Bouchon Bakery

[phaelon56]

I was at Bouchon Bakery weekend before last and shared some kind of citrus tart. It was very pricey but not unreasonable considering the location and overhead costs. But the espresso was truly mediocre. It was made with Illy pods and they actually tout the Illy brand on their menu as though using it is a good thing. Ludicrous.

[Eatmywords]

I was at Bouchon Bakery weekend before last and shared some kind of citrus tart. It was very pricey but not unreasonable  considering the location and overhead costs. But the espresso was truly mediocre. It was made with Illy pods and they actually tout the Illy brand on their menu as though using it is a good thing.  Ludicrous.

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And I will second that! (not that I'm any roasting or bean officianado) I was expecting something a little bolder and more flavorful. You'd think, being the perfectionist that he is, TK would have chosen a higher end or micro brand o'bean.

[Sneakeater]

FWIW, I stopped by here last week and had a pork tonatto sandwich (if that's what it was) and I thought it was very good. Not great. Not stratospheric. Not this-came-from-Thomas-Keller-the-greatest-chef-in-America spectacular. And maybe a little pricey at more than $10. But still very good.

Edited April 18, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[oakapple]

Bouchon Bakery is Peter Meehan's subject in today's $25 and Under. He's underwhelmed:

Am I setting the bar higher than I usually would because of Bouchon Bakery's association with Mr. Keller? Yes, but he is why many will go there. Is Bouchon Bakery good for the Time Warner Center, an exceptional bakery and a viable choice for lunch in the neighborhood? Yes. But it is just that.

[Jenny McClure]

We were in the Time Warner on Saturday past and had planned to stop by. The line was huge @ around 1.30pm. My husband can't handle waiting in a queue for food especially when there are so many other options in New York, so we left. It seems, from what I saw, to be doing very well.

[BryanZ]

Bouchon Bakery is Peter Meehan's subject in today's $25 and Under. He's underwhelmed:

Am I setting the bar higher than I usually would because of Bouchon Bakery's association with Mr. Keller? Yes, but he is why many will go there. Is Bouchon Bakery good for the Time Warner Center, an exceptional bakery and a viable choice for lunch in the neighborhood? Yes. But it is just that.

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Based on the content of the review, however, I'm not disinclined to visit. Those expecting a Per Se lite, as Meehan clearly points out, will be severely disappointed.

[Dryden]

Having now been there a bunch of times, and tried most of what's on the takeout menu, it's good - but it just seems like it should be better. I wouldn't say that it's any better than 'wichcraft or Starwich, for instance. It's a nice option for the neighborhood, though.

[chefboy24]

we need pics!!

sorry about the bad quality, i hadn't figured out how to make my phone take pictures in high res yet.

i'm not really one for restaurant reviews but.

really warm genuine service. gorgeous view of central park.

quiche lorraine: ($11) eggy, creamy, spinachy, perfectly seasoned, perfect temperature. salad was dressed perfectly (walnut vinaigrette?)

bouchons: delish. not orgasmic, i've had much better chocolate desserts. the vanilla ice cream was superb.

had a nice $8 glass of a macon fuisse. long finish, appley, good burgundy for the $.

it was served in a water glass, which was a bit weird.

they were out of the mille fueille, and didn't know they were 86 so my server was embarassed to tell me they were out. the ended up comping the bouchons ($7?)

it was nice, on the check, it read, "complimentary" instead of "food comp". i liked that.

Edited April 21, 2006 by chefboy24 (log)

[chefboy24]

whoa.

wow, if any mods or anyone can help me shrink/resize, i'd be indebted.

edit: i figured it out, give me few minutes to resize

Edited April 21, 2006 by chefboy24 (log)

[chefboy24]

resized pics over here:

http://www.rhythmism.com/forum/showthread....ed=1#post635691

sorry!

[chefboy24]

um.

no one has comments on my pictures?

tough crowd.

[phaelon56]

Pics comments? They represent the overall look fo the spoace accurately but as youi've discovered - cell phone cameras have some seriosu limitations. I think some of them do okay outdoors in bright light - actually pretty good. But the sensors, chips, pixel count etc leaves them ill equipped to deliver good pics in indoor settings.

I do agree about the service. Our waiter was terrific - young, engaging without trying to be overly friendly, had a sense of humor and really seemed to enjoy what he was doing.

[thebaker]

My wife is the am barista/cashier she was part of the opening staff.

She tells me it has been pretty busy non stop...

I was hoping to see her in some of the pictures but they are not too clear.

Edited April 23, 2006 by thebaker (log)

[herbacidal]

Am I setting the bar higher than I usually would because of Bouchon Bakery's association with Mr. Keller? Yes, but he is why many will go there. Is Bouchon Bakery good for the Time Warner Center, an exceptional bakery and a viable choice for lunch in the neighborhood? Yes. But it is just that.

Maybe that's all it's trying to be. Any additional pressures are just what the media and readers put on it in their own minds.

That is of course, unless management has been quoted with higher aspirations, and/or it sets prices at a high level, with a noticably expensive dining area.

Based on the content of the review, however, I'm not disinclined to visit.  Those expecting a Per Se lite, as Meehan clearly points out, will be severely disappointed.

You're not disinclined to visit? So you think it's worth checking out?

Edited April 23, 2006 by herbacidal (log)

[ulterior epicure]

um.

no one has comments on my pictures?

tough crowd.

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...Well, not exactly a comment about your pictures, which are much appreciated... Bouchon Bakery is a lot sleeker than I had imagined. I didn't get a chance to drop by when I was last at the Warner Center. I don't know why, but I had envisioned brass and wood (more traditional Parisienne bakery fixtures) instead of chrome and black.

u.e.

[BryanZ]

Based on the content of the review, however, I'm not disinclined to visit.  Those expecting a Per Se lite, as Meehan clearly points out, will be severely disappointed.

You're not disinclined to visit? So you think it's worth checking out?

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Yes, you read my post correctly. Others were suggesting, based on the review, that it was a disappointing venture. After reading it myself, however, I didn't find my enthusiasm for the bakery significantly dampened. So yeah, I want to go and will be soon.

[chefboy24]

i mean bouchon is what it is. its like the shake shack of bistro.

how good can a spinach quiche be?

well: that good.

[ckkgourmet]

Well, I guess those of us who had our expectations high in the sky because Keller was involved will just have to settle ourselves down to having another good bakery cafe. If New York had a great many sublime pastry shops and bakeries (I don't think it does--althought the Upper West Side has a few excellent choices like Soutine and Louvaine. I've never thought highly of Claude), maybe I wouldn't be so put-off.

[adamru]

I've been going back and forth between the cafe at bouchon and brunch at sarabeth's on central park south depending on who has a longer wait - it's scary now that people line up on weekends at 11am to get a table at bouchon - and while sarabeth's has an expanded menu they both seem on par with price, quality and the crowd they attract.

[ckkgourmet]

I've only been to Sarabeth's once, and that was some 5 years ago, but I hardly remember it being anything like the quality of Bouchon (even if that quality isn't even where I want it to be). Sarabeth's is a neighborhood restaurant, entirely overrated (in my one visit's experience). It's a piece of kitch too. Bouchon, at least, can claim a few serious ambitions.

If Sarabeth has changed, let me know. I'm eager to be corrected here.

[adamru]

they both seem to take a clean simplified approach to brunch basics - sandwiches, seafood salad, quiche and baked goods. I only go to the sarabeth's on cps so I can't speak to the other locations, but the only disappointment I ever faced there was an overpriced lobster roll. I think their crabcake sandwich on an english muffin is a standout and their pumpkin muffins are a favorite. the only dish at bouchon, not counting the cookies, that I truly enjoy and that's good enough to continually bring me back is the seafood salad.

[tupac17616]

Well, I guess those of us who had our expectations high in the sky because Keller was involved will just have to settle ourselves down to having another good bakery cafe. If New York had a great many sublime pastry shops and bakeries (I don't think it does--althought the Upper West Side has a few excellent choices like Soutine and Louvaine. I've never thought highly of Claude), maybe I wouldn't be so put-off.

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Could you tell me a bit more about Soutine? I've never heard of it before. And is the other bakery you are talking about Levain, on 74th? Just curious to know if I might need to head out to do some, er, research, sometime soon.

[ckkgourmet]

Soutine is the amazing patisserie on 70th between Columbus and Broadway. Its best things include its cream puffs, its chocolate napoleans, and its tarts, but it does many things very well. I think you are right about the location of Levain. I always want to mispell it. You probably know that they have amazing (and enormous) cookies there.

Edited April 26, 2006 by ckkgourmet (log)

[alanamoana]

If Sarabeth has changed, let me know. I'm eager to be corrected here.

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ny times update

i hope this link works, but i had remembered that the ny times did an update for sarabeth's because they had opened one or two new places. i've personally never eated there, so i can't judge.

[Brad K.]

I've been to the take-out a few times now. While the food can be quite good, even excellent - a problem is often consistency. One time the nutter butter type cookie was fresh, tasy and excellent, another it was very stale and inedible. One time the CBJ sandwich was perfect another they burned the bread while reheating/crisping the sandwich. Last time I ordered the (excellent) quiche, it was ice cold in the center.

T. Keller, a man so obsessive with detail needs to have these consistency issues dealt with.