Bistro Benoit

[docsconz]

The press release for Benoit:

ACCLAIMED CHEF ALAIN DUCASSE TO OPEN

BISTROT BENOIT IN NEW YORK

Benoit in New York, a traditional Parisian bistro, to debut April 21, 2008

NEW YORK, N.Y.— Internationally acclaimed Chef Alain Ducasse will open Benoit in late-April 2008.  Located in the space formerly occupied by La Côte Basque, Benoit will echo Alain Ducasse’s original Benoit in Paris and offer guests a warm and authentic experience and a menu of classic French bistro cuisine. Benoit in New York represents an opportunity to recreate a unique bistro experience within a dynamic urban environment while still preserving the tradition and inviting feel of Benoit in Paris , which first opened its doors in 1912 and became part of the Groupe Alain Ducasse in April 2005. 

“I am very much looking forward to opening Benoit in New York and share the comforts and conviviality of a traditional Parisian bistrot with the city,” says Alain Ducasse.  “It is an honor to open in the former La Côte Basque space – it holds a sense of history very much in line with my vision to create a true bistro.”

The Cuisine

Alain Ducasse and executive chef Sébastien Rondier, a close collaborator of Alain Ducasse since 2000, have composed a clever and charming menu that respects tradition and technique, with dishes drawn from Benoit’s repertoire of 50 to 100 year old recipes.  The cuisine is full of generous flavors, colors, and textures, highlighting the freshest of seasonal ingredients.  Benoit will offer breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.  The lunch and dinner menus feature a large variety of à la carte dishes from appetizers to desserts as well as a daily listing of specials.  Appetizers include such French classics as pâté en croûte and poached green asparagus with a mousseline sauce.  Entrees include pike quenelles with a Nantua sauce, garlic roasted chicken with french fries L’ami Louis-style, and steak au poivre with pommes soufflées. Classical French cheeses from an individual wheel of Camembert to Cervelle de Canuts* will also be offered, as well as enticing recipes for millefeuille, vanilla profiteroles with warm chocolate sauce and traditional tarte tatin.

(*fresh cow’s milk cheese with herbs)

The Wines & Spirits

Benoit’s wine list features more than 200 selections of white and red references, with 65% of the list from the main wine producing regions in France and 35% from the United States .  A unique selection of wines by the glass as well as wines from custom-designed carafes will also be available.  Guests can also enjoy an original listing of champagne martinis, including “Le Crazy Horse” made from blueberry vodka, fresh lemon juice, mint liqueur, and champagne.

The Décor

Alain Ducasse wanted to recreate the early-20th-century décor of Benoit in Paris within the four walls of Benoit in New York .  Everything from the tiling to the wood paneling, the red velvet banquettes to the copperware, the engraved panes of glass to the marble pedestals, the lamps and huge mirrors to the old posters adorning the walls echoes the feeling of the original Benoit. The restaurant seats 133 guests, including the 31-seat bar and 102-seat dining room on the main level.  A 60-seat private dining room located on the second level can be subdivided into three smaller private dining salons: Saint Martin, Hôtel de Ville, and Rivoli, each named after streets leading to Benoit in Paris .  Outdoor seating will be available during the warmer months.

The dining room is an airy space, with a ceiling that features a blue sky trompe l’oeil, blonde oak walls and large mirrors set throughout that give the room a sense of textured comfort, cozy red banquettes, and a mix of solid oak and zinc tables.  Those who allow their eyes to wander will uncover Chef Ducasse’s private collection of individual miniature liquor bottles and special carafes that are featured in two antique vitrines at the back of the main dining room, while an exquisite 19th century apothecary which is very dear to Alain Ducasse serves as the backdrop for the 10-seat Officine, one of the second floor private dining salons.  To preserve tradition, elements from the original La Côte Basque have been woven into Benoit’s décor, such as the restaurant sconces and chandelier, cartoon medallions reminiscent of early 20th century Paris, and decades-old black and white photographs of patrons dining in the restaurant during years past. Mr. Ducasse chose the talents of interior architect Pierre-Yves Rochon to create a harmonious rendering that reflects these established details.

Benoit’s revised bar area is a place to delight in wines by the glass, a variety of cocktails and spirits, sample a Kronenbourg 1664 on tap as well as a tasty selection of bar foods.  Guests can enjoy a morning cup of coffee and a pastry to catch up on the daily news, have an aperitif along the bar before their meal or a bite to eat while seated at one of the antique pub tables, or simply enjoy a casual drink with a group of friends.  The bar area is set in black and white and is illuminated by a light blue and yellow antique bakery ceiling evoking a sense of French heritage.

The tableware at Benoit is meant to illustrate the balance of tradition and modernity.  Several pieces are sourced from around the world, with many signature elements made exclusively for Alain Ducasse: custom-made red coffee cups by Pillivuyt, steak knives by Opinel, colourful individual “cocottes” for side dishes, and slate lion’s head soup bowls.

Benoit will open on April 21, 2008 and is located at 60 West 55th Street (near Sixth Avenue ), New York , NY 10019 .  The restaurant will serve breakfast Monday-Friday, lunch Monday-Saturday, dinner Monday-Sunday and brunch on Sunday.  The bar is open seven days a week. For more info rmation please visit www.benoitny.com or contact the restaurant at Tel. 646 943 7373, Fax 646 943 7330, E-mail bistrot@benoitny.com.

About Groupe Alain Ducasse

Groupe Alain Ducasse devotes itself with passion to culinary pleasures and the art of hospitality in order to exceed the expectations of its intern ational clientele. The Group keeps on developing new ideas and ensuring they are successfully put into practice. This constant search for excellence relies on the particular talents of the men and women of the Group, on the utmost quality of its products and on a complete knowledge of modern technologies. At the head and heart of his Group, Alain Ducasse is both a chef-creator and a strict entrepreneur. As a creator, he insists on offering a cuisine that is just right while as an entrepreneur, he is the driving inspiration behind his ventures, shares his in-depth knowledge and a unique vision of the food service and hospitality industry. Groupe Alain Ducasse operates in the field of hospitality with Alain Ducasse’s traditional hotels in Provence and in Italy as well as with hotel consortium Châteaux & Hôtels Collection. The Groupe’s involvement in knowledge transmission focuses on three complementary activities: publishing, training for professionals as well as the general public, and consulting. For more info rmation on Groupe Alain Ducasse, please visit www.alain-ducasse.com.

[oakapple]

What's remarkable is that, all of a sudden, people are investing big money in classic French restaurants — a tradition that (supposedly) no one wanted any more.

[docsconz]

What's remarkable is that, all of a sudden, people are investing big money in classic French restaurants — a tradition that (supposedly) no one wanted any more.

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This is not just a classic French restaurant. It is a classic French restaurant with the name Alain Ducasse behind it. he could open a hot dog joint and it would be newsworthy. Come to think of it, it really would be newsworthy if he did that!

Edited April 9, 2008 by docsconz (log)

[oakapple]

What's remarkable is that, all of a sudden, people are investing big money in classic French restaurants — a tradition that (supposedly) no one wanted any more.

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This is not just a classic French restaurant. It is a classic French restaurant with the name Alain Ducasse behind it. he could open a hot dog joint and it would be newsworthy.

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True but did you see Florence Fabricant's article in today's Times? There really is a little trend here.

[Sneakeater]

That said, it's remarkable how off everyone's radar Adour seems to be.

[oakapple]

That said, it's remarkable how off everyone's radar Adour seems to be.

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Not sure what you mean by that. The "usual suspects" are all reviewing it, with Bruni being last to go (as he usually is). A lot could change, depending on whether Bruni likes it.

Foodies are atypical, but for what it's worth, the Adour thread has three pages as of this writing, which is a pretty respectable thread for a new-ish restaurant. It doesn't have Ko's 13 pages, but you can't expect a phenomenon like that every day.

[Nathan]

well, I sure hope Benoit isn't as boring as Adour (food wise).

French comfort food has never gone away....and it was primed for a comeback...the Italian trend is pretty well played out. what's gone are the old guard places...heck, even Le Cirque has made its concessions to contemporary tastes.

[oakapple]

well, I sure hope Benoit isn't as boring as Adour (food wise).

There's no online menu yet, but from the description it seems like Benoit is bringing back the French classics. Assuming you like that kind of food, the question is whether it's well executed.

I am not really sure what Adour was meant to be, but it's certainly not "classic" French (in the sense that Benoit is), and for sure it's a much higher price point.

French comfort food has never gone away....and it was primed for a comeback...the Italian trend is pretty well played out.  what's gone are the old guard places...heck, even Le Cirque has made its concessions to contemporary tastes.

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My sense of the places Fabricant was writing about, is that they're aiming to be a step above mere comfort food. They aren't reviving the "jacket-and-tie required" environment, but they're reviving a lot of the food and service esthetic those restaurants stood for. In the last 10 years, there's no doubt that those places had been on the wane, though they never disappeared entirely. Fabricant is talking about the Grenouille, Caravelle, Périgord style, not just any restaurant that happens to have some French elements to it. Edited April 9, 2008 by oakapple (log)

[Sneakeater]

I thought it was confusing what Fabricant was talking about, since it then got back to Balthazar as a prime example of the genre it was discussing.

[Nathan]

right. I found that kind of a disjunction.

I like this food when I'm in the mood for it. but I don't like it enough to pay a lot for it. on the other hand, it's kind of a shame that you have to go to midtown for it.

I'd speculate that a fashion-forward, hip restaurant serving French classics could actually do very well downtown....it'd be sort of a mixed-genre, pseudo-ironic kind of thing...but that's the kind of restaurant I'd like to eat at.

[weinoo]

I think the restaurant's going to look like Balthazar, and offer more classics along with a fair amount of more up-to-date classics (e.g hamburgers).

Probably be able to put together a decent meal at the $50 price point.

[Nathan]

the thing is, midtown already has a crapload of restaurants that look like Balthazar (they usually don't have the same level of detail but....)

[Sneakeater]

If classic French has to be presented ironically, we're all in a lot of trouble.

[Nathan]

If classic French has to be presented ironically, we're all in a lot of trouble.

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I'm just talking about north of Tribeca and south of union square.

[Nathan]

well, I just booked a reservation for later this month....though I'll probably end up cancelling and eating at the bar.

[Mayur]

Benoit in Paris is pretty darn good, so I have high hopes for this sort of place.

[AlexForbes]

I ate at the Parisian Benoit and loved it - but you've got to love old-fashioned and ultra-French bistro fare to get it.

And here are some press photos taken by Marie Hennechart of the Paris Benoit, which give a good idea of the feel of the place.

[Nathan]

it's really a shame, but the menu looks absurdly boring and conservative. even when compared to say, Balthazar. it's bizarre.

he seems to be making the same blunder that any number of recent foreign celebrity chef imports have made: completely underestimating the palates of NYer's...

they really need to stop judging us based upon the general tendencies of American tourists in Europe. (it doesn't help that travel guides to NY for Europeans tend to send them to the most hackneyed and played-out uptown restaurants.)

[docsconz]

it's really a shame, but the menu looks absurdly boring and conservative.  even when compared to say, Balthazar.  it's bizarre.

he seems to be making the same blunder that any number of recent foreign celebrity chef imports have made: completely underestimating the palates of NYer's...

they really need to stop judging us based upon the general tendencies of American tourists in Europe.  (it doesn't help that travel guides to NY for Europeans tend to send them to the most hackneyed and played-out uptown restaurants.)

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If you have a link to the menu, can you please post it here. I haven't seen it yet myself.

What specifically strikes you as "absurdly boring and conservative?" Does it seem like a dumbed down version of classic French bistro fare? If not, if it is just classic French as described in the press release and done well, I don't find that boring at all.

[weinoo]

The menu definitely looks like classic French bistro fare - not too dumbed down, and it can be seen here.

It appears to be the lunch menu, fairly limited, compared to a place like Balthazar, but if they're turning out truly remarkable product, time will tell how well New Yorkers will take to it. I like that they're doing a 3-course prix fix for lunch at $28.

And I'm interested in seeing the dinner menu as well.

[adegiulio]

Shoot, that really DOES look boring...Hopefully the dinner menu will be more inspired (as I would expect).

Eating there 4/26...we'll see.

[AlexForbes]

Thanks for posting the photo of the menu but... why is it up already if the

place isn't open? Is it "sort of" open, to special guests?

[docsconz]

Shoot, that really DOES look boring...Hopefully the dinner menu will be more inspired (as I would expect).

Eating there 4/26...we'll see.

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It won't be boring if it is really good. If it is just ordinary, then yes, boring.

[adegiulio]

Shoot, that really DOES look boring...Hopefully the dinner menu will be more inspired (as I would expect).

Eating there 4/26...we'll see.

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It won't be boring if it is really good. If it is just ordinary, then yes, boring.

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Agreed.

[oakapple]

Shoot, that really DOES look boring...Hopefully the dinner menu will be more inspired (as I would expect).

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I wouldn't panic or pre-judge, as some people seem to be doing. Many restaurants have less inspiring lunch menus.

Thanks for posting the photo of the menu but... why is it up already if the

place isn't open? Is it "sort of" open, to special guests?

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I'd say they're simply trying to build interest. I can't imagine why they only posted the lunch menu, though. But remember, this was a photo posted on flickr. We only know what that person chose to photograph.