that happily caters to all allergies and dietary restrictions. You should come. You will not be disappointed!
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FYI, when I ate there the waitress told us the cacio pepe orzo was not veg. But agreed, other stuff was great and had a fabulous night there!
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@Kira OConnor
Still, looks like the leeks might be the only thing available to a vegan. We are a growing population.
In Europe and Britain, where there is an even larger vegan population, it is very easy to find things to eat in restaurants that are not just salads and french fries.
8