With the holiday season officially being here, and nearly almost over, we still have New Year's Eve to look forward to. And while some of you may know what you're already doing, others may still need some convincing.
Well here's just one option of many others that I'll post over the new few days, and it comes from one of my favorite little French bistros, Tournesol. Besides loving the classic French menu of goodies, the New Year's Eve prix-fixe is wallet friendly too - just take a look, and if you're interested, make sure to reserve your spot soon, as Tournesol is on the intimate side.
Amuse Bouche
Course 1 (choose 1)
Butternut squash soup with truffle oil
Foie gras terrine with quince compote
Ballotine of rabbit with prunes and celery puree
Salad of Fourme d’Ambert with pears and walnuts
Course 2 (choose 1)
Salmon feuilleté with black rice and caviar sauce
Stuffed duck with truffles, zucchini gratin and seared mushrooms
Lobster papillotte with artichoke, broccoli and mango
Roasted rack of lamb with polenta and dates
Course 3 (choose 1)
Chocolate cremeux, kumquat sauce
Nougat glace with fig coulis
Pate a choux swan with praline cream
Roasted apple with apricot marmalade and sablé
Mignardises
$59/person (plus tax and gratuity) Tournesol - 50-12 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101
718.472.4355
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Ave
www.tournesolnyc.com
In a neighborhood where things change more often than not, I really like to pay homage to establishments that have "made it." Tournesol, the quaint French bistro, located in the heart of LIC's own Restaurant Row (aka Vernon Blvd) has certainly reached one of those milestones. They're turning ten this month, and I couldn't be happier. As many of you can attest, this restaurant has been consistently producing some pretty solid French bistro fare, and is the go-to place for something comforting, sophisticated yet unpretentious when it comes to French food.
Celebrating their 10th in style, they're featuring a special menu to ring in just that from March 26 - 29 from 5:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Tournesol 10 Year Anniversary Menu - $20.02/person
Choice of
Lobster bisque
Pan seared foie gras
Endive salad with blue cheese and walnuts
Sea food gratin
And choice of
Lamb shank with confit veggies
White bean ragout of hake
Coq au vin de gaillac
Pan seared skate with fingerling potatoes
And choice of
Tart of the day
Chocolate mousse
Crème brulee
Tournesol - 50-12 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101
718.472.4355
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Ave
www.tournesolnyc.com
Tournesol, we were glad to see, hasn't lost its touch. On the contrary, it seemed to be as on-point as ever, proven by an almost full restaurant on a random Wednesday night. Here's what we ordered:
Soup of the Day (Carrot soup with leeks) - I'm a sucker for carrot soup because to me, it just says comfort. Our waiter described this one as also containing leeks, which completely excited both Meg and me. As you can see from the above shot, the soup had a gorgeous pale orange color and its taste was lovely and mild. The leeks were a nice addition, adding more texture and a gentle onion flavor. They made the soup heartier and unexpected - it could've been a meal in itself.
Mussels with Frites - Loving the simple basics when it comes to French food, I eyed the mussels marinieres, which are just traditional mussels cooked in white wine, garlic and fresh parsley. They were served with frites of course, which were just perfect for dipping into this timeless sauce. The mussels themselves were plentiful and of good quality - I only had one unopened one, which I of course left alone, but all the others were big and meaty.
Braised Lamb Shank - Meg ordered this decadent entree, which was quite impressive in presentation. The meat rested on a bed of cous-cous and was further dressed with roasted veggies as well as crunchy veggie chips on top. I had a bite of the meat and it was really tasty - tender, succulent and absolutely falling off of the bone, as it should.
Dessert - We each got a dessert, which came with our prix-fixe deal. I got the tarte tatin (an upside down apple tart) and Meg chose the Marquise au Chocolate, which consisted of dark and white chocolate mousse. Both were excellent options and I enjoyed the light, homemade flavor of the buttery tarte tatin crust. The plump apple on top of the crust was a pleasure to bite into, gentle in taste but just sweet enough to satisfy a dessert craving.
Meg's dessert was more decadent, and really amazing. My favorite aspect about it was the fresh raspberry sauce that the mousse floated on. Pairing the creamy, rich chocolate with this slightly tangy sauce made my tastebuds do the happy dance.
Service and Cost:
We were impressed with the professional service, and as I mentioned in an earlier review, the waitstaff is actually French. They had the pacing part of service down pat and we liked that they let us chat as long as we felt like at the end of our meal. Not unlike in a bistro in France, it felt relaxed, casual and delivered on quality.
Prices were moderate and for a 3-course prix-fixe we paid $25 - together with wine, tax and tip, our total was about $43 each. Not cheap but so worth the amazingness I just described.
3 Mmmms
Tournesol - 50-12 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101
718.472.4355
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Ave
www.tournesolnyc.com
Casimir - 103 Avenue B, New York NY 10009
212.358.9683
L Train to 1st Avenue or 6 Train to Astor Place
www.casimirrestaurant.com A few weeks ago, I had the fun of attending a tasting at Casimir, a French restaurant in the East Village. I love going to this part of Manhattan because it always surprises me – so many different cuisines in one neighborhood, and there’s always something new and exciting to explore. My friend Crystal joined me too and we made a nice evening out of it (and even avoided a bad rainstorm that conveniently hit during dinner).
Atmosphere:Tucked away in Alphabet city on Avenue B, Casimir is a bit of a trek to get to, but once you get there it’s worth it. I like the casual bistro vibe that’s fit for small and large groups alike. The front is more social, as the tables have access to the street scene through large open windows. You can sit there with a friend for a casual dinner or bring a book and enjoy an evening solo.
The back of the restaurant is pretty expansive with a mix of small wooden tables and chairs and even some corner bench seating. We were pretty tempted by the quaint outdoor garden, also in the back, but with the imminent rainstorm, we opted for one of the corner benches. It was comfortable and private enough to have a conversation without anyone eavesdropping. I liked that the tables were well spaced out and not packed together as can be the case in some small bistros.
Food:The cuisine is of course French with all your favorite classics such as escargot, steak frites, steamed mussels and such. They have a nice mix of seafood, meat and even some vegetarian-friendly dishes. This was especially great because Crystal is a veggie and I was glad that she had options to choose from.
Escargot – This is one of my favorite treats to get in a French restaurant and it’s also a good indication of what the rest of the meal will look like. Hey…if you can’t get your escargot right, how are you going to score high on mussels, steak frites and other French classics? Anyway…the escargot was lovely – buttery, garlicky with little pieces of sautéed shallots. I was sad that Crystal couldn’t try it and I felt guilty finishing all that buttery goodness on my own, so half of it went back. Shame.
Almond-Melon Gazpacho – We were very excited about this appetizer because it sounded really refreshing, especially on a hot summer night. Not only was it cooling, it was so tasty – with hints of sweetness from the fruit (it had juicy grape halves on top) and a slightly nutty aftertaste. I loved the creamy consistency, which didn’t leave you feeling heavy.
Dubarry Salad – Another one of our starters, it was also light and refreshing. Combining several types of greens such as arugula and radicchio, the salad had a peppery taste, which was nicely balanced out by the sweetness of the beets, green beans and the asparagus.
Apricot Chicken with Cous-Cous – I ordered this dish because it incorporated my favorite flavor combination of sweet and savory. I loved the way the chicken was roasted – it had a beautiful crust on top that was slightly crunchy. The meat was milky white and tender with definite hints of apricot, which were nestled right next to it. Oh and what gorgeous apricots they were – so plump and sweet, almost like candy. Their sweet flavors were balanced out by a couple of braised green olives that gave the dish some bitterness and tang. And the cous-cous, which was both on the side and on the bottom of the chicken, was deeply flavored by it, soaking up all those apricot juices.
Mushroom & Asparagus Penne – Crystal ordered this veggie friendly dish, which she seemed to enjoy. I didn’t try it, but just like all the other things we had that night, it was an amalgamation of harmonious flavors and good quality ingredients. The mushrooms gave this dish some meatiness that made it substantial for a dinner entrée.
Dessert – We went with two classically French desserts, the profiteroles and an apple tarte tatin. While the former looked absolutely incredible, with beautifully shaped puffs and vanilla ice cream bursting out the middle, it wasn’t the best profiterole I’ve had. The actual puff was a bit dry and tasteless, but in all fairness the ice cream and the dark chocolate sauce on top were spectacular—so creamy and rich. I picked around the puff and just ate the ice cream and the chocolate. Crystal did the same.
The apple tarte tatin on the other hand was delicious—consisting of tender, sweet apple wedges with a hint of cinnamon. I loved the buttery crust, which soaked up all that apple goodness and it even came with a side of that rich, creamy vanilla ice cream that was on the profiterole. This dessert was a true home run.
Service and Cost:We had several servers throughout our meal, which we found inconsistent , but they were all nice and we felt that we didn’t wait too long for anything. One area where we saw room for improvement was the time in which dishes were cleared – it took slightly long sometimes but not overly so where we got annoyed.
Overall, Casimir employs an atmosphere where you aren’t rushed out to leave and are free to relax, that’s why the laid-back service, I think.
Costs are inexpensive to moderate, providing a good option for a quality meal that won’t make a dent in the wallet.
Salads & Appetizers: $9
Entrees: $12-$25
Desserts: $7
2.5 Mmmms
