On Sunday I had a good amount of spare time for
brunch prior to a 4 hour opera performance and really wanted to fuel up.
I chose BENOIT (www.benoitny.com) located at 60 W 55th Street, just off 6th Avenue and very central to everything.
I
arrived early at 1145am and the dining room was quiet, when I left at
130pm, it was jammed with a line waiting for tables, so always reserve.
BENOIT
is the baby of French uber-Michelin starred chef Alain Ducasse, but
this is basic French bistro at its best, nothing over the top, not even
the prices.
The room has a beautiful faux ceiling of blue
skies with clouds and lots of B&W period French photos from the
mid-20th century and earlier. There are those large bistro posters and
lots of French staff, so you feel truly in a classy French bistro with
lots of blonde wood tones, crisp linens and red velvet.
My
server was French-born with a truly wonderful accent to boot and the
pumped music is simple French chansons of all types, but never loud.
The
menu is simple with starters, soups & salad, fish, meats and
breakfast type brunch items, which I usually avoid, although the little
girl next to me ordered the French toast and it looked awesome piled
high with marinated fresh fruits.
I was greeted with a small
plate of piping hot crispy cheese gougeres which were so welcome on one
of the coldest days of the year so far.
The bread came
slightly warmed in a cloth basket to keep it warm and was sliced
baguette as well as brown country. The butter was nice, but it was not
the quality of good French butter.
Due to that cold I started
with the French ONION SOUP which arrived steaming and covered with a
gooey stringy browned Gruyere that was the best I have ever tasted
outside of France. The soup was scalding hot and again I welcomed this
on the bitter cold day as I warmed up so fast. I had asked my server to
hold off bringing my main course and he was spot on with his timing. The
magnificent plate of Hand Chopped PRIME BEEF TARTARE with a Watercress
Salad on the side. The meat was speckled with salty capers and used
mustard and pepper well for spice. Small baguette crisps sliced thin and
crispy were on the side for crunch and shmearing. The Dijonnaise
vinaigrette on the salad had the requisite mustard and reminded me oh so
much of my time in cooking school in Dijon, France decades ago. The
glass of GIVRY 1er Cru 2010 (not 2007 as listed on the wine list) "Clos
Saint Pierre" from Thenard was ideal with the tartare and I was in no
mood for a chilled wine with the bitter wind outside.
I looked
around at the many varied dishes and the portions were large (even the
side and main salads), as mine was, and everyone seemed to be VERY happy
with their choices from burgers, to charcuterie to omelets. Only the
brunch drinks (at $12+ each) seemed to come in small chintzy
glasses....stick to wine.
I ordered some coffee and was way
too full for dessert, but then the manager brought over two slices of
marble pound cake that was the most buttery I have ever tasted. He said
that the pastry chef makes him a loaf to eat for breakfast each week.
I was thrilled he offered me a taste of this simple yet divine creation.
We return to NYC as a family in March, and I think Benoit beckons for dinner or another brunch!
