Bar Boulud, the newish, casual venture of chichi chef Daniel Boulud on the Upper West Side, has won plaudits for its wide array of pâtés--Frank Bruni termed the restaurant a "terrine machine." Yet when J and I stopped in for a late glass of wine after a jazz show, gelatinous meat wasn't on our agenda. Really, we were there just for the wine. Then--one dish went by, another and another, and the smell had us practically stealing the plate out of the waiter's hands. Instead of causing a scene by filching someone else's dinner, we ordered our own. The dish that caused such fervor? A bucket of french fries. These slim, crisp beauties had sprightly salt in every bite, and I alternated dips in mayo and ketchup. When we told our waiter of our love for these perfectly fried potatoes, he said he hoped there'd be a big batch waiting when he clocked out in a few hours.
Directly across from Lincoln Center, Bar Boulud was crazy crowded on a Saturday night at 11 pm. We squeezed around a table in the front window (no stools) and enjoyed our wine and fries, not looking at the food menu (for real reviews, look here and here). We finished our last sips of wine to the sound of James Brown's Sex Machine--I looked to see if the Upper West Side matrons had noticed. Nope--too busy with their french fries.
Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway (at 64th)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 595-0303
No comments:
Post a Comment