The new Aureole

[PaulaJK]

Aureole's new location at 42nd & 6th perhaps should have forewarned us that a shift in definition was part of the deal here. I thought of the olde Aureole as an elegant upscale dining venue in its intimate townhouse, enrobed in stellar flower arrangements. The new Aureole is sleek and mod with lots of marble & wood. The lofty glass enclosed wine cellar is georgous. There is a bar area off to one side and then a front room which might have been thought of as the bar room had there been no divider. The menu here offers bar snacks, firsts and mains. The appetizers included some items of interest including a foie gras tourchon , scallops w. rubarb, a sashmimi & calamari. A slight Spanish feel seems to be present w. chorizo, a la plancha,etc. But the entree offerings at lunch seemed disappointing... a soft shell crab sandwich, a burger accompanied by magnificent onion rings, organic chicken and skirt steak. The tables in this room have only placemats but fine wine glasses and a lovely vase w. a sole calla lilly.

There is also a rear room w. tablecloths. Huh?? A 3 course prix fix menu is served there. Today it was English pea soup or slow cooked salmon..roast leg of lamb or swordfish...a chocolate dessert or shortcake w. red/black raspberries. My companion enjoyed the salmon with its gentle sauce while the texture [which I experienced as fleshy rather than silky] didn't work for me. Both entrees were very good although a cautionary note might include the question of the swordfish sauce being meat based. I thought so and asked the waiter but he did not know.

All 3 ingredients of the shortcake [dry], verbena cream [pale taste] and berries were undistinguished. The coffee was good but for some reason it was stronger than the cappuccino. Service was very good.

Edited July 30, 2009 by PaulaJK (log)

[sickchangeup]

The tables in this room have only placemats but fine wine glasses and a lovely vase w. a sole calla lilly.

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Even in a recession, hope springs eternal :-)

[MichaelCE]

I had the impression that the whole thing was designed by the effiency expert of The Charlie Palmer Group. The lack of real division between the Bar Room and the Dining Room saves space and steps, but ruins the ambience of the Dining Room. But the real howler is the Parallel Tasting Menu which the website explains is to serve an eight-course tasting menu in the time it takes to serve four courses. The cuisine is okay, but has an assembly line feel to it. I loved the old Aureole, but the wine cellar is all they brought from it.

[PaulaJK]

Why ever would one taut a rapid service tasting menu? That seems to capture the essential conceptual difference between the Aureole(s).

Most of the folks arond us ordered the hamburger, inexplicably leaving those delicious looking onion rings.

We,too, loved the old Aureole.

[ellenost]

Why ever would one taut a rapid service tasting menu? That seems to capture the essential conceptual difference between the Aureole(s).

Most of the folks arond us ordered the hamburger, inexplicably leaving those delicious looking onion rings.

We,too, loved the old Aureole.

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I also loved the old Aureole; I hope I feel the same way about the new Aureole. I'm having dinner in the dining room next week, and I'll report back. I do hope the casualness of the new front room still allows for the charm and sophisticiation in the new dining room that I used to love so much about Aureole.

Edited July 30, 2009 by ellenost (log)

[mrud]

the above descriptions make it sound more like the vegas venue

[oakapple]

The tables in this room have only placemats but fine wine glasses and a lovely vase w. a sole calla lilly.

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Even in a recession, hope springs eternal :-)

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Given Charlie Palmer's longevity in this business, I have to think the new Aureole was designed with a longer time horizon in mind than just the current recession.

[PaulaJK]

Mrud,

Clever of you to deduce this. We chatted with our waiter who stated that this

Aureole had een designed on the Vegas model. I offered that what happened in Vegas should have stayed in Vegas!