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“Bar Boulud”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	French	Upper West Side	Moderate	Great

of lardons. Now this may not be a “salad” by conventional standards, but what a glorious effort and concept nonetheless.

The Frisee Lyonnaise "Salad," photographed by Kathy

On the opposite end of the salad spectrum is the salade nantaise ($16), a wide white ceramic bowl filled up with vibrant green mache, pristine and practically bouncy it’s so fresh, tossed with crispy shallot rings and shaved mushrooms and dressed in just a few splashes of a bright and creamy vinaigrette.

But then there were also the escargots persillade—plump garlicky snails snuggled into an indented cast-iron pan the shape of a cluster of grapes, with a quartet of golden potato croquettes ($16). These puffy potato bon bons are key. They should be sliced in half (a veil of steam may rise from their fluffy centers), and used as little edible transport vehicles for the escargots to go from dish to mouth. These are inspired. But then so is the boeuf aux carottes ($23), braised flatiron steak with carrots mousseline and onion confit (pictured below).

This dish is simple with a capital S. There’s nothing on the plate other than the beef and the carrots and onions, and yet I’ve never had steak like this before. I would have thought it was short ribs, the beef melts so willingly under the weight of a fork. The same can be said of the lamb stew, a signature served plainly in a cast iron pot, gently perfumed with rosemary and adorned with a colorful display of winter root vegetables ($26).

The lamb stew, photograhed by Kathy

Desserts carry this same message of simplicity and rusticity. I’d make sure to save room for an éclair, piped to order with thick silken chestnut or chocolate pastry cream ($7), or the gateau Basque ($9), a delicate custard tart flanked by cherries swollen with brandy. (If you plan on eating all of the above, I’d recommend wearing a loose-fitting pair of pants or a nice tent dress, and possibly arranging for a stretcher to carry you out. I felt as though I needed one. Ah, excess. It’s wonderful and painful at the same time.)

Unfortunately for my waistline, I’ve already returned to Bar Boulud. And I will be returning again soon. (I m ... [more, click below]

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Posted: February 18, 2008

Other restaurants in Upper West Side :
+ 'Cesca   + Asiate   + Blue Hill Stone Barns   + Per Se   + The Neptune Room   + Spigolo   + Telepan   + Aix Brasserie   + 'Cesca   + Bar Boulud   + Dovetail   + BarBao   + Dinosaur Bar-be-Que   + Kefi   + Bar Luna   + Ed's Chowder House   + Red Rooster, by Rachel Barbarotta   + Loi by Dara Pollak   

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