Chef's Tasting | Bouchon Bakery, ii

Once Grub Street New York had shared that Chef Keller was rolling out a series of family-style, three-course meals (dubbed Friday Feasts) at Time Warner Center's Bouchon Bakery from mid-August through September, I knew it would be something worth looking into. After checking out the predetermined menu for each of the Friday Feasts dinners, Marcus and I both were intrigued by the first installment on August 17, so we made a "fancier" date night (ooh-la-la) out of it. We had been to Bouchon Bakery before in 2011 for lunch after celebrating Macaron Day that year and enjoyed it very much, so we had a feeling that we wouldn't be disappointed one bit.

Marcus and I arrived a few minutes before 6 PM (i.e., when the Friday Feasts dinners begin, running until 9 PM), so I got this quick shot of the restaurant's sleek dining space. I love how the lamps serve as Bouchon Bakery's restaurant signage as it essentially is a wall-less restaurant on the third floor of the Time Warner Center.

Once the clock struck six, we were seated promptly. Our napkins were covered with the Friday Feast menu, which was set and the only courses offered for the evening.

Bread basket with miniature baguettes, made from the bakery part of the restaurant. The baguettes had a crusty exterior while the interior was quite soft. It went delightfully with the accompany fresh butter topped with fleur de sel.

I had a glass of white sangria -- sauvignon blanc with pineapple and mango chunks. It was blander than I would've liked -- wish it was a little fruitier -- but still decent.

The first course of our Friday Feasts dinner was a frisée salad with smoked salmon, red radishes, and ruby red grapefruit suprêmes topped with some freshly ground pepper. Given my natural stance on frisée (see this manifesto by Amateur Gourmet, Adam Roberts), I had reservations at first. It always turns out to be a bitter fight (pun intended) in my mouth, and for the most part, I've come to the conclusion that I should just avoid it at all costs. But in my attempt to become a less finicky, more adventurous eater, I put my intolerance aside, and I just went for it. I also trusted Chef Keller and his team to craft some wonderfully tasting dishes here, so on some level, I knew TK would have my back. So lo and behold -- my faith in TK and his enterprise goes again unfaltered. The salad was the perfect balance of savory (smoked salmon), tart (grapefruit chunks), and bitter (frisée leaves) with a textural highlight from the juicy and snappy radish slices. The best part of this dish was its simplicity -- the composition allowed for each of the ingredients to highlight its best flavors forward.

For the main course, the menu proceeded with braised beef shortribs served with pomme purée and sweet corn relish. The shortrib was braised to a soft and tender medium which was countered really well by the creamy, whipped pomme purée and the sweet-and-briny relish. By using seasonal sweet corn in the relish, this dish was able to be appropriately served during the summer season without being too hearty and heavy for the patron. Couldn't have had a better family-style main course than this!

Then for dessert, we were served a generous yet precise slice of peach pie with elderberry anglaise, vanilla ice cream, and an almond crunch. What a lovely end to a simple and intensely flavorful dinner. The softly baked peaches inside the pie were not too overwhelming -- just a bit caramelized against the pie's crust and topped lattice. Even Marcus, who isn't crazy about stone fruits AT ALL, commented, "Man, only Thomas Keller can make me like foods that I don't like -- this is actually good!" The orb of homemade vanilla ice cream made it even better, a la mode, as the vanilla bean bits were very fragrant, and the almond crunch added a great nutty texture and taste. If summer could be encapsulated in a single dessert, this could very well be it!

Findings: Once again, Chef Thomas Keller does not disappoint. Each of our courses were prepared to the nines -- composition and flavors worked quite well hand-in-hand with simple and fresh ingredients, recapitulating the last remnants of summer's bounty. Plus, the portions were well divvied -- we left happily full, with neither stomach completely overwhelmed. Service was attentive, and with the prices only $3 above the NYC Restaurant Week dinner prix fixe price, it is quite the bargain for three unabbreviated courses. So try to make it there before the last dinner on Friday, September 28!

Price point: $38 three-course tasting per person for Friday Feasts, $9 for a glass of sangria.

--August 17, 2012

Bouchon Bakery

Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
http://www.bouchonbakery.com

Friday Feasts dinners will be offered every Friday at 6 PM to 9 PM from August 17 through September 28

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
New York
NY
If you have the lucky chance to dine here during its Friday Feasts three-course prix fixe menu, do check it out -- great bargain at $38! Otherwise, lunch is also great here!
Four Tines and a Napkin

Lunch | Bouchon Bakery

After a long day of trekking through the city for macarons to celebrate Macaron Day in NYC, Marcus and I made a final stop at Bouchon Bakery over at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. Bouchon Bakery was on the list of 2011 Macaron Day NYC participants, but by the time we got there, I overheard the servers saying that they were out of free macarons. Marcus and I had hit the ending point of the macaron euphoria, so luckily not all was lost. We just wanted some real food in our stomachs before the sugar settled in nicely to cause stomachaches of the ages.

Another tidbit to add to the background of why eating here was quite significant -- the two of us have our trip to San Francisco planned for May 19 through May 25. That being said, we've had our hearts set on finding a way to nab a table at The French Laundry, Thomas Keller's well-renowned flagship restaurant in Yountville, California. Per the restaurant's reservation policy, reservations can be made two months in advance to the calendar day, so we had to start calling on March 19 to attempt to get a table. We had no such luck that Saturday afternoon--even after 30 straight minutes of hardcore dialing by myself, Marcus, and Lisa (only to get a damned busy signal), the mâitre d' informed us, to our pitiful dismay, all tables were taken. Repeat the same situation on March 20 (this very day), so imagine how disappointed and bummed we were, after only two days of trying, with a remaining four chances left. After all, we were planning our whole vacation around this impossible dinner. So as a consolation (however desperate and sad), I made a comment as we sat down on the third floor elegant makeshift bistro that is Bouchon Bakery, pointing out this may be the closest we'll ever get to Chef Keller and The French Laundry. Marcus was determined and didn't really appreciate my sarcastic comment. Little did I know that Marcus's ingenuity would score us lunch reservations the next afternoon for a table for two on May 21 (more to share in the next couple months), so I was really biting my tongue then.


I didn't want anything too heavy, especially after having so many macarons that afternoon, so I opted for the tartine of roast beef with pickled vegetables, Bordelaise mayonnaise-aioli, and melted cheddar over a heavy slice of bread (which I believe to be a variation of French sourdough). I can't seem to find the official menu item description, but that's as precise as I can recall it! In any case, the Bordelaise aioli made the tartine's contents come together really nicely. The slightly sour taste of the pickled vegetables (an assortment of fennel, carrots, and radish) with the soft and tender roast beef and a mildly sharp melted cheddar mixed in with this Bordelaise aioli spread (typically a brown sauce with beef marrow and red wine) was, hands down, the best tartine I've ever had. It was a little bit difficult to eat because the slice of bread it was on was long and not cut into shorter pieces, the way I've usually seen tartines served, but this minor inconvenience was diminished by the tartine's amazing flavors.


Marcus decided to go with the oven-smoked Turkey -- smoked turkey breast with hook’s 5-year cheddar cheese, and apple mustard (custom ordered without watercress and red onion) on whole wheat pecan bread. He enjoyed the bread the most, mainly because it was toasted with a nice texture and not very messy. The mustard had a mild taste to it which didn't overpower the rest of the sandwich's contents. Though he wished there was a slightly more turkey, he reported to me that overall, it was a very good sandwich.

Findings: Overall, Marcus and I enjoyed our experience at Bouchon Bakery. We enjoyed its casual setting and the sandwiches that it had to offer. We went around 3-4PM so there was a casual afternoon lunch crowd, most catching up after a day of sightseeing or shopping, while others were just meeting up with friends. During a next visit, I'd love to try the pastries and desserts on the menu. I know Williams-Sonoma carries a line of Bouchon Bakery products (mostly pre-made mixes that come with easy-to-follow instructions), and I've successfully made the chocolate bouchons (i.e., cork-shaped miniature chocolate cakes) and cinnamon pecan waffles. I'm curious to find out how good the other desserts and offerings they have are! Also, the restaurant doesn't accept reservations, but I would say that tables aren't hard to come by. We just asked for a table for two, and we were seated immediately. So I recommend Bouchon Bakery for a casual afternoon lunch and urge you to try the desserts and pastries, too.

Price point: $13-14 for each sandwich/tartine.

--March 20, 2011

Bouchon Bakery
Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
http://www.bouchonbakery.com