When we heard the news that acclaimed chef Daniel Rose was opening his first restaurant in America right in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, we immediately booked a table. Even though it had just been open for few days, the earliest reservation we could score was still 30 days out. Anxious and eager, we waited a month and are happy to report… it was worth it.
Focusing on classic French dishes, the restaurant feels proper without being pretentious. Our server guided us through the menu with thoughtful recommendations and helped us narrow down our choices from a menu where everything looked so good. We settled on the ‘Huitres tiédes, beurre aux algues’ (warmed oysters with seaweed butter) to start. Next, from the Hors d’Oeuvres section and the Gourmandises section we had the ‘Crépinette de volaille aux foie gras et fruits d’été’ (chicken and foie gras and warm summer fruit). Topped with a roasted pluot, the chicken dish was certainly one we didn’t want to share. Decadent and sumptuous without being too rich, the dish was perfectly prepared and quickly consumed.
The entree list is categorized by meats and fishes and we sampled one of each. When Dover Sole is on the menu, it’s impossible to pass up. Cooked perfectly, the fish was flaky and melted in your mouth. Floating in a sauce of fish stock and butter, you’ll want to ask for more bread to soak up every last drop.
Prepared 3 ways, the ‘Tout le lapin’ (all of the rabbit) is an indulgence to say the least. A roulade type portion is topped with bits of the heart and liver, while plate 2 consists of a pot-pie-esque preparation. The lightest of them all, plate 3, had the dark meat of the rabbit swimming in a deliciously earthy broth with carrots and celery. It made us yearn for Winter on even the hottest Summer day.
For all the new restaurants constantly hitting the NYC foodie scene, this one is worth the visit. Make your reservation now and count down the next month, while you wait for what will surely be one of the best meals in recent memory.
