Cafe d'Alsace

[Sneakeater]

Cafe d'Alcase is a new Alsacian restaurant on the Upper East Side, at the corner of 88th St. and 2nd Ave.

It's very good. It's not great. Perhaps one problem that Manhattan diners of a certain age have with Alsacian food is that we were introduced to it by Andre Soltner at Lutece. No 2nd Ave. brasserie is going to approach that. If you go with more realistic expectations, this place is head and shoulders above the mediocre eateries that line this street.

My "appetizer" (more on this later) was something with a long German name* that I couldn't pretend to be able to remember, described by the menu as semolina "gnocchi" in a creamed truffle sauce. I suppose you could compare them to gnocchi if you ignored that they were fried. They ate well, though.

I couldn't avoid ordering the Baekoffe for my entree. As most of you probably know, this is a sort of stew in which lamb and other meats are braised, along with vegetables, in a white wine. This is a very good dish, well prepared here.

I had no dessert.

The wine list is fairly extensive -- going way beyond Alsace -- and, while not mind-bogglingly expensive, is not cheap. I had a half bottle of an Alsacian chardonnay/auxerre [sp?]/pinot blanc blend that was as close to perfect with this food as you could imagine. As you'd expect (or at least hope), there's also a good beer selection.

Service was fairly attentive. But they served my appetizer along with my entree! Is this decidedly European place going Pan-Asian with their serving philosophy? More likely, I think, is that I came in after 10 p.m. on an early weeknight and they wanted to move me along.

Prices were fair, albeit not low. I'm bad at remembering this, but I'd say that entrees were probably in the mid-to-upper twenties, appetizers in the teens.

I don't love Cafe d'Alsace the way I do the vaguely comparable Blaue Gans. Within the sphere of Alsacian food, I don't think the food here is quite as good as the Alsacian dishes on the menu of db Bistro (now that they have an Alsacian chef). I wouldn't travel to Cafe d'Alsace as a destination. OTOH, as far as I'm concerned, it's one of the best dining options in its neighborhood, and I'm very happy to see it there.

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* My waiter, who looked like he was about 17 but probably was in his early 20s (and French), remarked on how strange it was that the dish had a German name. I remarked that a lot of people died deciding whether Alsace was German or French. "But Alsace is completely French!" he responded. I guess news of WWI hasn't reached his generation yet.

Edited April 9, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[ewindels]

Dined here last Thursday, and have to agree that it's fine, but no great shakes. Mind you, I've never been to Alsace, so I can't comment on authenticity or comparisons. And it doesn't seem fair to mention Soltner in connection with this modest little boite (as has been done by the press). It's a perfectly decent neighborhood joint, the kind of place I wouldn't mind having in my area. I was mightily impressed to observe a well dressed, willowy blonde of a certain age packing away an order of choucroute with gusto, sauerkraut and all.

Three of us split a tarte flambe, which was fine. Beet salad and a frisee aux lardons were both very nice, particularly the latter even without the egg. My ballotine of duck also very correct and satisfying. I also had the Baekhoffe, which was also probably very correct, but to my taste kind of dull: not great quality chunks of lamb stewed with sliced of potatoes and carrots and leeks in a dull broth. At an Alsatian chalet in winter with a hearty burgundy and a roaring fire, this would probably make a better impression. At a bistro in New York, it was kinda anh. A companion's steak frites also didn't make much impression, the fries in particular being of the flaccid, flavorless variety so ubiquitous in New York currently. A special fo short ribs were by far the best, accompanied by truffled celeriac puree.

A special dessert of rhubarb tart with meringue was an unhappy mess, the pastry tough, the rhubarb lacking in flavor and the whole thing dissolving into mush after two forkfuls. I split three cheeses with a companion, all fine but not particularly outstanding. Two bottles of a red from the Bandol turned out to be a little more than we needed, but got polished off nonetheless. Just under $100 a person (note however the four apps and two bottles of wine).

Service was fine, if a little slow, even early in the evening. My only real complaint was the size of the tables, which are far too small: we had to stash a third of our materials at the table next to us (mercifully empty). Even for two people this table wouldn't have worked properly and we were three!

If you live in the area, it seems like a perfectly fine place to visit on occassion. If you don't, I can't say it's worth making a trip for. But people who've actually been to Alsace might feel differently.

[Megan Blocker]

I agree with Sneakeater - this is not a destination restaurant, but it's a strong addition to the neighborhood.

I had dinner here tonight with my friend Cristin, and we had a great time. Now, if you take wine, me, and Cristin and shake them all up together, it's always going to be good. But the ambience and food tonight definitely helped.

We started out with two drinks at the bar. A rose and glass of Champagne for me, and a glass of Bordeaux and then one of Champagne for Cristin. We got there early on purpose, in order to check out the bar scene. It was hopping, though most of the seats were taken by folks eating dinner.

We were seated relatively promptly, by an only-slightly snotty hostess. We ordered a bottle of Gerwurtzraminer, and I started with la moelle (the bone marrow and toast). At 8.75, I expected one marrow bone. I got three huge ones, and could not make my way through it. I could have used a little more parsley, but other than that, all was good. Cristin got a kick out of watching me spread the alternately light and dark bits all over my toast.

We both had specials for our mains...I had the duck confit, and Cristin the seafood risotto. The confit was good - not unbelievable, but solid. It was served inside of a mashed potato cake, topped with toasted breadcrumbs, and surrounded by a wine reduction. Also on the side was a nicely tart green salad. The risotto was great - two huge head-on shrimp, two large diver scallops, and lots of veggies, including some gorgeous, fat asparagus.

Dessert was a glass of Sauternes (me) and one of Muscat (Cristin). We also split the mandiant, which was like a delicate bread pudding with cream on the side.

Service (aside from the hostess) was excellent and attentive, and the entire evening was less than $100/person, start to finish. All in all, a good, solid night. I'm thrilled to have a decent French neighborhoody place nearby.

Edited May 14, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Robin Meredith]

We visited Cafe D'Alsace for a light early dinner last night. The inside seating was completely booked, but they were able to accomodate us at an outside table. We are big Tarte Flambe fans, so I've been looking forward to visiting this place ever since it opened.

When the Tarte Flambe arrived at our table (about four minutes after we placed our order, a very bad sign), it was one of those moments when you know just by looking at the plate that you are in trouble. It was about six inches in diameter, completely dry (no moisture whatsoever from melted cheese or cream), aggressively carmelized on top, with a crust that was so chewy it was hard to tear - the thing just stretched rather than breaking. There was a faint hint of onion flavor but the onions themselves were imperceptible. I'm not sure what this was, but it wasn't Tarte Flambe.

On the other hand, a grilled pork sausage was decent, and the beer list is definitely interesting. Not a representative meal given how little we ordered, but the Tarte Flambe is a major problem.

[Megan Blocker]

Not a representative meal given how little we ordered, but the Tarte Flambe is a major problem.

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Adam Platt didn't much like the tarte flambe either! I have to admit, I thought I saw it at a next-door table, and that's what pushed me to order the bone marrow instead. Hopefully, though, they'll see Platt's review (and maybe yours!) and will work on it accordingly.

Here's a link to Platt's review! He gave Cafe D'Alsace one star overall.

[TarteTatin]

We'll be in NY Thursday, have been to Alsace, France, and love good tarte flambe (flammekuche), as well as good kougelhopf, etc. Can't find anyplace in Philly for it.

Has anyone been to Cafe d'Alsace recently, have they improved?

[Nathan]

I should note that there is an excellent tarte flambe at Bar Room at the Modern.

I have not eaten at Cafe Alsace but overall I've heard good things...

[Megan Blocker]

We'll be in NY Thursday, have been to Alsace, France, and love good tarte flambe (flammekuche), as well as good kougelhopf, etc. Can't find anyplace in Philly for it.

Has anyone been to Cafe d'Alsace recently, have they improved?

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Too funny - I have a reservation here on Thursday night, too! Sorry I'm not going Wednesday - if I were, I could give a full report.

[TarteTatin]

No, the too funny part, is that we made reservations before I saw that you are already going as well! We'll be there at 7:15 (early so we can get back to Philly later).

I'll look for you, or IM me. (your picture is on the sig)

Food best be good, for both parties!

[Megan Blocker]

No, the too funny part, is that we made reservations before I saw that you are already going as well! We'll be there at 7:15 (early so we can get back to Philly later).

I'll look for you, or IM me. (your picture is on the sig)

Food best be good, for both parties!

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Indeed!

So, I did get the chance to meet Mr. and Mrs. TarteTatin, and can report to the community at large that they are lovely people, and that they did their fair share to enrich the NYC economy today.

I had dinner with my mother at Cafe d'Alsace tonight, and it was a very nice meal. The maitre d' was adorable when I came in:

"Hi, I'm Megan Blocker, I have a reservation for 2 at 7:30, but I'm the only one here so far."

"Wait, are you THE Megan Blocker?"

"Um, I suppose so..."

"There are some people here who really want to say hello to you!"

And so I got to chat with the Tatin's for a few minutes before settling down at the bar with Sense and Sensibility and a glass of pinot gris to wait for Maman, who called to report that she was battling for a cab in Midtown.

We finally sat down to dinner at about 8:00 (fine by me, bad because she was meeting my brother at 9:30 at 52nd and 10th). I ordered la moelle (the bone marrow) and a special scallops main, and my mom ordered a special tomato salad and the pork sausage.

The tomato salad was delicious, but my mom started eating before I could get a pic! Living as she does in California, she's not used to my food photography quite yet. The moelle was lovely and over-generous as usual; they could do to serve it with a couple more slices of toast...

My scallops were delicious - not quite as firm or as sweet as I would have wished for if I could have any scallops on earth, but good nonetheless. They came with a medley of veggies (haricots verts, asparagus, carrots) and some wild rice. Lovely, but not terribly photogenic. Mom's sausage was also really good, served with a sweet (with riesling, I assume) sauerkraut and two kinds of mustard.

For dessert, we split the mandiant, a sweet brioche with fruit and a thick, creme anglaise-like sauce poured over it. I love that dessert...

Yet again, the service was friendly and prompt, and the meal was highly enjoyable. It's pretty loud in there, something my mom really noticed - it wasn't as much of an issue with a 26 year old and a 34 year old, which was the demographic on my last visit.

I left with the same conclusion I made in May - a great addition to the neighborhood, and even more so now that you can get a reservation even when you call only 24 hours ahead.

Edited July 28, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[TarteTatin]

Yes, Ms. Megan was a delight!

We had a great trip to NYC yesterday, a mini vacation in a day. Went to L'absinthe for lunch (see "Plateau" post), and overindulged in a second meal at Cafe D'alsace at night before "training" home.

We arrived to our reservation trying to seat us at the back by the bathrooms, and then another crowded table. When we asked for a table by the front window, they said yes...

The Tarte D'alsace/Flammekuche was delicious. We each had one. It wasn't at all like the one's in Alsace. We were dreaming of carmelized onions, lardon, and creme fraiche...or something similar.

This was simply a thin, tasty pizza. But it was good.

Oh, to start, we asked for Pastis, which the waitress had never heard of. She thought we were talking about the restaurant Pastis. We explained it was a drink that one relaxes with, while perusing the menu. We spelled it for her. It was Licorice. So we educated her a bit. Surprisingly, they only had Pernod (I believe, from the taste), no Ricard or even Artisinal Pastis. No Pineau de charentes/Ratafia, on the drink menu. Hmmm. Alsace region?

For entrees, hubby had Charcroute. This was the best I've ever tasted. The big cast iron pot that they served it in was strange at first, but then he adapted and liked it. Instead of separate potatoes, sauerkraut and meats, (like in Alsace) they were all melded together. Fresh juniper berries, with sauerkraut with bits of meat in it...and the potatoes mixed in as well. Not just sausages, but bits of meat interspersed throughout.

I had the Quenelles. I love the old fashioned lobster rich laden ones I get in France. Although, after last nights, I realize they don't seem as homemade as these! These were heavier than I've had, sort of like Matzah Balls, but with regular fish and crayfish or something, and bits of veg inside, no filler, very tasty...and not as rich, which is a good thing. There were 4 pieces served with probably a pound of more (no kidding), of sauteed spinach, also some nice asparagus pieces and some haricot verts.

Although the menu was full of Alsace wine which we adore...at a good price...we saw an Austrian Gruner Veltniler for $23! Okay, it was a screw top, and the Sommelier thought that was funny. It was the most inexpensive choice on the menu, I believe, but that's not why we chose it. We have a friend that sells Austrian wine in NY, and has started to educate us quite a bit. This was light and tasty.

We split the same dessert as Megan, above. The Mandiant. Delicious. Truly. I'm not a dessert lover, and it was great.

He had a Kirsch from Trimbach, I had a Muscat de Beaume de Venise.

Dinner was about $150?? Can't remember.

A certainly indulgent day in NY. Slept on the train home to Philly. Took a cab home.