“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.”
― Erma Bombeck
Last month, a friend of mine invited me to come with her to the City for her birthday. We decided that we were going to see a taping of the Drew Barrymore Show! Before the show, we decided to have lunch at Bar Boulud. Perfect time to go here for lunch because it was Restaurant Week in NYC!
According to their website, Bar Boulud serves seasonal French fare, and award-winning wines that spotlight Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. Bar Boulud is a casual bistro located across from Manhattan’s Lincoln Center. Bar Boulud is most directly inspired by the owner’s childhood in the countryside outside Lyon, France. With an emphasis on regional French wines and interpretations of classic home cooking, Bar Boulud invites diners to discover the deep, rustic roots of French gastronomy. Classics such as Coq au Vin and Trout Amandine share space with seasonal dishes that exemplify the best in local produce and bring a bit of the French countryside to New York.
We entered the restaurant, and we were immediately greeted by the host. We were then taken to our table and once settled, we were greeted warmly by our server. We asked about wine recommendations and pairings. He was very knowledgeable and he suggested the Mirabeau, which is a classic Rosé from Côtes de Provence in France. This particular wine was light and fresh tasting, with notes of strawberry, cherry, and raspberries. Combined, these flavors had an elegant balance, not over the top sweet.
I decided to try their Restaurant Week prefix menu. I ordered the Rancho Gordo Bean Salad as my appetizer. Very good! The beans were cooked to perfection… loved the parsley pesto. This dish was flavorful and I loved the ricotta. The ricotta definitely tied all the flavors together and added an element of creaminess to this dish.
Certified angus beef, confit pork belly, tomato compote, raclette cheese, Dijon, served with pomme frites.
I order their “Frenchie Burger”. Juicy and flavorful. The burger melted in your mouth and the cheese added a bite that tamed the richness of the confit pork belly. The fries were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I couldn’t stop eating the fries. All the components of this dish made every bite perfect and decadent!
Finally… dessert! LOL. We decided not to try the desserts on the prefix menu. However, because it was my friend’s birthday, they surprised her with dessert. We split the dessert because we were so full from what we ate. I’m not 100% sure what the dessert was called, but it was chocolate yumminess! It was smooth and not overally sweet. It also had a slight taste of coffee. What a sweet treat!
Overall, the food and service was impeccable! Our server was well-trained and knowledgeable, but also warm and helpful. (He knew that we loved the Mirabeau wine so he brought over the gin version and talked to us about it.) I would definitely want to go back for dinner and / or brunch. Thank you for reading my review and continue to chomp away!
Chomping Chica