Restaurant Review: Le Cirque

As you may know I went to Le Cirque for Restaurant Week. I hate to say it because Le Cirque is one of my favorite restaurants, but I wasn’t very impressed. I know…how is that possible? To be honest, I don’t think it’s because the food was that bad, but because I went into it with such high expectations.

To Le Cirque’s credit, I could have made wiser course selections. I started with the escargot, ordered the duck for the entrée and finished with crème brûlée for dessert. With the exception of my dessert choice I really went out on a limb, and I wish I had stuck with my old reliables.

Luckily I was with @jerpdavis, who not only eats everything, but just wants me to be happy. When I wasn’t enjoying the escargot we traded appetizers, so I ended up having the pasta instead, which was quite good, but quite “regular.”

When I wasn’t enjoying the duck, @jerpdavis arranged for me to try the chicken instead, which turned out to be delicious (crispy skin - delectable).

Very different from me, @jerpdavis enjoyed everything he tried at Le Cirque. About the escargot he says, "In a departure from true French fashion, the escargot was coupled with delicious Gruyere gnocchi. Served in a red wine sauce, this dish was an excellent change of pace from the typical snails in garlicky oil that you usually get.”

And about his pork steak entrée he says, “The pork steak was tender, beautifully cooked and had the textural assistance of some nuts (pine nuts maybe?). Delicious food all in all, but not the triumph I remembered from my first visit. “

@jerpdavis’ assessments leave me confused about what went wrong. Do I have a hard time with just how much the ingredients in these options were honored?  I usually really enjoy duck, but this dish was particularly “ducky.” It also wasn’t a duck breast – it was completely dark meat, which I didn’t expect or really enjoy.

As for the escargot, I was hoping the escargot itself would be a little more masked since I was still wrapping my head around what I was eating, but it was very straightforward, and I think that was difficult for me. I digress.

For dessert we both hit home runs. My crème brûlée was as delicious as I remembered from my first Le Cirque visit, and @jerpdavis’ chocolate cannelloni was exquisite.

Overall the experience at Le Cirque was OK. The space is truly gorgeous - a perfect balance of playful and elegant. @jerpdavis describes, “Delicious food all in all, but not the triumph I remembered from our first visit. Perhaps it was an off night, or perhaps our culinary exploits in the years since first trying Le Crique have rendered me a more discerning critic. Regardless, an excellent Restaurant Week value in a beautifully bourgeois room with beautifully bourgeois people eating beautifully bourgeois food."

On that note, the staff couldn’t have taken better care of us. We were able to take our time, all necessary adjustments were accommodated and they even placed our wine bottle label on a postcard for us to take home as a souvenir.

Restaurant Review: One if by Land, Two if by Sea

On Sunday evening @jerpdavis and I enjoyed the Restaurant Week menu at One if by Land, Two if by Sea. The menu was very good, don’t get me wrong, but I have to say I was more intrigued by the ambiance than anything else.

Let’s start with the menu, which can be found here in full. We started with an amuse bouche from the chef – a creamy mushroom soup served in a small cup/bowl for drinking. Considering how cold it was outside and how much I enjoy mushrooms this was a very nice start. It could have been a little saltier, but regardless, it was delicious.

Thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow this photo

For the appetizer course I opted for the butternut squash soup and @jerpdavis had the calamari. I enjoyed my soup, but really I need to learn that dishes like this tend to incorporate cinnamon, and I do not care for cinnamon. I imagine that someone who does like cinnamon would love this dish. @jerpdavis’ calamari was also good, but because it contained olives it wasn’t his favorite. Similar situation – if someone who likes olives ordered this, they would probably really like it.

Thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow this photo

As we continued on to the entrée course things definitely were looking up. I ordered the steak option, which was served with a barley so delicious that I actually bought barley at the grocery store last night with the intention of recreating it to the best of my ability. I really enjoyed this course.

@jerpdavis was tempted by the classic One if by Land dish, Beef Wellington, which was on the Restaurant Week menu for a supplemental $30. Yes, this was an expensive decision, but according to him, a very, very good one. I quote: “They don't come much richer than this--a perfectly cooked filet nestled inside a warm, flaky pastry shell. The tender meat mingles with a luxurious foie gras sauce. It's no wonder this dish has been on the menu for almost 39 years."

For dessert we both had the cheesecake, which actually was not pumpkin as the menu above suggests. It was a mascarpone cheesecake topped with what I like to call oat/sugary “crunchies” to replace an actual crust, and it was absolutely delicious. The only thing I did not care for here was the huge amount of spiced wine foam that it was served with. There was just way too much of it – a little dabble would have been just enough. To be honest, if I could channel Cher and turn back time, I would have ordered the Gianduja Mousse instead.

Thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow this photo

If the menu left me with any dissatisfaction at all, it did not matter simply because of where we were. We did move tables once (whatever you do, don’t let them seat you upstairs – it was like a completely different restaurant), but once we were seated at our table looking out at the snowy courtyard, all was delightful. This restaurant is absolutely beautiful, a perfect marriage between old world New York (it’s in what used to be a stable) and modern day New York. To be honest, I expected it to be more rustic and @jerpdavis expected it to be more kitschy, but it was neither. When people say it’s one of the most romantic restaurants in the world they are not kidding – I highly recommend, especially for a special occasion.

In the future I would like to return to One if by Land for drinks and dessert (ahem, chocolate chip souffle). The entrance area, complete with a piano for live music, a decent sized bar and a couple sofa/chair/coffee table arrangements , seems perfect for before- or after-dinner drinks.

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**I want to give a special thank you to @plumpdumpling for allowing me to borrow some of her One if by Land photos to use in my review. Her blog is great - check it out at Donuts 4 Dinner!**

Winter 2011 NYC Restaurant Week

One of my favorite times of year is upon us – NYCGO.com 's New York City Restaurant Week! Thank goodness it happens more than once a year. For those who are not aware, Restaurant Week is like Christmas or Hanukah all over again. 3-course prixe fixe menus as some of the best NYC restaurants are $24.07 for lunch and $35 for dinner (participating restaurants only). Click here to see who is participating.

I have made my RW selections for this season – One if by Land, Two if by Sea and Le Cirque. I am very excited for One if by Land because it has been at the top of my “go-to” list for a while. Le Cirque is an old favorite of mine, so I am thrilled to be going back.

So that you can also make your choice wisely, below I have listed my picks for best RW options. This is based on my experiences at these restaurants both during and not during Restaurant Week:

-      21 Club: The ambiance at this restaurant is very romantic and old school, and the food is amazing. Menu features Pork, Salmon, Chicken and Vegetarian options.

-      A Voce Columbus: This is a place I would describe as “happening” and modern. The RW menu is not available online, but if the chicken is available I insist that you try it. Same with the donuts for dessert. Located in Time Warner Center, overlooks Central Park (try to get a window seat!).

-      Bond St: If you like sushi, you have got to go here. Other than Le Cirque, this is my favorite RW pick by a landslide. The amount of food is insane (actually four courses, not 3), and they have sake and martini specials as well.

-      Convivio: This is one of the best Italian meals in the city. Nestled in Tudor City, it’s one of the most romantic restaurants I have been to. Lunch and Sunday dinner only. Menu not available online.

-      Le Cirque: GO HERE!!! It is my favorite restaurant in the city. The food, the service, the ambiance, everything is perfect. Would act fast, though, as reservations are hard to come by. Menu not available online.

-      Molyvos: I went to this Greek restaurant with authentic Greek people, on their recommendation. Enough said. Do it if you can brave the theater district without the payoff of seeing a Broadway show.

-      Park Ave Winter: I haven’t actually been here, but the menu looks amazing. If I were going for a third sitting this season, I think this would be it.

-      Perilla: This is also one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I have not tried any of the items on the RW menu, but I can’t imagine anything here not being delicious. If not during RW, you have got to try it at some point.