Some mornings after a dark night of the soul, there is no more restorative act than having breakfast at Balthazar. Just walking into the bustle and flow of that big SoHo eating room is a mood-changer. The power of owner Keith McNally’s theatrical vision—great gilt-framed mirrors tilted to reflect the human swirl, tables of dark wood well-worn by life’s dramas (think La Bohème’s Café Momus)—makes this not so much an American version of a French brasserie as a glad and glittery place that’s seen it all. Or at least everything since 1997. It’s this obvious stagecraft that makes Balthazar doubly endearing.
And of course those vast bowls of creamy café au lait, the soft-boiled egg in its shell with crispy toast “soldiers” for dunking, and the breads (those croissants and brioches! those tartines of real baguettes) from the restaurant’s own exemplary bakery, next door: each gives one courage to face the day. But there’s more. Onion soup gratinée at 4 p.m., or at midnight, or for weekend brunch. Classics like choucroute and bouillabaisse, steak frites and duck shepherd’s pie, towering Parisian plateaus of shellfish. Here’s a place that can be what you need it to be, almost any time of day.
In a city where the average lifespan of a restaurant seems on par with that of light bulb, Chanterelle has remained relevant for almost thirty years. Originally opened in 1979, owners Karen and David Waltuck moved their refined French eatery to its current Tribeca location in 1989. Since then, a table in its elegant dining room has become one of the neighborhood’s most coveted reservations, a guaranteed home run for diners tired of watching the chef-du-jour scramble for first base. Waltuck’s menu changes monthly, offering serious incentive to return frequently and dine on the newest additions to the menu.
A recent visit produced a flawless tasting of wild mushrooms followed by tender sweetbreads served with sweet caramelized leeks, and the cheese plate featured a divine selection of fromage that put other artisanal tastings to shame. The restaurant’s soaring windows, Queen Ann chairs, and grand chandeliers lend the space a sense of serious sophistication, while carpeted floors, absence of music and well-space tables (a true rarity in Manhattan) quiets the normal hum of a packed dining room. That said, Chanterelle lacks any pretension. Service is flawless, yet waiters are friendly and well-informed, happy to answer questions about ingredients or preparation. The sommelier, often the most intimidating person on staff, will cheerfully guide novices through the 5,000-bottle-list of Bordeaux and Burgundies. (Even aficionados might need some help, as the cellar contains a selection of unusual bottles from smaller producers as well as the more famous names.)
Of course, perfection doesn’t come cheap. Diners choose between the standard three-course menu ($98) and the six-course tasting menu ($140), to which a pairing of Old and New World wines can be added for $85. But when celebrating a special occasion or entertaining clients, few places can top this classic culinary temple.
While the faux brasserie Pastis, on the corner of 9th Avenue and Little 12th Street, is an eternal crowd draw in the Meatpacking District, I still adore quirky Florent, the twenty-four-hour diner with a pink neon sign, designed by the late, great Tibor Kalman. Expect seriously good bistro fare and a convivial crowd that, depending on the hour, might include pretty socialites, club kids, financiers, drag queens, or celebrity artists and actors, with a few meat packers thrown in the mix. In New York, that’s what makes for a beloved institution!
EDITOR’S NOTE: To the shock and sadness of many, in June 2008, Florent Morellet lost the lease and had to close (the rent was to rise to $30,000 a month). Read an article published in the New York Times about this history of this institution and Morellet’s thoughts about the development of the Meatpacking District: www.nytimes.com.
The family’s crown jewel has reopened after a long shuttering with a sleek new look and the same delicious, if overpriced, Italian food. You are meant to feel that you are entering a yacht with a porthole just within the front door. Nautical wood paneling lends a yachty aura and the tables and chairs are so small that they seem designed for life below deck, yet the crowd still packs in nightly. The chef does turn out exquisite pastas, veals and salads. Standouts: the artichoke and avocado salad, the veal piccata and homemade raviolis. Prepare yourself for intense people-watching though. The crowd truly verges on Felliniesque with extreme hairdos, face lifts and implants on parade. One recent night the gathering included Charlie Rose, the Gastineau girls, Mica Ertegun, Linda Wachner and various wealthy widowers in the company of much younger Russian ladies.
Both maternity-wear designer Liz Lange and designer Charlotte Moss list this old-world French restaurant among their favorites in New York. Lange swears that “makes a better soufflé” and Moss says that “owner Charles Masson creates the most divine floral arrangements in town.”
TIP: Currently celebrating their 45-year anniversary, the restaurant is offering a prix-fixe lunch special for $45. To read a whimsical profile about owner Charles Masson in The New Yorker, click here.
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