L'Absinthe |
|
| 227 E. 67th St. | |
| (between First and Second Avenues) | |
| Manhattan, NY 10021-6002 | |
| 212-794-4950 | |
|
Hours:
Open Monday to Friday for lunch, noon to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday for dinner, starting at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday for brunch. | |
And chef-owner Jean-Michel Bergougnoux deftly keeps alive many classic, soulful dishes while adding some contemporary touches to the big menu.
Begin with a briny, sweet shellfish tray, from oysters and clams to whelks and periwinkles. The crisp rare tuna in Japanese bread crumbs is accented with a cucumber-sesame vinaigrette for an Asian detour. Enjoy the endive, apple and Roquefort salad with sliced smoked duck breast. Or sample the whimsical tomato times three: "tartare," sorbet and terrine.
Quail and foie gras pate is finished with Port wine aspic. Mackerel is skillfully cooked in white wine, with onions, carrots and lemon. Warm, poached sausage arrives with potatoes and lentils. A salad of tete-de-veau and leeks sports a spirited sauce gribiche.
Bergougnoux prepares a soulful choucroute garnie, with sausages, loin of pork, ham hock and gently braised sauerkraut. Likewise, braised beef with carrots. Poached snapper swims in a savory broth suggesting bouillabaisse. Roasted grouper with beets, asparagus and a lemon confit-cilantro marmalade rivals it.
For dessert, the excellent thin apple tart with honey ice cream is essential. Raspberry souffle, the warm chocolate cake with hazelnuts and the honey-citrus creme brulee all are apropos finales. The cheese selections delight, from Saint Nectaire and Reblochon to Fourme d'Ambert and Cantal.
Beer would be right at L'Absinthe, but the wine list understandably takes precedence.
-- Reviewed by Peter M. Gianotti
Aug. 11, 2000
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