Petrossian

[MHesse]

Dinner for two at Petrossian coming up next week (2/5).  My first visit there.  Is a caviar menu item and an iced vodka an essential part of the experience, or would we be happy with other appetizer/entree/dessert?  Any recommendations welcome.

Thanks in advance,

--Mark

[anil]

Quote: from MHesse on 12:43 am on Feb. 2, 2002

Dinner for two at Petrossian coming up next week (2/5).  My first visit there.  Is a caviar menu item and an iced vodka an essential part of the experience, or would we be happy with other appetizer/entree/dessert?  Any recommendations welcome.

Thanks in advance,

--Mark

Good.

[Fat Guy]

Caviar is not essential. Any of the classic smoked fish appetizers will be enjoyable. If you want caviar, you can buy some at the boutique and eat it at home for much less money.

[Steve Klc]

The real issue for you to consider is that Philippe Conticini has severed his ties to the NY restaurant--so what was the case before, in terms of menus and presentations, may not be the case now.  I agree with Steven that there are (were) several interesting and complex smoked/cured fish appetizers to choose from--and at Petrossian Paris, 5 different ones are served as part of a 13 course tasting menu.  2 had caviar.  I have no idea if this was ever offered at the NY restaurant.

As we've mentioned on eGullet before, even without Philippe there is talent in the savory and pastry kitchens of Petrossian NY.  It remains to be seen to what degree Armen Petrossian supports the remaining talent, however--and to what extent Philippe's style and very personal concepts linger as newer dishes are added.

As for the vodkas, flavored and otherwise--I did not enjoy that part of the Petrossian experience and do not recommend pairing any dish with vodka.  The fruit flavored vodkas recommended with desserts were an especially ill-advised and disappointing gimmick.

Some of the holdover Conticini-created desserts that are wonderful and might still be available are the Yablock, Pain Perdu Banana, Blinchik and Aracaju.

[Fat Guy]

The appetizer menu, when last I saw it, was divided into Petrossian classics and newer dishes (those inspired by Conticini). I'd think the classics would remain, as they predated Conticini anyway, but you never know. All of Petrossian's smoked fish and related products are first rate. Entree-wise, the whole Conticini gimmick of "Blin" with everything always struck me as unnecessary, so we'll see if that part of the menu suffers without him. His real genius was with desserts, and there's a big question mark next to that part of the menu. Not that it won't continue to be good, but will it continue along the same trajectory or be replaced by the local pastry chef's ideas? I may be going by there soon, in which case I'll get to the bottom of it.

[Bux]

there are (were) several interesting and complex smoked/cured fish appetizers to choose from--and at Petrossian Paris, 5 different ones are served as part of a 13 course tasting menu.  2 had caviar.  I have no idea if this was ever offered at the NY restaurant.

I'm still trying to put a fair assessment, of putting up with 13 courses uncomfortably served in highball/juice glasses in Paris, into a postable form. It was a choice I'd advise against. It made for a peculiar dinner, at best and an annoying one at worst, but I think the food suffered.

[jaybee]

It all depends on your willingness to spend a lot of money and how much you really love caviar.  A friend treated me to the grand caviar menu  a few months ago.  We ordered the top of the line caviar, blinis and iced vodka.  I am a bit of a caviar freak so I was in heaven.  The caviars (beluga, osetra and sevruga) were superb, the blinis perfect, with just a little creme frais or melted butter to go with it.  I did not look at the check, but I know it must have cost more than 跌 (probably over 踰).  I've enjoyed caviar at Caspia in Paris and a few other places that make a specialty of it, and this meal was as memorable as any.  But if you are looking for an enjoyable meal, you can get that there without going over the top with caviar.  Then again, you won't get better anywhere else.

[MHesse]

Dinner went off as scheduled and was very nice.  

Sturgeon must be rarer and more endangered every day.  I was going to spring for the "Prince Gourmet" three caviar presentation (15 grams each) which is shown on the restaurant's website for ๠.  The actual menu price was 贘, so we decided to pass.

I had the Petrossian Teaser app, which seemed to be a good way to taste a number of the offerings.  For apps, the menu was arranged into classic and modern divisions.

For entrees, I had Black Sea Bass and my wife had the Lobster.  Both were very tasty (yes I realize this imparts not much info to you cognosceti, but the best I can do).

What did strike my palate were the sauces, which had more spice to them than I'm used to tasting with French cuisine.  The bass had a spicy tomato confit atop it and the lobster was served in a sauce based on a veal or beef stock rather than a fish stock.  No mention of Blin.

Dessets were good too, but absent from the menu were all the ones discussed earlier on this thread.  No Yablonk, no Pain Perdu, no Blinchick, no Aracaju.

I had the Millefeuille: puff pastry, custard, borbon ice cream in a tall glass.  My wife had a dark chocolate Marquise, a pyramid of dark chocolate sitting in a pool of citrus pieces and syrup.

Coffee was awful.  Why do so many fine restaurants serve crap for coffee?  At least it was hot.

Still was a very pleasant dinner and we would go back again.  Service was fine.  Seating was comfortable.  Quiet ambience (perhaps because it was less than full - we sat down at 6pm).

[Fat Guy]

Thank you very much for following up with that report.

[Bux]

Can you tell me anything about the presentation of the teaser appetizer?

I'm finding fish in sauce based on meat, such as a veal stock, quite common. I don't know when I first noticed it but when I did, I also began to think that some of the intense reductions that I thought were shellfish, may also have been meat based. The use of sausages, ham, pancetta, etc. has also grown more frequent, although it's probably traditional in Iberian cooking. I was surprised when looking for a good light Burgundy for just such a dish, that the wine merchant looked at me like I was crazy. He just shook his head and repeated fish in meat sauce as if I was talking about fish with kerosene and maggots.

[MHesse]

The Petrossian Teaser consisted of about nine little helpings of apps arranged on a silvery tray.  Each was about the size of a half dollar coin.  The waiter described each one, but not all the info made it into retreivable memory. There was a salmon beggar's purse, a foie gras, a fish roe, smoked herring, smoked salmon, paddlefish roe on another fish, a couple of fish puree's on bread disks, well that's seven of them anyway.  Served with toast points.  I found that except for the strongest flavored apps like the herring, the toast point diluted / hid the flavor of the app, particularly the foie gras.

[Sandra Levine]

Passed by Petrossian yesterday and saw that there is pre-theater prix fixe for $29 (I think.) Ranitidiine and I will be going tomorrow. Has anyone been here recently?

[Suzanne F]

Passed by Petrossian yesterday and saw that there is pre-theater prix fixe for $29 (I think.)  Ranitidiine and I will be going tomorrow.  Has anyone been here recently?

$29?!?!?!? Do tell!!!!!!! We haven't been in years and years, and then only for a special promotion through Remy. I remember adoring the smoked salmon variations, about 3 or 4 different styles. What a great opportunity to go back. (Let's see, the next time we're at Carnegie Hall is April 22 . . . )

[Sandra Levine]

Well, it's a very limited menu. I doubt if the salmon variations are included. I'll try to take good notes. There were other options aside from a la carte.

[Sandra Levine]

The "theater menu," at $28, is a very good value, although it by no means offers the full Petrossian experience. For under $30, you get three courses, with a choice of three dishes each. The menu is simple, bistro-type food, really, but beautifully presented and served in a calm, quiet atmosphere, with, unusually for New York, adequate space between the tables. There is a nice selection of wines by the glass, from $8 to $11, and a couple of Champagnes for a bit more.

Here is the theater menu, with initials after our selections:

Appetizers: Mesclun salad with shallot-thyme vinaigrette

Smoked salmon, R

Roasted eggplant bisque with caponata and creme fraiche, S

A 20g serving of American caviar at a $10 supplement

Entrees: Salmon quenelles with puff pastry and spinach

Roast chicken with bacon, wild mushrooms and pearl onions, R

Miso marinated skirt steak with roasted baby vegetables, S

Dessert: Mocha chocolate gateau coolant (coffee ice cream and milk foam)

Yogurt and honey phyllo tart, crushed pistachios, R and S

Selection of ice creams and sorbets

Ranitidine had a glass of Kenwood Chardonnay at $11 and I had a Cote du Rhone at $9.

Ranitidine's salmon appetizer was one perfectly cut, smoky slice, dotted with four sprigs of dill. The dark taupe bisque was satiny-smooth and flavorful. It was served with white bread toast points. He would have have preferred untoasted black bread.

The chicken was a quarter -- the breast and wing -- (preference not asked) served with a generous handful of assorted mushrooms, bits of bacon and a cloud of buttery mashed potatoes. The skirt steak came perfectly medium-rare, as requested, over a mound of vegetables, including eGullet's favorite cauliflower, resting in pool of sparkling clear, intensely flavored sauce. I'll have to take their word for the presence of miso.

Dessert was exactly as it sounds, with an excellent yogurt and a light honey.

The room is lovely. Dark wood paneling, Lalique brackets holding bronze statuary, heavily-starched off-white damask tablecloths and napkins create an atmosphere that is somewhat clubby, yet very French.

Each table is set with white and cobalt blue Bernadaud service plates that are later used for food, along with a variety of square plates and glass oblongs, and tall, graceful Champagne flutes.

The theater menu is available from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Throughout the evening there is a $39 prix-fixe available with more variety and, of course, the regular a la carte menu.

Edited March 15, 2003 by Sandra Levine (log)

[Suzanne F]

Sandy, thanks for the report. Definitely worth checking out!

I think it's one of the most beautiful rooms in NYC.