Landmarc

[Fat Guy]

I'm looking for an excuse to be in that neighborhood around lunchtime one of these days. I'm going to get a fried pepper and egg baguette ($7), a half-bottle of that Spanish red ($9), and a slice of lemon tart ($3), and I'm going to be happy.

[slkinsey]

I wish they had lunch on weekends.

[oakapple]

This is the most important New York wine list of the 21st Century. Has Wine Spectator done a feature on this yet? Has the New York Times dispatched its new head wine writer to champion Landmarc's bold undertaking? Overall this wine list has the lowest wine markups I've ever seen in New York City. It is nothing short of radical to price wine this way, and if Landmarc can make it up on volume and other restaurants copy it, we will have seen a turning point in the history of wine list pricing.

I'm particularly curious about the decision to offer so many half-bottles. You don't often find half-bottles in stores. Does the restaurant have to make a side deal with a few vineyards? Or, do certain vineyards make a point of marketing half-bottles just to the restaurant industry?

[Pan]

I frankly don't understand why half-bottles are so uncommon in restaurants, so I posted a thread on half-bottles on the Wine Forum. I'm quite ignorant about the issues involved in deciding to provide half-bottles or decline to provide them, and I encourage your participation in the new thread, if you're interested.

[Fat Guy]

I've also started a Landmarc-inspired spinoff thread on the wine forum, called World's Best-Priced Wine Lists. If you follow that link you'll find a list of a bunch of Landmarc's prices on both half and full bottles.

[bronihk]

Did we touch on the issue of mussels yet? We had some mussels with pesto and cherry tomatoes, and the were terrific. The sauce -- kind of a pesto broth -- was so good we burned through two baskets of bread sopping it up. Marc Murphy told us that when they opened it took them a few days to figure out why bread consumption was so high; turned out it was the sauces with the mussels. "It's a good problem to have!" he laughed.

i had posted a few weeks back mentioning that we were thinking of going here for a graduation dinner and now feel the need to post a follow-up on our dinner becuase we loved it that much. most everything bordered on perfect, as has been noted here by a variety of other posters. i suppose i need not re-hash the fact that the buttery rib eye w. green peppercorn sauce was a delight and that the frisse aux lardon was one of the better that i have ever ever tasted (those lardons are HUGE! and the perfect poached egg!), but i did want to mention my one tiny disappointment since mussles were brought up...i got them provencal since someone at the table was already getting the basic white wine/parsley sauce and i have to say, i wasn't that pleased. maybe i just dont like big chunks of vegetables (i think eggplant, tomoto, zuchinni, all of which i love) in with my mussles but i also found it to be a bit bland; i wish had had been into them enough to sop the sauce up with 2 baskets worth of bread, but such was not the case...didn't hold a candle to my partner's tradionally done bucket (and i mean bucket...the large was gigantic) of mussles; those were excellent. the fries were heaven with the homemade (i'm assuming) mayo.

not sure if this was brought up but: how awesome were the in-house caramels they give you at the end of dinner...like butter!

[Artichoke]

I have eaten at Landmarc twice in the past two weeks and each time has been excellent. I would highly reccomend the roasted marrow bones as a starter. Three tall bones, fat with marrow, served with grilled bread, onion marmalade and a side of coarse salt. They were running it as an occasional special and over the past week added it permantly to the menu because of popular response. It is fantastic. Few things are as luxuriously rich and beefy as good marrow and Landmarc does them justice.

As has been previosly mentioned on this board the sweetbreads were delicious, simply breaded lightly and fried, served over greenbeans and a light sauce with a touch of vinegar in it.

The sauteed calf's liver was with no exageration the best I have ever had. A very thick cut, the size of a fist, seared crisp on one side, served medium rare over mash potatos, sauteed onions and lightly crushed fresh peas.

For dessert one night I had the cheese platter, it was not very impressive. The gorganzola dolce was perfectly ripe and creamy, the other three were very mediocre. A bland 2 year old gouda (it is better when it is older), an ordinary chunk of parmesan, and a very mild tasting goat cheese. What should be had for dessert is Landmarcs great blueberry cobbler. Served in a ramekin, I liked it because it was not too sweet.

I had a great wine one evening I had not tried before, Quintessa 2000, from Napa. It is an expensive bottle at $95, but if you like a big red wine with very deep berry flavors, this is the one. I have never had a wine's flavor linger in my mouth as long as this one did.

[JennyUptown]

Nice post, Artichoke.

[tommy]

this is a super place, for what it is. i've had several meals there. some random thoughts:

i can't afford to *not* drink that 9 dollar 1/2 bottle rioja.

the burger is good, but smaller than i expected. the bun to burger ratio was way off and it took some surgery on the top of the bun to get it to a reasonable level.

the carbonara was super, if not a bit cheesy. the bacon was excellent.

the ham and cheese sandwich is a perfect lunch.

the greens always seem like they were dressed 8 hours earlier, and are really a waste. it would be nice if they were crisp and spot on.

hanger steak was marinated and sweet/salty. just as it should be. and cooked perfectly with a great char.

mussels are outstanding. i'm looking forward to burning through the other 4 or so sauces they offer. plump, and delicious.

the no reserveration policy is annoying.

Edited May 20, 2004 by tommy (log)

[slkinsey]

Welcome to eGullet, Artichoke. Interesting that you went straight for the same dishes as I, namely things like marrow, liver, sweetbreads, etc.

[Artichoke]

That is the kind of food that I love the most, both eating it and cooking it. Had I known about your offal crawl, I would have certainly joined you. I truely enjoyed reading those posts.

[tommy]

what is the marrow listed as on the menu? i've never seen it.

[Fat Guy]

It's the second appetizer, roasted marrow bones, right after the onion soup.

[tommy]

It's the second appetizer, roasted marrow bones, right after the onion soup.

i must be blind!

[herbacidal]

That is the kind of food that I love the most, both eating it and cooking it. Had I known about your offal crawl, I would have certainly joined you. I truely enjoyed reading those posts.

That's no problem. You can join us for Round Two.

[Artichoke]

Thanks herbacidal, count me in.

[oakapple]

It's Pascale Le Draoulec's turn to review Landmarc. The NY Daily News critic has decidedly mixed impressions in a two-star review:

uch an ambitious menu leaves far too much room for disappointment. While there are lots of perfect dishes here (roasted marrow bones come to mind), many others feel neglected. At Landmarc, less could be so much more. Why, for example, have eight salads on the menu when the first two I tried - the chopped salad and the frisée aux lardons - were so lifeless I wondered if they'd been dressed before the sun came up. That said, a routine endive salad tossed with creamy blue cheese and meaty walnuts was as flawless as its sherry vinaigrette was balanced.

Like Amanda Hesser, he found the desserts disappointing, notwithstanding the bargain price of $3 apiece. He also finds it distinctly odd that a place that won't take a reservation has only a six-seat bar.

Like everyone, he singled out the wine list:

Landmarc's wine list is so thoughtful, interesting and affordable, it earned this place a half star right off the bat. Markups are so astonishingly low (especially on half bottles) they put all other restaurants to shame. If Landmarc can sell a half bottle of Jed Steele 2002 Carneros Pinot Noir for $12, why doesn't everybody else? Half bottles for what some restaurants charge for a single glass? Now that's revolutionary.

Edited May 21, 2004 by oakapple (log)

[Fat Guy]

(she)

[tommy]

Why, for example, have eight salads on the menu when the first two I tried - the chopped salad and the frisée aux lardons - were so lifeless I wondered if they'd been dressed before the sun came up.

since i'm not the only one noticing the issue with the dressing, or pre-dressing, i have to ask how a restaurant could let this type of thing out of the kitchen?

Edited May 21, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Fat Guy]

Could they simply be over-dressing the salads? That can have sort of a similar effect. Although, whatever the problem is, I hope they'll fix it in light of a very important reviewer noticing (Tommy, that is).

[tommy]

Could they simply be over-dressing the salads? That can have sort of a similar effect. Although, whatever the problem is, I hope they'll fix it in light of a very important reviewer noticing (Tommy, that is).

it's just that i love salad, like the idea of serving it with things like steak, and i like the restaurant. but it baffles me!

have their people call me. i'll sort them all out.

[sammy]

Could they simply be over-dressing the salads? That can have sort of a similar effect. Although, whatever the problem is, I hope they'll fix it in light of a very important reviewer noticing (Tommy, that is).

it's just that i love salad, like the idea of serving it with things like steak, and i like the restaurant. but it baffles me!

have their people call me. i'll sort them all out.

Isn't salad for tourists?

[pnapoli]

the grilled quail (with sautéed mushrooms, bacon and cherry tomatoes) is incredibly good here.

[rich]

For the first time in the almost two years I've belonged to egullet, I can say that Mr. Shaw is categorically wrong. He posted that the fois gras pate would be the "best $12 you ever spend." Well, it could have been the best $36 I ever spent -it was that good. Mr. Steve underestimated its value.

The food was top notch, I had a grilled pork chop for an entree and my wife had the saddle of Rabbit for an appetizer and a Hangar Steak for an entree. The wine list is extensive with "liquor store" prices.

The waiter, un-prompted, told me the restaurant was offering a "special" on wine with "liquor store" pricing. So I don't know how long this will last. It has the best half-bottle selection this side of Bern's.

The grill is located five feet behind the bar - I think that's cool. I was talking to the cook for about 10 minutes - very enjoyable.

[bergerka]

Ok, I ate here last night with Sam and Eric Malson.

I have a new favorite place to go and even though it isn't in my 'hood, I firmly intend to become a regular.

The bartender rocks (and is a former opera person who knows our old roommate, how's THAT for a small world).

The food blew me away.

I will post more details when I have time - day job is making me crazy today for various and sundry reasons, but yes, Steven, the mussels with pesto and cherry tomatoes were to DIE FOR.

K