Bringing the feel of Montmartre to Park Avenue is this charming French fromagerie and wine bar, where waiters in long white aprons and striped suspenders cater to your every need. Every seat is a good one in the restaurant, a bustling, white-tablecloth Parisian brasserie with vintage mirrors up to the ceiling and 200-plus handcrafted wheels and wedges.
Start with the impossibly smooth Foie Gras Torchon with apple chutney ($26), and let adroit sommelier Geza Horvath handle your wine pairings. His inspired choice of a Tokaji Aszu dessert wine ($32) instead of the conventional Sauternes ($22) provides an ideal balance for the earthy foie gras.
Bypass the muddy Lobster Bisque ($22.50), and instead, tuck into the superb Onion Soup Gratinée ($14.75), a French classic smothered with the same blend of Emmentaler, Comté and Gruyère cheeses that are available for fondue. Follow it with the Traditional Artisanal Beef Tartare (22.50), finely diced and served with a raw, speckled quail’s egg nestled atop, the Black Truffle Frites ($12.50) and a side of Black Truffle Mayonnaise for dipping ($4.50).
Then finish with a generous slice of their lighter-than-air pecorino cheesecake ($15.75) or a selection of fine cheeses paired with a sweet Madeira ($16). Just tell maître fromager Max McCalman what you like, and he’ll arrange the perfect plank with picks that reflect the entire menu—light and savory, decadent but not overstuffed.
BY: TIME OUT COMMUNITY REVIEWER WINNIE MCCROY