Pierre Loti Wine Bar in New York, NY

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Pierre Loti is a wine bar with multiple locations across New York. In fact, I discovered that fact the hard way... We were supposed to meet for dinner in Chelsea where we had our reservation. I admit that I completely forgot it was in Chelsea and, before leaving work, simply entered the name of the restaurant in Google Map to get the directions. I ended up Irving Place, ten minutes earlier.

Pierre Loti in Irving Place

So I texted Jodi to let her know I was there and proceeded to take photos of the exterior of the restaurant. Soon after, I received a text from Jodi telling me that she would soon arrive, as she and our friends were across the street. I could not see them...Weird...I kept looking around wondering where they were, and, on her side, she went inside the restaurant to find me as I told her I already arrived and she could not see me outside. That is when we realized we were not at the same place! She was in the correct one, in Chelsea! It took me approximately 15 minutes to go there, promising that next time, I'll take the time to check the address.

The name of the restaurant is a tribute to the French novelist and naval officer (1850-1923), who published many novels throughout his travels around the world. 

It is a wine bar, so it is not surprising that they have an impressive wine list made of bottles not only from France, but also from Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Italy or Spain. They also propose some American wines from California, if you prefer drinking local...

The menu is mediterranean inspired, with a bunch of small plates to share, cold or hot, making it a perfect place to dine with friends or for a quick bite and a glass of wine. That is where we met with our friends Livia & Georges and Letizia & Scott for dinner.  

We first ordered bottle of Bordeaux - Chateau Les Rambauds 2009:

As we were waiting for our appetizers, they served us some olives and pita, that are, I guess, a reference to Greece.

Then, we got our appetizers. The first one was the phyllo cheese rolls:

As we were six people, we ordered two. They were filled with feta and blue cheese. Although I barely tasted the blue cheese (probably because its taste was neutralized by the feta), I really liked it, the shell being crispy and the filling, a bit hot, being delicious.

The second appetizer was zucchini pancakes:

Served with a thick Turkish yogurt, it was delightfully greasy, a bit crispy and comforting. 

The last appetizer was the grilled octopus that was sautéed with baby potatoes and carrots in olive oil.

I did not like it at all: it was mushy and tasteless. So sad, I love octopus and was so happy to find people willing to share that dish with me!

Then, we all got our entrees:

Jodi went for the pan seared salmon. It was crusted with shredded wheat and served with sautéed vegetables (in that case, beets and carrots).

That was delicious, the crust adding some texture to a perfectly cooked salmon.

On my side, I got the grilled quail with mushroom risotto:

Cooking a quail is tough because it is so small that it is easy to overcook it and it will be awfully dry. At Pierre Loti, they succeeded to cooked it properly, the little bird being moist and succulent. However, I did not like the risotto. It was as if it was made with beer...weird!

Last, we decided to share some desserts. The first one was a chocolate cake that I recommend if you love chocolate.

The second one was a berry tart that was very refreshing:

We had a good time at Pierre Loti: the food and wine were good, and the service welcoming. We stayed there a while, chatting, and they did not even make us feel we had to leave. For all these reasons, I recommend this place.

Enjoy (I did)!



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Brunch at Montmartre in New York, NY

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Going to brunch with friends is always exciting. Not only because of the pleasure to see them, but also because we always try to make it a culinary experience. So, this time, we went to Montmartre, a French restaurant located in Chelsea, after our friend Gary read an article in NY Magazine that said that they had the best burger in town. Now, that's a statement and I could not wait to go there. 

If you never went to Paris, know that Montmartre is one of the famous areas there. Located on a hill, and topped by the Sacré Coeur basilica, it was the place where many artists like Salvador Dalí, Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, had studios. Today, you can still see painters, but I admit that it is becoming mostly a touristy place, losing a bit of its charm.

So, the restaurant, that had been opened for more than one and a half year by Gabriel Stulman, is an ode to French cuisine...minus the burger..., but not only. There, Chef Tien Ho crafted a menu on its own, interpreting dishes with a French flair. For instance, the chicken and waffles becomes the poulet and pain perdu; and then the burger. 

Yes, it is not you regular burger, but more like a sandwich version of it, the bun being replaced by two slices of bread, grilled similar to a grilled cheese, and a béarnaise cheese, that is a fusion between béarnaise sauce and a cheese sauce, smothering the patty made of dry aged beef.

It looked very appetizing. The first bite was just bread as the shape of the patty did not espouse the shape of the bread.

The meat, perfectly cooked medium was juicy. However, it was no match to the one at 5 Napkin Burger, being less tasty.

The béarnaise cheese was a nice twist though and there was a nice amount of it.

Served with the burger were fries that were delicious: skin on, they were lightly salted and a bit crispy.

Jodi ordered the omelette:

Served with toast and some baby lettuce, it was filled with lots of oyster mushrooms, leeks and goat cheese. That was a very good omelette, not only because of the delicious filling, but also because the eggs were perfectly cooked, soft and not dry.

For dessert, they proposed us the clémentine pot de crème that was succulent.

 Nice presentation with the bowl matching the color of the clémentine. I liked it: they added some macadamia nuts for crunch and I really liked the fact that it was not too sweet, was fresh, making it the perfect Summer dessert.

For beverages, I, of course, got some espresso (yes, it is a double...):

And a fresh squeezed orange juice that was just ok, tasting a bit watered down.

Even if I do not think that the burger is not the best in New York City, I really liked the brunch at Montmartre. The service was very good and welcoming and the garden in the back is definitely a big asset.

I would not mind going back there, maybe for dinner in fact.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brunch at Elysian Café, Hoboken, NJ

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Going to The Elysian is always a challenge as this popular Hoboken restaurant is always crowded and it is often that a line would form outside on week ends, specifically for brunch. Owned by Joyce and Eugene Finn who also operate Amanda's, another popular spot, it is the oldest continually operated restaurant in the city. The adventure started in 1895, when the restaurant opened as Dillenger & Jeffson's. During the prohibition, it went from a restaurant to an ice cream parlor and hair salon. I am not sure when they took that name that sounds French, but is not. 

I went there for dinner quite a while back and we did not plan to go there for brunch when we passes next to it on a Sunday, a little after 11am. As there seemed to be seats available, we decided to change our plan and eat there. 

I love that place: the decor is antique, with molds on the ceiling, old furniture and vintage chandelier. Their menu is French, but for brunch, it is more American as the concept of brunch is not really known there. 

I started off with a fresh squeeze orange juice that was quite good, not watery  with the taste of orange diluted. 

I admit that I was expecting a bread basket, maybe with muffins while we waited for our food, but it never came...

We just ordered an entrée. Jodi went for the omelette au fromage:

There was definitely a lot of fontina cheese in it, but, unfortunately, the eggs were slightly overcooked and the eggs were dry. 

On my side, I hesitated between the lobster roll and the eggs Benedict. I finally went for the eggs as I wanted a brunch dish. 

It was salmon Benedict in fact, the salmon being on top of an English muffin and topped with a poached egg that was also overcooked. 

At that point I was a bit disappointed as I loved when the yolk is runny and I can dip the salmon and muffin in it, while it mixes with the Hollandaise sauce, creating an interesting combination. 

With our dishes, we decided to order French fries over Lyonnaise potatoes. And I have to say that they were pretty good, not too greasy and a bit crispy.

I have mixed feelings about this place after this brunch: they have a nice menu, with good prices, but the execution was not there that day. I doubt that it was because of the number of orders coming at the same time as it was not that crowded at the time we went. Who knows...

Would I go back? Maybe for the burger or croque Madame...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Le Rivage in New York, NY

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Going to Le Rivage is like going back in time twenty years ago: that is how I would characterize this restaurant located in Theater Row. I definitely wanted to go when I saw that they serve two of my favorite traditional French dishes: escargots and frog legs (cuisse de grenouille). 

The restaurant has few sections: a small space at the entrance. 

Few tables on the left, across from the bar. 

The main dining room. 

I saw the menu few weeks ago and what I did not notice is the pricing. We could only order from the prix-fixe. $39 for an appetizer, an entree, a dessert and a coffee. The thing is that this was the pre-theater menu. After 7:30pm, they serve one that is slightly different for $25. So, if you go early, you pay more, that is contrary to what most restaurants are doing, trying to attract early dinners. Then, for few items, you pay extra; that is not surprising, but you will see while reading this post that they push a little bit the envelop. 

For appetizers, Jodi ordered their green salad with artichokes.

Nice salad, a bit overdressed. It was the first time I saw artichokes presented this way. 

On my side, I ordered the escargots, prepared with garlic and butter. 

They were served with their shell, that is pretty rare here. Fortunately, they provide the necessary equipment to extract the animal. 

It was just ok, having too much breading in it. I was surprised to see that they served only six of them, considering that there was a supplement of $5. 

For the entree, Jodi ordered the quiche Lorraine:

And I ordered the frog legs, prepared with garlic and...

As you can see, the sides the dishes came with were the same: potatoes, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Well, we definitely did not enjoy the sides that were undercooked. At least, the quiche was good: fluffy, light, with lots of cheese. The frog legs? Way too much garlic, otherwise good. 

For dessert, Jodi got the Napoleon. 

And I got the poire Hélène as they wrote on the menu, that is in fact poire belle-Hélène. It is a traditional French dessert made with a poached pear, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. 

Trust me: it was definitely not made with the best ingredients; the pear was not ripe and the vanilla ice cream not very tasty. 

As for the Napoleon, it was standard and bought in a bakery from what I understand, nothing chocking there as many restaurants source their desserts in local bakeries instead of making them. 

So I believe you already guess what I think about Le Rivage...I definitely do not recommend it. For the same price, I can get the same meal, a la carte, at Sel et Poivre, or a delicious experience at Jeanne et Gaston.

Enjoy (?)!

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