Bar Boulud

1900 Broadway (between 63rd and 64th)

New York, NY

Tel. (212) 595-0303

April 2009

Bar Boulud, located across the street from Lincoln Center, has become one of my favorite restaurants in New York City. The food, wine and ambience are great, plus it’s an ideal spot to take young children, especially if you sit in one of the booths in the back of the restaurant. I admit I am not a huge fan of traditional Brunch fare, so I especially like that Bar Boulud’s weekend menu encompasses a wide range of choices that includes some of the more regular lunch dishes as well. The prix-fixe $29 menu for a main course plus choice of appetizer or dessert ($38 for all three) is also very fairly priced. Everything we tried on this Sunday afternoon was simply delicious.

My mesclun Provençal was tasty and bursting with flavor. All of the components on the plate came together beautifully, elevating the salad to a new level. The salmon scaloppini were perfectly cooked, something that isn’t easy when dealing with this thin cut. I couldn’t resist tasting my wife’s steak frites, which was delicious as always. We washed it all down with a bottle of Bachelet’s 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Vielles Vignes. This was an especially elegant, refined Gevrey-Chambertin with gorgeous layers of depth and richness, all supported by a firm sense of structure. It was a beautiful Burgundy. The dessert sampler was a huge hit, especially with my young son. Kracher’s fresh, mid-weight 2006 Cuvée Beerenauslese revealed an array of scented white peaches, herbs and flowers that complemented the sweets quite nicely. 

Food:

Mesclun Provençal; arugula, olives, fennel, tomato, radishes, fried artichokes, white anchovies

Scaloppini of salmon; swiss chard, wild mushrooms, local turnips

Dessert Sampler 

Wine:

2005	Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes	91
2006	Kracher Cuvée Beerenauslese	89

[Photo and credit: Bar Boulud, New York]

--Antonio Galloni