Bouley

[flinflon28]

I'll have a more detailed review later but my birthday dinner at Bouley on Tuesday was simultaneously the most wonderful and frustrating dining experience of my life.  Quite possibly the best food I've had in 5 years coupled with some of the most inept service I have received at any restaurant.  It is truly unfortunate that the talents of the kitchen are being compromised by spotty service.

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Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this thread...I've been a bit under the weather. I will first say that the food was probably some of the best I have had in my five years in New York. While my experiences at Daniel may have been better overall I feel what Bouley served me was better and more creative.

Problems were mostly with the service. While everyone that waited on us was very polite it felt like there was no leadership in the room. One of our servers seemed incredibly nervous everytime he approached out table while another server was so confident/cocky that he seemed genuinely thrown off when we had to inquire about a bottle of champagne that had been ordered twenty minutes earlier. Once they realized the mistake they were kind enough to give us complimentary glasses of wine while we waited for our bottle and the glasses went well with the course served. It was a nice touch to a service flub. But there were two courses served before silverware had been set down, a piece of food was kicked around our table and by the entrance for the majority of the meal, bread was never offered again and it was so addictively good that I needed to have more, and water was spilled on my foot and it was never addressed although all parties concerned noticed right away.

I was probably more sensitive to this because of the debate regarding the loss of the star in '04 and how I honestly feel some of the best food I have encountered in years was diminished due to what appears to be an inexperienced front of house.

I thought that going on a Tuesday night may have ensured a less busy staff that would be better more attentive but perhaps the midweek shifts are were dining room rookies get their start. Does anyone have an opinion on that?

And has anyone noticed differences between the red room and white room as far as service?

[Jaybert41]

I dined at Bouley last night and am left with a deep disappointment that I have never felt with any other restaurant in it's league.

The biggest factor of the evening is that we were incredibly rushed. We were a four top at 6:30 that ordered the tasting menu with wine pairings and I couldn't believe how the fast courses came out. Literally one after the next. It was apparent to me that they needed the table back for a 9:00 reservation and were determined to get it.

A few of the things that really bothered me:

-The room itself, it is really strange. I immediately felt cramped and overwhelmed by the sheer volume level of the room. It was so loud! There were points during the meal where it sounded like a bus of tourists had just been dropped off at Times Square and the sound level increased dramatically.

-The lamps on the tables; sure it created nice light, but every time someone from our table or the table next, or the next table next to them had to get up to use the restroom, everyone had to pause their meal to make sure that nobody got tripped up on the cord which was just dangling off the edge of the table. Another annoyance with these amps was that it somebody across the room happened to be touching the plug on the floor, there was a flickering light going on and off that permeated the entire dining room.

-Two out of the four menus that we received when we sat down where missing one of the three pages. They weren't just omitted, they were completely ripped out. The back page of the cardboard menu covers looked like someone ripping wallpaper off a wall. There was the remains of a menu past and it looked absolutely terrible. Very, very tacky. I can understand a page being omitted here and there, but half of the table getting the rubbish left behind is completely unacceptable. How can a captain not notice that the menu is incomplete in the book?

-The wine list; though nice in its content it was terrible by design. The three hole punch bound wine list was affixed so tightly that you couldn't view the left potion of the page because it was so stiffly bound. Literally, you couldn't read the entire line because it was "in the crease" of the book. Again, very shotty for such a high end place.

-Bread service kept us with a constant supply of good rolls on our plates, but the butter dish had long since been finished. I couldn't believe that someone could keep bringing us bread but not notice that the only butter plate on the table was completely wiped clean.

-I also found it very discomforting that the tasting menu was often times a repetition of the ala carte menu. I wish that I could have just simply ordered the tasting menu in its entirety which the choice of a supplement or two; but there were between two and five choices for each of the courses on the tasting menu. With a four top it became less about enjoying the chefs menu as we had to deal with making choices that should have been eliminated by originally selecting the tasting menu.

Overall, the food was good. I was annoyed at a lot of the repetitions of certain ingredients and the use of some unseasonal items. Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms twice on the tasting menu is a little bit redundant for a restaurant of this caliber. Can't you use another kind of mushroom? I am also a quite concerned that in the middle of January, Bouley has Green Asparagus, Porcini Mushrooms, Peas & Sugar Snap Peas on the menu. All of which are vastly out of season.

On the topic of feeling cramped, it was also uncomforting that each time a waiter came to the table to fill water/wine or clear a plate we had to stop eating in order for them to reach what they were after. At that level of dining there should be no inconvenience to the guests during the meal especially when clearing a course or filling water. There was one point where I was enjoying my Bass that a waiter's tie swatted me in the face as he reached in to get an empty wine glass from across the table. It was all terrible awkward and I never encountered such obstacles when dining.

It was also shocking that we were never offered any cheese course with our meal. They had a cheese course on the ala carte menu I later found out, but no mention was made as to whether or not we would like any cheese with our tasting menu. That would have been a prime opportunity to up-sell us on some cheese and additional wine. Again, I was very surprised that they didn't take the opportunity to allow us to further enjoy ourselves.

All that negativity being said, one redeeming aspect of the meal that I will take with me had to do with the wine service. As our wines were poured for each of the tasting menu courses, they would leave the bottle/s on the table for us to study for a while. As they came back thereafter, they would top off our wine glasses with those bottles. I found that very classy. There have been many restaurants that I have been left needing more wine with my course (Blue Hill at Stone Barns being the biggest offender) and it was nice to have a generous pour available.

Aghh... when it is al said and done and am left feeling very disappointed. Based on this singular experience here, I will not return to Bouley even though I have admired his food from afar for many years.

I am tempted to write a letter to David Bouley about the meal but am reluctant to do so as I work in a similarly high end restaurant here in NYC. Really though, I am so bummed about the meal...

[tan319]

You would be doing the chef a favor by writing him.

Really!

We've been following this thread for way too long, FOH has been the problem most cited by diners who write here, (was it mentioned in the NYT demotion?) and it's time they remedied the situation.

For an owner operator on this level to allow his place to get constant criticism for FOH matters is beyond me but it's not the first time I've seen it.

In your letter mention this thread to him too?

[SethG]

Well, it isn't January, but the new Bouley Bakery has been open since last week. If you ever took note of the deli that used to stand on this corner of Duane Street and West Broadway, you can't help but be impressed at the rapid transformation of the building from a dumpy "taxpayer" structure to the gleaming white beacon it has become.

I stopped by today and purchased a croissant and some coffee. The prices are slightly higher than those of the local competition (Ceci Cela and the Duane Park Patisserie), but still seemed to me to be within the realm of the reasonable. I'll reserve comment until I've tried more of the items-- there are several morning pastries (mostly in the $2-3 range) and a selection of desserts (in the $5-6 range) -- but I am excited by what I saw and tasted.

There are also breads, of course, but I never buy bread so I forgot to take much notice.

Cooking classes and demos are going to start in a few weeks.

Edited May 17, 2005 by SethG (log)

[Pan]

Well, it isn't January, but the new Bouley Bakery has been open since last week.  If you ever took note of the deli that used to stand on this corner of Duane Street and West Broadway, you can't help but be impressed at the rapid transformation of the building from a dumpy "taxpayer" structure to the gleaming white beacon it has become.[...]

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Thanks for the update, but what does a "taxpayer" structure mean?

[Todd36]

Well, it isn't January, but the new Bouley Bakery has been open since last week.  If you ever took note of the deli that used to stand on this corner of Duane Street and West Broadway, you can't help but be impressed at the rapid transformation of the building from a dumpy "taxpayer" structure to the gleaming white beacon it has become.[...]

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Thanks for the update, but what does a "taxpayer" structure mean?

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It's usually a "temporary" stucture on a site that generates enough income to cover the property tax on what is basically unimproved land. NYC doesn't tax basically unimproved land at a high rate. Any time you see a one or two story, cheap looking stucture on what should be an expensive site, you're probably looking at a "taxpayer." Sometimes, they stay up a long time.

[melofunk]

Bullfrog & Baum is the pr group for the bakery/market and I went to their tasting last evening. The pastries were wonderful...I tried the passion fruit with milk chocolate ganache macaroons, the kouing-aman, and a cannelle. One of the pastry chefs, Damien, just arrived from Paris two weeks ago where he had been working with/at Pierre Herme (and prior to that La Duree). When I complimented him on the macaroons he indicated that he may do some unusual flavored ones like olive oil or white truffle, etc. There were also a lot of different/good breads....fig, hazelnut pistachio, raisin anise, walnut plus baguettes, etc.

The cellar and the upstairs will open in about a week, we were told. And the upstairs will have cooking demonstrations/education during the day and at night will serve as a cocktail lounge. One of the cocktails I tried had a scoop of vanilla ice cream with grand marnier and coconut foam. And another was a caipirinha with Madagascar mint.

I don't know if the passed appetizers will be incorporated into the menu or if they were a last minute type thing, but I thought they were amazing. I tasted a crab salad sandwich on toasted brioche, a sardine entwined in a homemade potato chip, a tiny shot glass layered with prune puree, foie gras and apple foam.

[R Washburn]

Anyone try the chicken? They looked very tempting at $12.95 each. Twice as much as "El Malecon" or Fairway, but I expect that they are at least twice as good.

[lambretta76]

I went there Saturday for a cup of coffee and pastry. I was surprised that from a man who spent hundreds of thousands on a stove that this place had a computerized espresso machine. That said, I opted for the coffee which was quite nice. (I believe it was Kubrick's, but is was brewed well.) My fiancee had a croissant, which was flaky and buttery, almost too much perhaps. But it was good, and we spent a couple of minutes picking up flakes with our fingertips. I had the lemon poppyseed muffin, which was dense with a strong, almost ricotta-like flavor. This, I felt, was magnificent. Neither the upstairs or the cellar were open, though they have a number of tables outside where one can enjoy their treats.

Prices are a bit high, but fair - two coffees and two pastries came to just shy of $9.

[emsny]

We took home half a dozen pastries on Sunday; all impeccable.

Edited May 25, 2005 by emsny (log)

[Todd36]

Had dinner there tonight with a friend known to the restaurant (this is THE BOULEY). Probably better than Per Se or Alain Ducasse, but then, they know my dining friend very well. Average person is not getting this. Too many dishes to name, and no, this was not off of a menu, we were simply told they would send out what the chef wanted to.

Here is what I can remember:

1. Sweetbreads with prawn and moral mushroom sauce. Very rich, very good.

2. A coddled egg, served in shell, with black truffles. Very good, but not as fine as what Ducasse does.

3. Two different fish courses, both cooked white fish, second one was snapper, both sushi grade fish imported from Japan. First one was served with the best green peas I have ever had, the second one with a slightly bitter sauce based on I think asian winter melon.

4. Slices of veal chop.

5. Texas Kobe Beef. The best kobe type beef I have ever had. This had texture, it wasn't much.

6. Oysters in a sem-rich sauce, a little like Per Se's pearls and oysters, but no cavier, the sauce was not as rich, and you could actually taste the oysters.

7. 4 or 5 dessert courses, including a parfit with raw milk ice cream, corn and blueberries.

8. And there were several starters tossed in as well.

It was obscene. two meat and two fish courses.

I'm probably forgetting a couple of more courses as well, we had wine pairings as well, finishing with some Maderia.

The fish courses were as good as any I have had anywere, any time.

[allister]

Had dinner at bouley last nite and was disappointed with the overall events of the evening. The food was good but not great. We ordered a five course tasting. Amuse was a parmesan foam/tomato relish dish. This was very very good. Intense parmesan and tomato flavor. This was followed buy a trio of seafood served in an herb broth. The seafood were pan fried scallop, baby squid and shrimp wrapped in fried phyllo noodles. Unfortunately at this point of the meal, there was no wine. When we had first ordered, we were told that a sommelier would be coming over. Then food started to come. No sign of the sommelier. The sommelier did show when the first coarse was presented, and did pour some wine so that we would have something to enjoy the first coarse. Wine was then discussed at the conclusion of this coarse.

Second coarse was halibut, ginger scented, with pickled artichokes and shitake mushrooms.

Third coarse was a pan seared sea bass in a clam broth. I was disappointed with the dish because although the fish was cooked very well, the crispy skin of the fish was soggy. The skin had a nice brown color, but it seemed as if the fish sat on the pass for some time allowing for the skin to steam and become soggy.

The fourth coase was a seared foie coarse with figs. This was very nice was a sizable portion of foie.

The final savory coarse was baby pig with parsnip puree.

At this point, my dining companion excused herself from the table.

Before my companion had returned, a runner brought to the table the first dessert coarse, a palate cleanser of concord grape and fromage blanc sorbet. Hello, one of us is not here. The sorbet was placed in front of the empty seat.

A chocolate molten cake, a final strawberry granite and cream dish, and petite fours concluded the meal. Upon departure we were presented with a lemon poppy loaf for breakfast.

All in all, I would say that the food at Bouley was good, not great. What really hurt though was the lack of quality service. There seems to be a disjoint between the front and back. Why was food being served to use before wine was ordered? Why were they serving coarses when diners had left the table? I saw on one occasion, the sommelier sending the runner back to the kitchen with our food because wine glasses had not been changed yet. Was this why my sea bass skin was soggy? Though I tried to like the place, these small misteps truly impacted the experience.

[gaf]

So Red New York City Entry #29

At the end of our meal at Bouley, my friend and I began reminiscing about our most profound meals: she at Lespinasse; me at Lutece. We had just completed an impressive, elegant, and superb meal, but somehow it seemed natural that this meal would not be on that list.

The story of Bouley is how a restaurant that has much in its favor - in many ways as sophisticated and as brave a cuisine as any in the city - lacks the punch of memory. It is easy to award Bouley four stars, less easy to understand how it avoids the hidden half-star that makes a restaurant better than the best.

Entering Bouley in fall is to be startled. Opening the door one is pierced with the aroma of apple. Looking left one finds shelves of apples, to the right are bushel baskets. I was told that sometimes grapes are the star, but often apples are selected, even out of season. The effect is startling and compelling. Perhaps the apples prepare the diner for a cave of a restaurant that is more red than any room has the right to be: an emotional hotspot. The space has a certain Iberian quality; all those scarlet domes raise seraglio thoughts.

At a restaurant like Bouley, the five course tasting menu beckons. We also selected the wine pairings.

The service was oddly mixed. The waitstaff was congenial, particularly the wine director, Brad Hickey, whose commentary on the wines was spot on. As someone who is not a specialist in the grape, I occasionally struggle to connect the description of wines to the taste. But the accounting of Mr. Hickey could not have been more precise. Our J. Leitz Rheingau Riesling had the puckery tangerine taste as advertised. Our Gruner Veltliner described as having a white pepper aroma was almost sneeze-worthy. However, oddly, for several courses, Mr. Hickey decided that we should be served two wines - one for each - even when we ordered the same dish. We were each given a single glass. While my partner and I are simpatico, our spouses might object to two straws from the same glass. The choices - twice - were politically and personally incorrect. I was given the heavier, guy wine. On one occasion, I was almost served a red; my partner a white. I prefer lighter wines. Never assume.

The busboys seemed strangely anxious about any wayward bits of bread that we had not finished at the end of a course. I must have explained three times that I did not wished to keep my bread, finally suggesting that I might have to arm-wrestle for the plate. Of course, the breads, fig, pistachio, raisin, and sourdough were worth fighting over.

Our amuse was a creative piece of work, goat cheese with raspberry gelee, roasted beets, horseradish, and almond foam. As I type this, I wonder if I wrote these ingredients correctly. Right or wrong these few bites awoke my palate. It did what a amuse should: to persuade us that a mind is at work in the kitchen. The various pungencies merged and crossed and exploded into a dish that perhaps didn't deserve a full plate, but was a welcome shot of culinary energy.

As the opening entree, I selected the Phyllo Crusted Florida Shrimp, Cape Cod Baby Squid, Scuba Dived Sea Scallops and Sweet Maryland Crabmeat in an Ocean Herbal Broth. Put aside the madness of the gazetteer, the herbed broth was splendid seawater and the seafood, sexy bathers. I tried to count the herbs that I tasted and gave up at half a dozen - thyme, tarragon, parsley, cilantro, and other good guesses. The only odd note was the phyllo crust on the shrimp. I think of phyllo as a flat sheet, but this was a nest of slivers: shrimp in a pastry haystack. The coating was crispy, but in such a bath, nakedness is seemly.

My second course was Seared Black Bass with French Cepes, Braised Salsify, Jumbo Green Farmer Beans, Lemon and Clam Broth. Such a long title for a dish in which a slab of bass in broth dominated. Yes, the other ingredients appeared, but they were bit players. Once again Chef Bouley's broth was a glorious creation, here mixing the tropic land and sea. The mushrooms, beans, and salsify were used almost as seasonings. I found the chef's subtlety of flavors to be profound, but the description misleads.

Speaking of descriptions, one of the choices for the main course was "Whole Roasted Berkshire Pig." What do you imagine will appear on your table? Wrong. Thank God! A diner should be grateful that Whole Roasted Berkshire Pig is not, in fact, a Whole Roasted Pig. Whoa. Diners receive slices from various corners of hog. I had to ask. Who needs Tony Bourdain when menu writers compose fictions?

What I did select was the most complex, robust dish of the night: Maine Day Boat Lobster with a Fricassee of Baby Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas, Celery Root Puree and a Passion Fruit and Port-Wine Paprika Sauce. I hope whomever created this label is paid by the word. I am usually dubious of those chefs who attempt to combine too much. Too often the dining room becomes a mess hall. However, Chef Bouley brings it off. I have had more tender lobster in seafood shacks and I would have enjoyed more vegetable, but the passion fruit, port wine, and paprika added complex layers of sweetness and pungency. The mildness and buttery quality of lobster allows it to be a divine mixer. This is a chef who is unafraid to walk the tightrope of taste.

Calling the next course a palate cleanser doesn't do justice to another layered dish: Chilled Concord Grape Soup with Candied Ginger and Fromage Blanc Sorbet: a colorful tribute to the NYU Violets up the road? The tartness of the grape soup is shaped by the pungent ginger and the cool pliable rich cheese.

Finally dessert: Warm Pineapple Meringue with Pistachio Cake with Ten Exotic Fruit Sorbet and Pistachio Ice Cream. Again I found myself puzzled by an ingredients arms race. If one chef creates three fruit sorbet, must another add a fourth. Are we headed for Heinz 57 sorbet? Nomenclature aside, this was a fine, sturdy dessert with luscious ice cream and the aforementioned sorbet of excess.

Our closing icy amuse was a flavorful strawberry granita with white chocolate mousse and yogurt foam. Of all of the dishes this was the one that played most explicitly with texture: the slightly crunchy ice, airy foam, and smooth chocolate pudding added a tactile complexity to the complexity of tastes to which we were now accustomed.

It is easy to praise Bouley. Yes, there were gaffes from the service to the ostentatious menu to the garish room to a few culinary flubs. However, Bouley is a grand New York restaurant: an establishment that betters the best restaurant in most cities. Still, it has been over thirty years since I first ate at Lutece and I can relive that menu nearly dish by dish. Lutece changed how I thought about what food might do. Bouley, for all its glory in pleasing customers, doesn't change the world.

In time these dishes will fade. What I will remember from my evening at Bouley is my entrance and, oh yes, all that red.

Bouley

120 West Broadway (at Duane)

Manhattan (TriBeCa)

212-964-2525

My Webpage: Vealcheeks

[R Washburn]

Still, it has been over thirty years since I first ate at Lutece and I can relive that menu nearly dish by dish. Lutece changed how I thought about what food might do. Bouley, for all its glory in pleasing customers, doesn't change the world.

But would you feel the same way about Lutece if you relived that meal now?

I don't think Bouley is all that different than when I first ate at the old Bouley in '94, but I am much more critical now then I was back then. I suspect the Bouley of 2005 would "change my world" if it was my first high-end dining experience.

[CiriloE]

Still, it has been over thirty years since I first ate at Lutece and I can relive that menu nearly dish by dish. Lutece changed how I thought about what food might do. Bouley, for all its glory in pleasing customers, doesn't change the world.

I suspect the Bouley of 2005 would "change my world" if it was my first high-end dining experience.

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Bouley of 2004 "changed my world." I have been back several times to re-create that experience but I enjoyed it less and less. Each time I was less patient and more critical of the service. I don't think the service had changed that much as other posters complained about the service even then. Human nature I guess. Once you've hit your zenith everything is downhill. If only I can afford to go to Per Se and ADNY these days I may be singing a different tune.

Cirilo

[R Washburn]

Bouley of 2004 "changed my world."  I have been back several times to re-create that experience but I enjoyed it less and less. Each time I was less patient and more critical of the service. I don't think the service had changed that much as other posters complained about the service even then. Human nature I guess. Once you've hit your zenith everything is downhill. If only I can afford to go to Per Se and ADNY these days I may be singing a different tune.

Cirilo

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Even back in 1994 there were terrible service problems (and the waits!). The only time I have had really good service at Bouley was when they had just re-opened and were running at half capacity.

[gaf]

Still, it has been over thirty years since I first ate at Lutece and I can relive that menu nearly dish by dish. Lutece changed how I thought about what food might do. Bouley, for all its glory in pleasing customers, doesn't change the world.

But would you feel the same way about Lutece if you relived that meal now?

This is, of course, the question. Who can recapture that equation: time, place, and one's dining companion. We just must be grateful that there are SOME meals that we respond to with a shudder of pure pleasure.

[PaulaJK]

We dined at Bouley last evening and were 'wowed'

by the medalklion of yellowfin on cantalope w. a ginger

infused cappucino of sorts and a few micro greens on

top. It, more than anything, reminded me of early

Bouley.

[ulterior epicure]

It's been a long time since anyone has posted on this thread.

Has anyone experienced Bouley's tasting menus recently? I'll be headed there pretty soon - any thoughts on the regular tasting v. chef's "Seasonal" tasting?

u.e.

[BryanZ]

I had lunch at Bouley earlier this week and had a very nice meal. Bouley occupies an interesting space in the NYC fine-dining world in that it's still on most everyone's shortlist yet is also considered to be passé by some. Despite the fact that it puts out some undeniably elegant food, is Bouley on its way to becoming the next Chanterelle, or will it retain some semblance of hipness and remain current.

Based on my meal there I'm on the fence. The food is delicious, the room remains as striking and intimate as ever, but the whole experience is so far removed from what many consider "current" trends in dining. Service is as formal as ever, jackets are encouraged in the dining room, much of the staff even speaks French (despite the fact that Chef Bouley is proudly American). The cuisine has resisted overt influences from hotbeds like Spain and the Mediterranean and has retained its French roots with light Asian touches.

My companion and I ordered the longer lunch tasting menu--two are on offer--selecting different dishes for each course. For $48 each diner receives four full courses, an amuse and palate cleanser, and each lady receives a signature Bouley Bakery Lemon loaf. For me, this is perhaps the second- or third-best fine-dining lunch deal in the city.

The food is here is a solid three stars but still among the most enjoyable in the city. Perhaps there's a bit of tiredness that carries through the menu, but Chef Bouley's cuisine still easily outshines other French three-star restaurants at the same price point. Perhaps my favorite dish of the afternoon was the seafood in an herbal ocean broth. I'm pretty sure this dish has been on the menu for a long time, along with Return from Chiang Mai, but it's still a winner. A skate with a sauce of capers and pineapple was a rather creative dish, if not a home run. The tea-smoked duck was also very delicious. The biggest miss may have been a roasted baby big. The porky flavor was right on but the meat was kind of chewy, almost as if it could've been cooked a little longer.

Service was pretty much right on for the bulk of the meal. Things moved quickly, as we were done in about an hour and a half, but this was a late lunch and we had other plans. It's worth noting the restaurant has a full-on bread cart, another formal service facet that seems contrary to the current state of dining in the city. The breads were damn tasty, if perhaps not as crusty as I would've liked due to the high humidity, so I'm not complaining.

All in all, I'd still highly recommend Bouley. It's perhaps not as exciting or technically strong as some newer comers, but an important dining destination that effectively continues to live up to its reputation.

[Mayur]

I don't even know that I can be so scant of praise.

I *love* Bouley. Maybe I've just gotten lucky in my meals there (I've eaten only dinner, and pretty much exclusively on Thursday or Friday nights, and I inevitably order "whatever the kitchen feels like delivering"). But IME, it outperforms four-stars much of the time. Bouley is actually one of the best examples of cognitive disconnect I can imagine; so many people out there have had a different experience from mine that I'm driven half-crazy trying to understand why.

But that's just my own experience...

[BryanZ]

I think my report comes off seeming from two minds--you can blame my own version cognitive disconnect. One one hand, I think Bouley has been somewhat overshadowed by new, more glamorous openings. Ten years ago Bouley would have been considered among the very, very best restaurants in New York. On the other hand, I had a great meal here and really enjoyed my lunch. Was it among the most stunningly creative dining experiences I've had in New York? No. But it does deliver on most everything it does even if it doesn't absolutely shine like it once did.

[oakapple]

Bouley has been somewhat overshadowed by new, more glamorous openings....it doesn't absolutely shine like it once did.

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Do you mean that:

A) Bouley isn't doing as good a job as it formerly did; or,

B) Bouley is still doing what it always did, but the overall quality level in New York has gone up while Bouley has stayed the same; or

C) Bouley doesn't follow any of the latest trends, so by definition is simply less exciting.

[BryanZ]

I would suggest a blend of all of the above. I wasn't at Bouley in its heyday, but my father asserts it's the best meal he's ever had in New York. Out of the three, however, I would say that A least defines the restaurant at present.

I would say that most people would suggest that B most likely sums up Bouley in its current state. The cuisine hasn't changed that much over the years and, while still appealing, doesn't seem as fresh as it once was.

While many would suggest that Bouley (the restaurant, not necessarily the chef) has refrained from serving tapas/small plates, becoming more casual, touting the its local purveyors, etc I don't see this as a bad thing. I still think the room and vibe that Bouley offer are completely unique in New York. I would say that C is the reason Bouley isn't discussed as frequently as newer restaurants, however.

So that doesn't really answer you question directly. Sorry.

[ulterior epicure]

I can't believe I failed to mention my dinner at Bouley back in the early summer (May) of this year.

I had the chef's tasting, which was far from revelatory, but interesting - and well executed, for the most part.

I will say, the deep claret-stained dining room is probably one of the most beautiful I've dined in - ever. It's rich and thick - like the staff. I was a disappointed with the service, which was stuffy and kind of snotty. From observing most of the clientele the evening I was in, I gather that's the kind of attitude that is not only appreciated, but (masochistically?) demanded of the place.

One complaint - the desserts, the entire progression, came all at once. I had ice creams and foams melting and deflating on three different plates. My table was a-clutter. I was not the only one who got this onslaught of desserts - it seems that's the way the restaurant handles the end of the meal. Has anyone else experienced this?

You can see pictures and comments of the entire meal on my Flickr account here.