Balthazar

[yvonne johnson]

Admin: Several threads from 2001-2003 have been merged here.

Balthazar, 80 Spring St (b/w B/way & Crosby)965-1414

I don’t know what took me so long. Ideas of trendiness and self-importance put me off I guess. But despite the dizziness experienced on first arrival-- a tremendous clatter a la brasserie--Balthazar delivered something quite pleasant for Sunday brunch. I didn't think a table would be ready for us as the booking procedure didn’t inspire confidence. The receptionist was taking reservations for both B. and Pastis and tended to get confused which one I was asking for. Added to which, I was given a reservation # as long as my arm.

Steak frites was magnificent, pasta with artichoke and toms reportedly very good, and smoked salmon with grated egg and brioche toast also good, though salmon was a little on the dry side. We also went for a plum tart special (spectacular) and chocolate mousse that was more like a solid pudding, but I’m a sucker for that sort of thing.

There was no sparkling wine /cava/champagne for under ๔. I suppose a second complaint would be paying for basket of bread (ฟ) but this was more like three loaves of sweetish bread which we took home. But still...

Balthazar does manage to recreate the brasseries of France. Yes, the dour, though efficient, service too. I think I’ll try for dinner. I'm surprized how much I was taken with it. I think it may have been unfairly trashed in some quarters.

[Bux]

I also resisted Balthazar for a long time, although as of this writing I've been there a few times. The limos outside may be offensive to my sense of neighborhood, but I was pleased enough by the food, service and reception. In fact I found the wait staff rather pleasant. On a socialogical level, there's often a fascinating mix of people there. I might say it was at it's best at about eleven pm at night or at least it was interesting the night our dinner plans were delayed by the late arrival of a friend's flight. I like brunch there the best. The blood sausages are terrific, if you like that sort of thing. I do. It can be noisy.

[yvonne johnson]

I did see the tempting blood sausages on the menu and will try them next time. I agree with you--there's an interesting mix of people of all ages.  

[Bux]

The rich, the famous, the infamous, the baby in his diaper sleeping in his stoller, the sweet young thing in basic black with pearls, the latina poured into and overflowing out of her low cut dress, the tourists from Dubuque, the kids on a big date in a Mahattan French restaurant, media stars getting a quick bite, they all look like they belong there and suprisingly, they don't cause me to want to leave. It's also well lit so you can see them all. It's well lit like an old Horn and Hardard cafeteria, or like a real brasserie ought to be.

[gmi3804]

I visited Balthazar about a year and a half ago for lunch.  Crowded, noisy, but altogether delicious food.  One person at our table had the most incredible macaroni and cheese, with gruyere cheese and lardons!  The glycerine pill was extra...

[Fat Guy]

Balthazar has come a long way. When I first went, it was very pretentious and the food was awful. Now it's only a little pretentious and the food ranges from reliable to excellent. Still, I prefer Pastis to Balthazar. There's not much difference in the food, but Pastis is more my speed. Don't miss the hamburger at either place, accompanied by outstanding (as Yvonne mentioned) fries. And the breakfasts are wonderful. Off-hours are preferable, if you want to keep your hearing intact.

[Bux]

If anything, I think the noise level at Pastis is louder at peak times. Pastis may come closer to having a typical clientele. It's a younger group as a whole from what I've seem. Balthazar's diners seem to cover a wider range.

[Fat Guy]

Pastis probably has greater extremes of loudness and quietness. Since I never go at peak times, I'm mostly pursuing the quiet times, which are more plentiful at Pastis.

[Bux]

Both of those places exhibit a "scene" that would make you think twice about going at anytime but the "right" time. It's usually a surprise that the food is good enough to warrant a visit when it's empty. I've only been to Patis when it was noisy and noisier. ;)  

[Surelle]

Our concierge recommended Balthazar's on our last visit to NYC for breakfast.  It has the very best fruit foccaccia.  The ambience is truly a French brassiere, it is relaxed, friendly (not everyones French experience) and everything anyone could ask.   We will try it for dinner soon.

[Fat Guy]

I think you'll find that breakfast is the highlight of the day at Balthazar, followed closely by lunch. I can't imagine you enjoying dinner as much. If you do go for dinner, though, go midweek and early, to avoid the worst of the crowds and noise.

[Bux]

Weekend brunch is my favorite time at Balthzar. I'd argue that a very late supper at Balthazar might be better than an early dinner to avoid the crowds, but that's based on one late (10:00pm?) weekday dinner where the crowds had already thinned out.

[rockefeller666]

We had dinner last night at Balthazar.  It was actually quite good. I've ready many reviews which stated that the quality of the food was slipping and that the service was poor.  We found the food quite delicious and the service very reasoanble.  My compatriots & I skipped any appetizer since we had wolfed down a couple handfuls of peanuts & the cheese bread at the bar (one guy even ate one of those hard boiled eggs).  I had the duck confit prepared with mushrooms & crisped potatoes.  It was quite excellent.  It was juicy on the inside, perfectly crisp on the outside.  It was just like I had had it in France.  The mushrooms, the accompanying sauce, the greens, and the crisp potatoes all perfectly complemented each other. It was truly one of the best dishes I had had in a long time; it was certainly better than the lamb shank I had had at Montrachet.  My compatriots both had the Mahi mahi (don't ask me why the two of them come to a French restaurant & order Hawaiian fish), which was quite good--tender, succulent, but not particularly flavorful.  

For desserts, the 3 of us split two: the creme brulee and the warm chocolate cake with the white chocolate ice cream.  Both desserts were outstanding. I actually had had the creme brulee at Balthazar before, and it was better this time.  The creme consistency was perfect--not too hard nor too soft--and the shell was perfectly done, just crisp enough with a touch of cinnamon.  It rivaled the best creme brulee I had ever had at this small french bistro in Farmington, CT.  The warm chocolate cake was extremely well done, and the the ice cream complemented the dessert perfectly.  While these weren't he most "imaginative" or "nouveau" desserts, they were extremely well done.  And they had to be, given that they were such common findings in many restaurants; they couldn't just rely on novelty of fusion of flavors or the like to make them good desserts.  When we bit into these desserts, we said, "Wow, these are delicious."  Overall, just outstanding desserts.

The unfortunate thing was the coffee.  And this is something I and many San Francisco transplants have noticed: New York coffee just sucks.  I mean, the balthazar coffee wasn't "okay," or "decent," or "unremarkable,"; it was really BAD. It sucked.  It was horrible.  Being an American, I never appreciated it when an Italian woman called American coffee, "dirty water."  But now I can; this coffee was "dirty water."  You're having this wonderful meal, and they pour you a cup of bad coffee.  It's the equivalent of putting cheap polyester into the seats of a Mercedes S-class, or framing a Picasso with a high school kid's woodshop project, or wearing a Canali tuxedo with cheap, black basketball sneakers.  It's something I still just don't get about New York; why can't they make good coffee?  And Balthazar is a French place!  (I personally still think the best coffee I've had here in New York is at Cafe Sabarsky).  But I've found mediocre coffee at Le Bernardin & even Daniel.  New York just has awful coffee, and I simply can't explain why.  Not only is there restaurant market which is incredibly competitive but there is also such a huge European influence here.  Universally, every single San Franciscan who has come here has indepedently, without being prompted, asked me, "How come the coffee in New York is so bad?  Do you know where I can get a good cup of coffee?"  And, unfortunately, I reply, "Sorry, I think Starbucks is the best you're gonna get in this town."

Anyway, coffee aside, I was thoroughly impressed overall with the meal at Balthazar.  It still has its luster, and I still think it's a wonderful restaurant.

[Bux]

That's funny because I recently had the duck confit there and really liked my coffee. I liked the coffee better than the duck and then it hit me. You said they "poured" you a cup of coffee and noted that "Balthazar is a French place." My response would be that a restaurant in France would be serving espresso. Of course an Italian woman would call American coffee dirty water. I don't think I've ordered anything but espresso after a trip to Italy some dozen years ago. I don't see how you could compare what Italians drink with American coffee, unless I'm mistaken and you ordered espresso.

By the way, Starbucks doesn't make a very good espresso.

Anyway the confit was good. I'm not sure the frisee was the best garnish, but I wish someone told me it came with the duck before I ordered a frisee salad for a first course.

[Wilfrid]

Just thought I'd mention that I had an easy no-reservation walk in at Balthazar yesterday lunchtime, around 1.45. They serve lunch until 3, and there were plenty of empty tables. I assume it's still tough to get a peak-time table?

I thought the food was okay - I ate an interesting "duck shepherd's pie" - ideal for a hot summer day The pureed potato top was blended with pureed parsnip, and I think the duck was helped out with a little oxtail. Quite rich.

Pleasant enough, but the experience left me wondering why anyone would plan an evening around dinner there, except for the scene.

[Bux]

Pleasant enough, but the experience left me wondering why anyone would plan an evening around dinner there, except for the scene.

Define your terms. Sometimes I find Balthazar a fascinating place and as you seem to indicate, the food is good--or at least okay--which is more than I can say for a lot of other places that charge as much. Perhaps the key words are "plan an evening." I kind of like it best late in the evening when the crowd is thinning out, or anytime I can get in without reservations far in advance. It's also a short walk from home for me. Would I make a reservation a month in advance and eagerly anticipate the evening to come? I doubt it.

As for the scene, I really like that it's well lit and that you can see across the room. It's a very democratic crowd in it's way. Judging by the crowd, it appears that anyone can get in, but I'd also guess that when I spot a celebrity, their publicist knows who to call at the last minute. I like the young couples with infants in high chairs at tables stacked with platters of fruit de mer and the very unsophsiticated kids on dates as well as the tourists. There is a sense of relaxed pleasure at the table that is so much more French than the decor and the pseudo nicotine stained walls.

[Rachel Perlow]

When Balthazar Bakery outgrew their restaurant adjacent location they moved to a warehouse in NJ. When the locals realized what they had in their midst, they started knocking on the doors of the wholesale bakery begging to buy a crust of bread. After several months of dealing with bureaucracy, obtaining a zoning variance and reconfiguring their driveway & parking situation, the Balthazar Bakery Retail Outlet opened just before Thanksgiving. Read more about it on the NJ forum.

[Suzi Edwards]

my best friend is arriving in new york on friday. she's thinking of going to balthazar. is it still hot?

if not, where is? looking through the board has made me suggest wd-50 (where i also want to go). any other ideas? she's staying in tribeca, but will travel about.

[Bux]

I think that's a very relative term. Is she going to look at people or be seen and in either case who is it that she wants there? It's usually packed with a very mixed crowd and it's difficult to get a table. Is that good enough? Actually the variety of people in the crowd that's usually there makes for some people watching. I think the best meal they serve is brunch, although the most interesting crowds may be later at night. Late at night she may not need a reservation. Otherwise she will. The restaurant shows no sign of a falling off in traffic that will let it become a neighborhood walk in place. In fact, one often needs a reservation at non-trendy places even on weekdays in New York. If she's only staying the weekend, it may already be too late for many places.

[cdh]

Balthazar still does a stellar raw seafood tower to sate any 1 AM oyster jones that might arise... You're less likely to find yourself next to Calvin Kline there now than 5 years ago, but the food is still hot.

[Fat Guy]

To people who care about which restaurants are hot, Balthazar hasn't been so for ages. You're more likely to find the in crowd still hanging around Otto, though Otto is on the tail end of its supernova period. And Schiller's (same owner as Balthazar), now that's hot.

WD-50 is hot in foodie circles, but it's not in the same universe as Schiller's or Otto. More hotness can be found, anyway, at 66, Mix, or Sumile, if you're looking to go upscale.

Fiamma is pretty hot, still. And there's one restaurant that never, ever stops being hot -- not for one second: Nobu.

[Suzanne F]

Whether Balthazar is hot or not, it's a good place to eat. Especially breakfast, when it's quiet. Mmmm, big fat sausages, perfect omelets, excellent cafe au lait.

[Fat Guy]

Good breakfast. Good hamburgers. Lots of good stuff. Also some duds on the dinner menu.

But I think Pastis does a better breakfast. Overall I'm more of a Pastis person than a Balthazar person. I guess most people are one or the other.

[john b]

I am too un-hip to know if Balthazar is still "hot" , but I was there last night and had a very enjoyable meal. The food was well prepared, the service attentive, the room was very lively and loud. The crowd was a mix of tourists, neighborhood people, young, old, couples and families. I didn't notice any celebs, but I wasn't really looking. We had a 6 PM reservation and the place was packed when we got there with no let up in sight when we left around 8:30.

I liked the simplicity of the menu. I needed help with some of the menu items which were in French (fortunately for me, I asked what the brandade was--it was delicious!!). My steak was cooked as requested (med rare). Everyone in our group (5) enjoyed their meals.

[Bux]

a mix of tourists, neighborhood people, young, old, couples and families.

For a place that many consider "hot," it's the families that really define the crowd as undefinable. I've seen toddlers and I think the place may even have high chairs, but don't quote me and that may have been at brunch. I've seen a baby stretched out in a little carriage fast asleep and oblivious to all the noise. 8:30 is probably peak time. It's a bit more relaxed late at night when the crowd thins out, but that seems to vary from day to day or for reasons I'm not hip enough to fathom.