Tournesol

[Sandra Levine]

My post of a couple of weeks ago is still wherever the missing posts are, but we went back last Thursday and thought it was even better the second time.  It's just steps from the Vernon-Jackson stop on the #7.  For those of us in the neighborhood -- a culinary wasteland since Stick to your Ribs decamped, the restaurant is a godsend.  The contemporary bistro food is well prepared and presented, the service is knowledgable and friendly and the ambiance is warm.  With a bottle of Cote du Rhone (don't remember the specifics), our meal came to $92, which represents a very good value.  Alan started with a pureed carrot soup, while I had house-made duck liver pate, garnished with a little salad.  Magret for Alan followed, cooked perfectly rare, fanned out properly on the plate over deliciously buttery mashed potatoes.  I had grilled salmon with a buttery basil sauce.  Alan's dessert was tarte tournesol, the pastry arranged on the plate to resemble the eponymous sunflower.  I had a trio of sorbets, cassis, mango and lemon, tart and refreshing.  

Again, there were several tables of French speakers in the restaurant.  There was no nonsense about bottled water.

Has anyone else been here?

Eric Asimov featured it in his under $25 column.  see below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/27/dining/27UNDE.html

[menton1]

Went to MOMA Queens yesterday for the big Matisse/Picasso exhibit. Decided to try this place, sounded really good. It was. One of the most authentic French Bistros I've been in this side of the Atlantic. Everything, from the delightful French staff, the liveliness, the close proximity of the tables, the great "affiches" on the wall, I had to blink to remember I was not iin France!!

Brunch menu was lovely, had omelettes (perfectly cooked and fluffy) and also had the Moules Frites. The dinner menu looks very bistro-like, and I will try to return for dinner in the near future.

This is a developing semi-industrial area of LIC undergoing an evolution seemingly very much like Soho and Tribeca have done years ago. Two very luxurious high rise buildings just completed right on the East River, amidst abandoned factory buildings. Streets are immaculately clean. (Must have a neighborhood assoc). Parking very easy, also about 20 steps from the Vernpn-Jackson stop.

Another wonderful part of dining here is that the prices are about 30% cheaper than Manhattan equivalents. I highly recommend this place for Brunch or Dinner. Web site: Tournesol

A bientot!!

[Sandra Levine]

An earlier post, from over a year ago: Tournesol

A brand-new restaurant on Vernon Boulevard, in Long Island City, steps from the Vernon-Jackson station on the No. 7 line and the Midtown Tunnel.

Modern French bistro in style and cuisine. Very moderate prices. Three courses, bottle of wine and coffee for two came to $80 (incl. tax.) French staff, French customers.

Appetizers:

Alan -- Rabbit terrine with apples. Served with a little salad and small, square slices of pain d'epices that the waiter (owner, too?) proudly pointed out as something truly special.

Sandy -- Listed as Salade Frisee on the menu, my mixed salad did have some frisee, as one of the mixed greens. The lightly poached warm egg was present as were smoky, salty lardons, in abundance. Not as authentic as the lamented frisee salad at Pastis, but good, nevertheless.

Mains:

Alan -- Roast cod with rosemary, served with a melting zucchini flan.

Sandy -- "Vegetarian plate," included wedges of polenta, brown-braised pearl onions, grilled mushrooms, ratatouille, carrot mousse, and more, each vegetable preparation a contrast to the others, the whole artfully presented.

Desserts:

Alan -- Molten chocolate cake, served with vanilla bean ice cream

Sandy -- Ile flottante -- like eating a sweet cloud, floating in a puddle of creme anglaise.

We drank a bottle of Entre-Deux-Mers. Can't remember the details, but it was good and only $19.

We will go back happily. The rest of the menu is similar, with updated bistro dishes.

And, more on Tournesol

Edited April 21, 2003 by Sandra Levine (log)

[Elissa]

ummmmmm

best foie gras i've had outside of france. perf'ct 1997 madiran for $27.

frisse salad with oversized dice lardons and a poached egg: meal in itself. couldn't eat much more, apres moma, feasting on second helpings of matisse goldfish oysters figs and les demoiselles gobbling grapes.

tournesol opens at 5:30- i did not know. with a half hour we strolled down to the water: what a view. clear; a few drops but no rain.

Edited May 16, 2003 by lissome (log)

[azlee]

Tournesol's owner was formerly the maitre d' at Artisanal in NYC

[markk]

I've eaten here twice. The first time, I started with the excellent terrine of Foie Gras, and had the cassoulet, which was also excellent. The duck confit in it was especially superb, and when I inquired if it was ever served crisped, not in cassoulet, I was told that it sometimes appeared as a special with grilled duck magret, and they offered to let me know when this would be, which turned out to be a few Wednesdays later. And so I returned. Again we started with the excellent Foie Gras terrine. The "duo of duck" as they called it, was just sublime. The magret was flavorful and perfectly cooked, and the confit was formidable - large, flavorful, tender as could be, and crisped to perfection - a significantly better confit than most places serve. But the surprise was the sauce, or rather lack of it! Sliced duck breast almost always comes with a sauce, but this did not. Instead, it was flavored only with the accompaniment of some superb, garlicky shitaake mushrooms, and it was a winning combination. The other items on the plate - a potato cake and strewing of somthing crispy and frizzled (I assumed it was leek) all contributed to the winningness of the dish. And a fine Tarte Tatin followed. This was a superb meal!

[Bux]

My post of a couple of weeks ago is still wherever the missing posts are,

This one on March 16?

[menton1]

This resto also has its own thread Here.

I agree, it's a little gem. Really feels like France.

[Pumpkin Lover]

I ate here last night. Was originally curious about Domaine Bar a Vins, which I read about in the bars section of Time Out NY -- Domaine and Tournesol are owned by the same people, with Domaine being two or three doors closer to the 7 station than Tournesol. We walked in as a party of three, and (who I suspect was) the owner encouraged us to wait at Domaine, where he said he would "pick us up when the table was ready." We each got a glass of wine at Domaine, which you cannot bring outside the wine bar while walking to the restaurant -- that got one of our guests, who wasn't a fast drinker and ended up leaving the rest of her glass in the wine bar.

Tournesol was fantastic -- I've been thinking about making tartiflette lately and was glad to see it on the menu. The chunks of bacon made me swoon. Roast chicken had salty crisp skin, and we shared a bread pudding dessert that reminded me of fruit cake -- really, really good fruit cake.

I'd go again in a hot second, especially if I had a couple hours to kill before traveling to Westchester on Metro-North.