After a long work day, we sat down in the airy, open bar area to the right of the restaurant's entrance. Starting with a beer and then working our way through the menu, we tried the following items:
Escargot - A classically prepared version of this dish was a most welcome way to start things off. Resting in shallot, parsley-butter sauce, the escargot was an incredibly decadent prelude to our meal. The escargot was tender and not chewy or fishy tasting, which can sometimes plague this specialty. After we gobbled up the main parts of this dish, we continued to dip the freshly made French baguettes into the sauce. Pure yumminess!
Goat Cheese Croquette and Salad - Our second appetizer was a must, as we both have a love affair with goat cheese. The croquette was warm and crispy on the outside, yet perfectly soft and melty on the inside. Its tanginess was offset by slightly bitter leafy greens, roasted Bermuda onions and sweet beets. I love beets in anything and a combination with the goat cheese was a match made in heaven.
Moules Frites - What better way to enjoy timeless French cuisine than with an order of mussels and frites? I liked that L'Ecole's version was uncomplicated and familiar, the mussels floating in a traditional garlic, white wine, shallots and parsley sauce. The mussels themselves were meaty and flavored by this fragrant sauce. It goes without saying that we lunged for the frites and kept dipping them in the concoction even after the mussels were demolished.
Gruyere Bacon Burger - Appreciating a nice, hearty burger, this one came on a beautifully grilled brioche bun. The meat was cooked to a perfect medium texture, leaving you with one juicy bite after another. Further dressed with thick-cut bacon that had a nice smoky essence and some tangy gruyere cheese, it was yet another item that hit the spot. Since the burger was substantial in size, Leann and I split it, creating the perfect portion.
Dessert - Even though we were running out of room, we just couldn't ignore dessert and ordered the two things on the menu - a creme brulee and chocolate bread pudding. Both were delicious and very rich - the creme brulee was actually on the lighter side with a nicely solidified sugar crust that was fun to break. The interior custard was light and clean on the palate with a distinct vanilla aftertaste.
The chocolate bread pudding was a heavier dish, but given that Leann and I are both chocoholics, we didn't have a problem with it. Topped with a crunchy almond cookie and a scoop of simple, vanilla ice cream that added a nice juxtaposition in texture, this dessert presented a dramatic finish to the meal.
Drinks - As I mentioned, Leann and I paired our food with beer. I chose the Rogue Mocha Porter that had a lot of body and a bittersweet malty flavor - it was a great winter beer - while Leann went with the Fire Island Frozen Tail that was also on the darker, richer side.
Service and Cost:
Dutifully served by our bartender, we didn't feel neglected at all and our food was brought out in good time. We liked the casual feel of the bar, and loved observing the goings-on of the restaurant in between.
Bar menu prices are very affordable and include the following:
Starters - $8 - $11
Entrees - $12 - $15
Sides - $5
Desserts - $8
Also, remember that you have another week to take advantage of a free cocktail deal, when you mention "The Foodista" at the bar with any order. This offer expires on March 15th.
3 Mmmms
L'Ecole - 462 Broadway, New York NY 10013
212.219.3300
6 Train to Spring Street
www.frenchculinary.com/lecole
L'Artiste Restaurant - 42-20 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
646.309.7504
R/M Train to Steinway StreetLast week, I had the immense pleasure to be invited to dine at L'Artiste, the newly-opened French bistro in Astoria, located right next to Cavo, which needs no introduction. Meg and Mackenzi of We Heart Astoria joined me, and since we three ladies have distinct tastes, I think we got a great representation of L'Artiste's menu. Overall impressed with our experience, we'd gladly come back again - and that's coming from three women with pretty discerning tastes in French food.
Atmosphere:
Occupying the old Piazza Pizza space, L'Artiste isn't small by any means. But despite its comfortable size, its quaint decor and personal touches make it feel intimate and homey. I like the mixing of modern and traditional elements, which are seen throughout the restaurant - think traditional touches such as round bistro lamps; a rich, wooden bar with an extensive wine collection; comfortable booth seating, versus modern hints such as a wall mural of the Eiffel Tower, disguising the entrance to the rest room; funky ceiling decals; contemporary canvas paintings and more. All in all, a great place to come for a relaxing dinner with close friends or even a loved one.
Food:
L'Artiste's menu is tight and focused on sophisticated, carefully prepared dishes that excite your senses from first glance to the last bite. We chose a little bit of everything and even received a few amuse bouche's from the chef.
Chicken Liver Amuse - I was very excited when we received this first "bite" from the chef - a nice sign of hospitality that gave us a great preview of things to come. Served on a crispy chip that had an incredible amount of airiness, delicate pieces of chicken livers were placed on top and further embellished with a few sprouts that added freshness. This was in fact a true amuse, in that we polished it off in one bite, and it did a great job of electrifying our palate.
Salads - Wanting to start our meal with vegetables, we ordered two salads including the fennel salad with pear and citrus as well as the beet salad with goat cheese. Both were excellent and further enhanced by delicious dressings that were used sparingly. I liked this approach because there's nothing worse than a soggy salad.
In terms of the fennel salad, I especially loved the use of fruit, and again appreciated the careful way in which it was done - with thin slices of pear and meticulously segmented oranges. The beet salad looked like a work of art with two beet circles, topped with a crunchy candied walnut that really brought out the sweetness in this vegetable.
Scallop Amuse - The most beautiful dish of the night, I almost felt guilty decomposing its expert construction. Consisting of a perfectly seared scallop on a bed of creamy spinach, topped with a sunny-side-up egg, it was pure decadence on a plate. The sexiness of this dish impressed us all and really showcased the chef's proverbial cajones, or rather huevos.
Entrees - While Meg and I went for protein-rich dishes such as the roast chicken cordon bleu and the seared duck breast, Mackenzi chose a delicate open-faced mushroom ravioli with bubbly mascarpone sauce. All three choices were delicious, but the ravioli stood out to me most. Even though a mascarpone-based sauce can be easily misconstrued as heavy, it was anything but, sporting airy bubbles that made it look and feel more like a foam. The mushrooms made this veggie-friendly dish quite meaty, and the pasta was silky smooth and cooked perfectly. I absolutely know I'm getting this next time around.
But I also have to compliment the duck and the chicken because these entrees were also excellent. The duck was especially juicy and cooked to a nice medium texture that was easy to cut through. The chicken had crispy skin and I especially enjoyed the cordon bleu part with the cheese and ham "stuffing" placed on the side.
Ricotta Soup Amuse - We weren't expecting another amuse, but there it was. Once again, a show-stopper, this one was a creamy ricotta soup, flavored with garlic and hints of truffle oil. It was a beautiful palate cleanser in that it was deceivingly light, and an appropriate interlude before dessert.
Dessert - All three of us have a penchant for sweets and therefore made room for the last course of this already massive meal. We chose three different items to share, which included a coffee panna cotta, a fig tart and classic profiteroles. Again, they were all winners but the two stand-outs for me were the layered panna cotta and the fig tart.
The panna cotta looked absolutely gorgeous, layered like parfait with fresh whipped cream, chocolate crunchies and caramel. Its presentation was whimsical and definitely on the creative side - something that caught your eye before it captured your tastebuds.
The fig tart was a nice choice too and my favorite component was the buttery, flaky dough that surrounded it. I liked the fig filling too, which was rich but not overly sugary. Another visual stunner, this dessert was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, gooey caramel and a piece of black/white chocolate on top. To die for!
Service and Cost:
Impressed with the professional service, we felt that we were taken care of very well. Our glasses of water (or wine) were refilled in a timely manner, and each dish was presented with great care and a thorough explanation. At the end of our meal, I found out that one of our servers (and a co-partner of the restaurant) is Czech, so I was able to speak a few native words to her. It was fun!
Costs are moderate for Astoria but appropriate for the level of high-end cuisine that you're getting:
Appetizers & Salads: $8 - $12
Entrees: $14 - $23
3 Mmmms
