D'Artagnan - The Restaurant (Closed)

[jaybee]

I recently attended an event there, that featured a vertical tastng of Lynch Bages hosted by the owner of the chateau. It was well done, the food was very good and the place is like a country farmhouse dining room complete with big hearth. I am going to another promotional dinner there next month.

Has anyone eaten meals there? and...?

[Wilfrid]

I ate dinner there about a year ago - I think just before I joined eGullet because I suspect I posted about it elsewhere. I have had lunch a couple of times since. Service at the dinner was excellent, but the captain and waiter in question are now at Atelier.

The dinner menu is very hearty. Not a place to go if you are concerned about dishes being a little fatty or greasy. The charcuterie is D'Artagnan's best, which is not global best but pretty good. I enjoyed a huge garbure - a chunky, fatty-in-a-nice-way soup with a duck leg submerged in it. My Beloved ate rotisserie quail which were adequately but not perfectly cooked - a bit charred here, a bit pink there.

At lunch there have been slip ups. Over-salted frisee salad springs to mind. Reasonably priced French country wines on the list. Not a place for precision cooking, then, but okay for a hearty, carnivorous meal.

[Orik]

and...

We had two cocktails - Dartagnan and Richelieu - both very nice, both dominated by armagnac/cognac [2] and prune juice.

As an appetizer, we shared a foie gras platter. I believe it had one piece of pan sered foie gras, served on an onion marmalade (excellent), two (armagnac soaked) prunes stuffed with foie gras mousse, two pieces of 'foie gras sushi' rolled in prosciutto (which completely overpowered the foie gras), two pieces of terrine (very good) and a slice of pate with some jelly (ok). Priced around $40

She had lamb chops as an entree, these were simply prepared with a delicate herb crust. The meat was of excellent quality, especially for those who prefer milder flavored lamb, but in a [1] comparison with Diwan, the tandoori chops win by a long shot. $28 or so.

Cassoulet, which consisted of white beans, cooked al dente, in a liquid sauce with some meats (confit of duck, several types of smoked ham and sausage) that did not contribute much to the overall taste. I think it means they did not soak the beans prior to cooking and that the overall cooking time was too short...but anyway, it is very bad, skip it. somewhere above $20

I can't give a reliable description of the dessert (but I'm sure it had some armagnac and/or prunes in it)

Overall, I would say Dartagnan is slightly overpriced for what it serves, but that with proper amounts of Armagnac and wine, dinner there can be a pleasant experience. I'll tell some stories about that block of 46th st in a different thread (perhaps titled 'most horrible (food related) things you've seen in the city'), but hopefully you won't see them happening.

Service was good.

[1] unfair and unwarranted, held only because they're both a block away

[2] I won't pretend to be able to tell the difference when mixed

[Steve Plotnicki]

I ate there in the first week they opened and my meal was fair to poor. I also hated the Basque country decor feeling it was very much out of place in NYC. But I guess I should try it again based on these posts.

[marcus]

I ate there more recently. Fair to poor at best. Very disappointing cassoulet. Overall, had a downhill feeling, not full, suburban type customers.

[Wilfrid]

Al dente beans in the cassoulet? Cardinal sin.

[Suzanne F]

I enjoy the place and the food very much, but I know it is not perfect. (Disclaimer: I have met Ariane Daguin on numerous occasions professionally, and she is a hoot!) And I can't think of going there in the summer -- the food is a bit on the heavy side. But so tasty!

I find it interesting that people here have reacted to the cassoulet as they have. The menu states something to the effect of "Cassoulet isn't a recipe; it's a reason for people to get together and argue."

In case you're interested, quack here.

And Steve P: it's Gascogne, not Basque. Shame on you of all people for not knowing your French geography.

Edited November 20, 2002 by Suzanne F (log)

[Rail Paul]

Dee and I ate there one windy winter day late in 2001.

I recall a huge chop and a beef stew (not cassoulet). Not especially memorable, and no reason to return.

But, walking into the steamy, cooking smells laden air of the rotisserie from windy NYC was a great treat. One section of the cooking area is just inside the front door.

[Orik]

The menu states something to the effect of "Cassoulet isn't a recipe; it's a reason for people to get together and argue."

It says: (according to tommy)

Cassoulet is not really a recipe, it's a way to argue among neighboring villages in Gascony. Recipes vary, some calling for lamb or bread crumbs and others strictly frowning on such additions. Our recipe abides by the tradition of Auch, the capital of the region. It is a stew of white Coco Tarbais beans, garlic and duck sausages, duck leg confit and carrots - certainly no lamb or bread crumbs here!"

Which does not change the fact that it is very poor.

Edit:

Steve P -- just wanted to note that while the overall experience was not bad, there are many places I would return to before Dartagnan.

Edited November 20, 2002 by Orik (log)

[Suzanne F]

For the record, I am not fond of their cassoulet, either. But I enjoy other food there, and the specialty cocktails. And I really like Ariane. So I go there.

[robert brown]

I had dinner there about a year ago. While I had a nice chat with Ariane Daguin about "Le Grand Sud-Ouest", my meal was mediocre. Foie gras as always is problematic in the USA, even at the French Laundry which uses Hudson Valley foie gras. This is why I am anxious to find La Belle Farm foie gras that I only heard about yesterday in conjunction with Liza's post on Stone Church Farm. I don't remember the rest of my meal, but the fact that I don't says something.

[Steve Plotnicki]

And Steve P: it's Gascogne, not Basque. Shame on you of all people for not knowing your French geography.  

Suzanne - I had a nice long chat with Ariane about many of the items they use in the restaurant being Basque. In fact they use those famous striped Basque linens from that place in Biarritz.

[La Niña]

I was at the Lynch Bages dinner that Jaybee described - I thought it was lovely. The food ranged from good to excellent, the wines were interesting, and the presence of the vintner was quite special. I thought the service was pretty haphazard and not particularly professional, but then again, it was a service for the whole room simultaneously, and I've never been there on a regular night. I'd like to go back for more promotional dinners, and on normal nights too, to see how they do. I'm not one to dismiss a place after one good visit, even if it did have some problems.

Note: every Friday in December from 6-7 pm they're having Armagnac tastings at the bar there for $15 for the whole tasting - and in some cases the producers will be present. D'Artagnan has a website and I think the details are on there.

Edited November 20, 2002 by La Niña (log)

[Wilfrid]

Significant that so many of us dined once and didn't go back, I suppose.

I recall enjoying a trou gascon after my garbure - a shot of something fierce which they encouraged you to down in one by the expedient of serving it in a cone shaped glass, impossible to set on the table.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Nina (or Jaybee) - What vintages of Lynch Bages did they serve and which was your favorite?

[jaybee]

Lynch Bages 81, 89? 91, 93.

The '93 had the most pleasant taste, the '81 came around after nearly 45 minutes in the glass and was quite good. The 91, which Caze pitched, was thin and acidic to my taste.

I like Ariane. I love the atmoshere of the place in winter. I'm sorry to hear such negatives on the food. I'll give it a shot. It sems simple is best.

Gascogne is my favorite NY restaurant from that region. Though I haven't ben there in a few years. It never dissappointed me.

[ngatti]

I ate there more recently.  Fair to poor at best.  Very disappointing cassoulet.  Overall, had a downhill feeling, not full, suburban type customers.

HEY!!

I resemble that remark!

edit:

Edited November 21, 2002 by ngatti (log)

[marcus]

Nick -- I seem to be a bit dense on this , but I don't understand your point, and I would like to. Would you please clarify.

Jaybee -- 81, 91, 93, are all fair to poor years for LB which is not a particularly strong performer in off years, as it a wine that depends on impact rather than structure, and really needs fine grapes to perform at all. 89, which I hope that you did have despite your questionmark, is one of the greatest LBs ever. It is massive and deep and strictly speaking not yet ready, but I've had it a number of times and find it very enjoyable, but you can't be super sensitive to tannin.

[jaybee]

Nick -- I seem to be a bit dense on this , but I don't understand your point, and I would like to. Would you please clarify.

A fair guess might be that Nick is a suburban guy and doesn't consider that to be a badge of going downhill.

I do not recall the exact years. Maybe Nina or AHR can help.

[tommy]

A fair guess might be that Nick is a suburban guy and doesn't consider that to be a badge of going downhill.

yeah, but what do us hillbillies know from good eatin'. what with our new-fangled horseless carriages and walk-in closets and all.

[marcus]

I get it now. No insult intended. However, when a Manhattan restaurant is not patronized by local residents, it is almost invariably a negative indicator.

[jaybee]

yeah, but what do us hillbillies know from good eatin'. what with our new-fangled horseless carriages and walk-in closets and all.

And don't forget those renovated kitchens with Viking and SubZeros.

Edited November 22, 2002 by jaybee (log)

[Steve Plotnicki]

Well now that I see what vintages were poured I get it. Marcus's assessment of the vintages are correct and here is what probably happened. LB is probably stuck with inventory from those vintages because they are so poorly regarded. So they must be looking for restaurants to do tastings with as a way to try and promote them to retail customers. They must give the restaurants some type of sweet deal on bringing the wines in and they throw in the phenomenol '89 to make it a worthwhile attraction for the public. But the thing about wines from off vintages is that they usually drink early. So it wouldn't be unusual for you to find a wine from 1981 or even 1991 that is perfectly ready to drink. And if there is one thing you can say for Bordeaux, wines from bad vintages quite often have charm to them when they reach a stage of drinkability. I remember a bottle of 1980 Margaux (a dog of a wine) that was drinking so well that it beat out wines from famous vintages at a tasting.

[La Niña]

Say what you will, but the '81, after it opened up, was a lovely glass of wine. Maybe not the best LB has to offer, but "fair to poor" is really inaccurate.

[jaybee]

So they must be looking for restaurants to do tastings with as a way to try and promote them to retail customers.

d'uh.