Lutece (Closed)

[Wilfrid]

I had a couple of above average dining experiences at Lutece while Eberhard Mueller was in the kitchen. I haven't returned, and haven't heard much about the place, since he moved to Bayard's. Did Lutece have a refurbishment? Has anyone dined there under the current chef?

Discussing its current 2 star status, alongside Joe's Shanghai and Cafe Sabarsky, on the NYT ratings thread brought it to mind. I might put it on the list for a re-visit, but feel free to save me from myself.

[Fat Guy]

For what it's worth, I went twice and reviewed it for CitySearch:

http://newyork.citysearch.com/review/71566...andalone_review

Also, we had this discussion:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=11395

[Wilfrid]

Thanks for the CitySearch link. Here's a link the current dinner menu.

No-one posting on the old thread seemed to have been since its heyday.

Edit: Now I'm looking at the CitySearch ratings system. Based on both editorial and user input, but weighted in favor of the editorial. Which means you didn't necessarily score it an eight, but... Feel free to carry this back to the other thread, I'm getting dizzy.

Edited February 28, 2003 by Wilfrid (log)

[Elissa]

a wee bit after the fact, went to lutece this evening. what facts we are after might be debatable, but 'after' seems clear. my fault i suppose: a friend said he was in the mood for french...i'd never been...however le bernardin would have been the better choice. what else would you recommend: chanterelle? l'absinthe?

it wasn't bad: we both had the tasting menu: five courses, plus the amuse.

the amuse: yellow squash chilled soup: quite lovely and fresh, dancing, airy squash soup. maybe a touch of cinnamon and/or cardamom that served the delicate squash flavor well. also deeply fried risotto ball with what i'll assume was serano, though all the waiter said was 'Spanish ham.' soup 8, rice ball 4

1. marinated striped bass with a "ten herb salad" in a ctirus vinaigrette and hint of truffle. exxxquisite bass, fabulously simple and complex at once as only lemon and 10 herbs can render a raw bass, with the intimation of complexity a truffle lends. 8/10, closing in on 9

2. seared fluke, shallot cilantro sauce, avocado puree and rices. fluke nothing about which to write home. the avocado was good, tho not as good as my guac. rice fun: white plus a few fried grains and green onion to enliven. 6/10

3. foie fras with dark chocolate sauce and bitter orange marmelade. exquisite foie, imported from perigord with deepest darkest chocolate and the wee orange punch: 10

4. cote de boeuf, 'spicy' turnip, chanterelles, pommes dauphinoise (deep fried mashed potato balls) in a peppercress sauce. the meat was really quite good, but plus unforgiving potatos plus root vegetable plus fungi: all i ate was a bite of the meat and a few shrooms, as really enough already. i found this dish quite out of proportion and lopsided. if your are eating 6 plates you don't need a family-sized entree. in my humble opinion i mean to say. 7

5. berry souffle and meyer lemon sorbet. the souffle (as one might expect) flawless and miraculously crusty on top if shy of flavor, inspite of the rasberry sauce in which my waiter doused it. the sorbet's lemon not nearly enough distilled, rather bland which was dissappointing as i was quite looking forward to David Feau's desserts 5/10

to drink: one bottle of krug and a glass of 98 margaux to go with the cote de boeuf

quite enjoyed the krug

that averages 6.6 which comes out a little short, but even adjusting for expectations and convention. shall not soon return. :harumph:

Edited August 24, 2003 by lissome (log)

[Andy Lynes]

At the risk of sounding pedantic, the might the potatoes have been "Pomme Dauphine" rather than Dauphinoise? That is usually a gratin of sliced potatos cooked in cream and sometimes finished with cheese.

Sounds like a nice meal though, 6.6 doesn't sound like an outright disaster. Did you like the room and service?

[Elissa]

Good morning/afternoon Andy. Have things cooled down?

The name surpirsed me as well (pommes dauphinoise on the menu) but not as much as the potatos: mysterious, mini-ufo globs. I thought they were somehow extra-flavorless, as if whipped with canola oil or maybe manioc. But my friend enjoyed his and also managed to eat a couple of mine.

The room a study in restrained elegance: a tall tall arched ceiling canopied or draped (surely there's a French name for this) with simple light-colored material. I liked the spidery iron chandelieres, four or five of them and less than two feet each in diameter, whose thin dark lines showed well against all else that was light. However the faux topiary perched on a ledge about 15 feet in the air gave us cause to guffaw.

The head waiter was an utterly charming and funny French fellow who has been there for 12 years. The busboys were attentive with our bubbles, but seemed to leap at our plates too early too often. The porcelain was gorgeous: the sea bass on rectangle and the foie on almond shapes; white and light green-grey if i recall correctly with a band of silver around the edge. The French waiter said that Chef had designed some of the plates himself.

As I said, not a bad meal. Certainly the wild striped bass and the foie were as good as one's likely to find in the States interms of quality, presentation and imagination.

We went at 8pm and there were maybe eight other tables in the main room when we left. Two or three rooms upstairs were empty and unlit, but it's August and likely their customers are out of town.

Edited August 25, 2003 by lissome (log)

[Felonius]

When did the chef leave, and who is the new one?

I used to eat lunch at Lutece fairly often. It's seldom crowded and the prix-fixe ($29 for three courses) is steal. I've never eaten dinner there, as I have doubts Lutece is up to some of the competition (Daniel, Cafe Boulud, Jean Georges, etc.) if one is paying full price for dinner.

I've had some highly satsifying food at Lutece, occasionally exceptional, and I'd rate it about a 7.0-8.0 out of ten for overall dining experience. High points, in my humble opinion are the apple tart and molten chocolate cake. These are very simple/classical renditions, but are perhaps my favorite desserts in NYC. The chocolate cake is wonderfully rich, but not too sweet, and is offset by some barely sweetened whipped cream and a hint of verbena. The apple tarte is thin, with wonderfully light pastry, and the apples and sugar are caramelized perfectly. They're both my idea of "comfort food" and have kept me coming back to Lutece.

Other things I like about Lutece:

Excellent service - very professional, efficient, and courteous. I wish more NYC restaurants had old-school waiters like this, who know that the customer comes first. I'd like to send the Babbo staff to Lutece for a few weeks' training.

Quiet dining room - a rare find these days in NYC. The tables aren't cramped together, the acoustics are subdued, and the room offers a tranquil escape from the bustle outside. I used to go at opening time (noon) for lunch, and could have easily taken a nap in between courses without being disturbed. Not the place for a high-energy date, but great for business or more intimate conversation.

Wine - they usually have some very nice wines by the glass. Only a few choices, but usually better than than the typical 2001 generic chardonnay or mediocre California cab. They used to have a 1998 Gevrey-Chambertin from Georges Roumier that was lovely, but I think I drank it all.....

People watching - often some quality entertainment offered up by the blue haired "ladies who lunch" and/or the UN delegates from around the world wearing all sorts of interesting getups (I've actually seen a guy wearing a Fez - cool!)

Anyway, well worth $29 for lunch if you're in the neighborhood. I suppose I should fork out the bucks for dinner and come back with a more relevant review.

I will continue to give them my lunch money, and hope they're around to stay. Maybe not the most exciting French food in NYC, but the restaurant does offer a certain old-world charm and style that is a rare find these days.

Edited August 24, 2003 by Felonius (log)

[Andy Lynes]

Good morning/afternoon Andy. Have things cooled down?

We've had some record high temperatures in the UK since I got back from my NY trip, so things are only just beginning to cool down now.

I like your description of the potatos, they sound quite extraordinary.

[Suzanne F]

When did the chef leave, and who is the new one?

It's been a couple of years now, I think, since Eberhard Muller left. I'm not sure how much of that time David Féau has been the chef (and poster boy in the NY Times ads).

If you want Muller's cooking, he's at Bayard's. And getting some of his produce from the farm he and his wife own, out on Long Island.

edited to add a link to my post about a meal at Bayard's.

Edited August 25, 2003 by Suzanne F (log)

[Emily Kaiser]

Her closing was long rumoured, but I'm still sad to see today's Asimov piece, to think of New York without her. I had one of my first real French meals there, lunch, right before Muller took over. I couldn't afford it so I went all out and ordered the foie gras appetizer, and I think black sea bass with lentils. I was amazed. I couldn't finish the foie gras, and the captain himself came up and asked, "mademoiselle, is it alright?" I said it was fantastic, it was just more than I could finish. He said "I'll tell the chef." I was beyond embarrassed, to think Andre Soltner was going to be told on my account that his tranches of foie gras were too big. Perhaps they'd had words before.

Anyone else have memories, objections, thoughts?

[ellenesk]

My first trip to Lutece was when I was about 12. A friend of the family new of my interest in food, and wanted to encourage a burgeoning foodie. I had never before had pate, veal medallions or souffle. I can still remember each item vividly, even though it was over 25 years ago, including the large ship made out of bread that adorned the gueridon. It really was a revelation. I went back after hearing of imminent Andre Soltner's departure had a really lovely meal. The downstairs room was so beautful, but alas, belongs in another era.

[Pan]

My one meal there was basically bad except for the desserts, which were fantastic. Nope, I don't feel any nostalgia.

[bloviatrix]

I never ate there, but for some reason when I was a kid I knew about it. To me it was the epitome of fancy dining (this was 70s). And, whenever we (my family) would dine out, my dad would ask "how does this compare to Lutece?" I'm not quite sure why, especially when you consider that we dined at kosher restaurants.

Anyway, I know that the place was wonderful during the Soltner years, but last I heard, it had lost some of its goodness. But still, it's sad to see a NY institution close.

[jgould]

unfortunately, the death knell began with soltner's sale. its quite amazing it was able to hang on as long as it did, but i know very few from the old crowd that continued to go once soltner was no longer in the kitchen. and what a kitchen it was - no larger than a bread box!!

as to personal experience: it was my first visit to haute cuisine, & it made a lasting impression for which i am eternally grateful. so tonite's toast will be to andre & wife, & their wonderful institution.

funny, i never felt that way about la cote basque's closing.

Edited February 11, 2004 by jgould (log)

[Felonius]

I am sorry to see Llutece go. My father took me there as a boy in the 1970's, and it was quite a memorable experience. I think one of the same waiters was still working the floor the last time I dined there in 2003!

In recent years, the food wasn't worth the price, except for the prix fixe lunch special. However, their apple tart was my favorite in NYC, and their molten chocolate cake was also sublime.

When did it close?

[Busboy]

Though the meal was not particularly memorable -- and the Eschezeaux served too warm -- I'll miss the restaurant in which I proposed to Mrs. Busboy lo these many years ago. Soltner dropped by to work the table just as I produced the bracelet (I still can't afford a rock, all my money goes to food...and tuition), throwing off my rhythm and causing me to mumble semi-coherently to the chef and finacee for several moments, until I got my bearings back.

Au revoir...

[MHesse]

To quote my memory of the server's words at the end of each course: "terminee."

[hathor]

About 25 years ago, my husband and I were starving, living in a very unfinished loft, working our tails off, and a fancy client of my husband invited us to go to Lutece with them. We both were so excited and nervous, as it was a restaurant far beyond our means. I remember my husband coaching me beforehand to only order 1 glass of wine as it was sooo expensive. When we got to the table, the client was a regular, the champagne was waiting, and the gates to gastronomic paradise opened for us. Luetece will always have a soft spot in our hearts.

[Brad S]

I looked up to Chef Soltner more then any other chef in New York during the late 70' and 80's

He was a chefs chef, why? because he was always in the kitchen, When you dined at Lutece, you ate the food prepared by Chef Soltner.

I was lucky when I entered this field 25 years ago that I had (still do) an uncle with great taste and four times a year would bring me to the city to dine in the "temples" of Haute Cuisine.

When I first dined at Lutece it was a lunch of lamb rack, ratatuille and Dauphenous (sp)potatoes, simple, but perfect. To me (1978 in culinary school) this is what food should be, the frozen raspberry souffle with the crunchy fond de succes,The wine, the service, all to me were special.

I have not yet read the Times article, but I new after Soltner left (even tho Muiller is a great chef in his own right)it could not be the same.

My two favorite chefs of the last 25 years have both left there kitchens, Soltner in the US and Giradet in Europe

[project]

I took my wife a few times in the 1980s.

It was always good. We always got something decently good from the Cote d'Or and saved some for a cheese course, and the cheese was always good.

The workers were so practiced that everything was done effortlessly and very quickly. The place did have a busy NYC quality.

I was always surprised at how small the place was: Once we were standing there for just a few seconds waiting for our table, I glanced into the kitchen, and Soltner was bending over a lot of roast chickens he had just pulled out of an oven.

Soltner always came to the table.

We were always pleased to go.

[alacarte]

I never went. But it's the sort of place I moved to NYC for. Always dreamed of lunching at Lutece, 21, etc. as with editors and the media elite....

[bpearis]

Now word has it that Gage & Tollner is closing this weekend too.

[Felonius]

For old times sake I tried to get a reservation at Lutece. Nothing open, lunch or dinner for these last days. Kind of morbid that they are booked solid for their own wake.

The woman who runs the front desk (I should know her name by now but forget) was very gracious on the phone when apologized for the fact they were booked. I felt a bit like someone slowing down to gawk at an accident on the side of the highway when I called to ask for a table.

So I went to Cafe Boulud for lunch instead. They were jam packed at 1:30 pm.

[bloviatrix]

Today's Times has another article about the imminent closing of Lutece, Gage and Tollner, and Le Cote Basque. Read it here.

[Kim WB]

Today's Times has another article about the imminent closing of Lutece, Gage and Tollner, and Le Cote Basque. Read it here.

I was bothered by Wolf's comments that the city needs vitality, not monuments.

It's a sad day when Gage and Tollner gets replaced by Friday's or Ruby Tuesdays.