Fleur De Sel

[LaNiña]

mrs. tommy had lunch there yesterday.  she said it was very good, although the service was off, way off.  the dishes she and her group had were different than the above. 

seems like service at lunch might be a problem.  i wonder if anyone else has noticed this?

What did she eat?

[PaulaJK]

If you are interested in a more leisurely dinner or if

you had planned to enjoy the tasting menu, please

be advised that Fleur de Sel 'decides' not to offer it

on Fridays and Saturdays when they have a lot

of reservations!!

[Suzanne F]

Doesn't Daniel do the same -- that is, not offer the big tasting menu on Fr/Sat?

[Wilfrid]

That's a new departure for Fleur de Sel. I have eaten the tasting menu there at weekends on a number of occasions. Maybe they are trying to turn more tables, as it's a very small room. What a shame.

[foodboy]

That's disappointing, since I'll be going for the first time this Saturday evening. Still, I imagine the prix fixe menu will be enjoyable.

I also noticed that their Web site is down, with a message about non-payment. Maybe they're cash-strapped, and thus the behavior.

[foodboy]

Actually, Paula, can you elaborate a bit on your experience? Did you feel rushed or that you received inadequate service?

[phaelon56]

I ate lunch there today. Had originally planned a birthday dinner for my GF at Gramercy Tavern and then changed the res to Blue Hill based on comments in this forum. Well... ten days ago or so I brought the relationship to an end for a variety of reasons. She was disappointed but fortunately we remain friends. The dinner plans had to be cancelled for unrelated reasons but I decided to take her out for a birthday lunch today. We arrived at GT about 12:40 PM and the room had just filled up - wait was expected to be about 45 minutes. The charming and helpful hostess offered to call Fleur de Sel when I asked whether she knew if they were open. They were indeed so of we went. here's what transpired:

Room was nearly empty - two other couple there when we arrived and two more who came after we did. Nice bright space wiht good music that was low enough to allow conversation and not of a distracting nature. Excellent crusty whole wheat bread served - as good as what I used to make at home years ago when I was into bread - very tasty.

Degustation menu was $20. My friend chose that and has eom sort of broccoli reduction - not quite a soup - more like a puree. It had parmesan shavings that could not be detected and also porcini mushrooms. Eaten wiht the procini's it was an intriguing combination of flavors but by itself it was a trifle bland (not quite enough porcinis for my taste). I had a poached trout appetizer with yogurt coulis, and some sort of small sweet peas or beans - truly excellent and a beutiful presentation.

Next... she had lamb shank that was seerved with white corn and barley. This dish was fair at best in her opinion (which I respect). The lamb was far more gamey than any lamb shank I've eaten previously and a bit overdone (for my taste and hers). i didn't try the corn and barley but she described it as bland and didn't eat more than a few bites of it.

My entree? Veal tenderloin cooked medium rare and served on a bed of madeira sauce, topped with a double crepe that resembled a large thin and very delicate ravioli, filled with sauteed spinach and sweetbreads. Couldn't taste the sweetbreads but this dish was fantastic - one of the best entrees I've had in a long time. Granted... I don't do "fine dining" very often but this dish stands on its own - worth having. She had some sort of dessert with fresh rasberries, a small biscuit and a caramel ganache. Had a tiny sphere of ice cream on it - extremely good - the raspberries literally exploded wiht flavor (but there were only four of them!). I had a concord grape and quince tartare with the same ice cream. Very good, not too sweet and nice and light. The dessert portions, even mine (I was not ordering dessert as part of the degustation menu - it was a separate item at $9), were pitifully small. They looked more like a portion that would be served as part of a dessert tasting menu. Coffee came as two individual french presses and the waiter had pushed the plunger too soon. he poured us each a half cup and left the presses on the table - the brew was watery, weak and pale in color - looked more like tea. I requested a replacement and it was produced in short order but was done a bit soppily - fair amount of grounds in the coffee (a bit of sludge is to be expected in french press coffee but these were sizeable and grainy grounds floating in the coffee. Service was friendly but low key and non-intrusive throughout (which I like).

My overall assessment? Nice place but not worth the money. Lunch for two with one bottle of sparkling water, two coffees, one appetizer, one entree, one dessert and the $20 degustation menu for one:

$111 with tax and a 20% tip. I've had far bettter meals with more generous desserts for far less money. Won't be returning at my own expense but if someone else was treating and the value for $$ was not critical it is a nice room and we enjoyed most of the meal.

[Bux]

Doesn't Daniel do the same -- that is, not offer the big tasting menu on Fr/Sat?

From the Daniel dinner menu web page:

Five Course Seasonal Tasting Menu $120

Eight Course Market Tasting Menu $145

Tasting menus are prepared until 10.30 pm, for the entire table only.

We regret that we are unable to offer the eight course menu

on Friday and Saturday evenings.  

[Wilfrid]

I have been a supporter of Fleur de Sel since it opened (when I lived in the neighborhood). It's been through a few changes, and Cyril Renaud is no longer ever-present in the kitchen. I went back there at the weekend and ate my second meal prepared by his executive chef, Erik Mongno.

One impression I had was that they'd lowered the lighting since I last went. It's such a nice room, and Renaud's oil paintings are pleasant enough to look at, that the extra dinginess seemed a pity.

The menu looked familiar. I took the tasting at $65. A sardine mousse - detectably fresh - sandwiched between two crisp tuiles, could have been larger. Then, as luck would have it, I was accidentally served the alternative to the sardine - oysters with a mignonette dressing and a powerful punch of mustard oil. I pointed out the error, and the maitre d' advised me to eat the dish on them.

Next were the goat cheese ravioli with caviar, a successful combination I'd eaten previously.

The most interesting dish of the evening was the cod. Do you know what it's like when a dish slowly grows on you while you're eating it? This was described on the menu as "sauteed", and I was expecting something fried, and maybe a little crispy. I have deep reservations about cod, and still think the British have the best way of dealing with it - dip it in batter and spark it up with acidic garnishes like pickled onions. This turned out to be a rectangle of extremely tender cod fillet, ntohing obviously sauteed about it. My first taste was bland - this is just the kind of dish I am always complaining about. But it was served with some cepes, and in a light mushroom broth. A few more mouthfuls and the real flavor of the cod began to dawn on me. I'd forgotten cod tasted like this. And the earthy mushroom backdrop worked perfectly. Thanks for suprising me.

The meat coarse was a well-judged loin of venison with a beet juice. Fauvist.

Two desserts - a familiar raspberry tuile sandwich with a dab of ice cream, then some chocolate stuff (I am terrible at remembering desserts, I know). I thought I had found a steal on the wine list with a '96 premier cru Savigny-les-Beaune at $62, but in fact it turned out to have lost its legs.

So, only one knockout dish, but a satisfying all-round meal. Tell me my standards are too low, but I will continue to recommend this place.

Edited December 3, 2002 by Wilfrid (log)

[Liza]

Wilfrid,

I'm pleased enjoyed the cod, as I am a supporter of what I think is an under-rated fish. I've probably bored the Cooking board to boredom with my many Friday night cod dinner reports, but I've found a reliable fisherman and find that slow cooking it with just some fresh herbs can be quite transcendent.

Love the description of the venison with beets as fauvist!

[ngatti]

Agreed Liza. It must be impeccably fresh, as I know yours is. I like it to come in with a little rigor. I think people who flat out don't like it, have never eaten it properly fresh.

Nick

[Liza]

Nick, a true gentleman and fellow member of the Fresh Cod Appreciation society.

By the way, my fisherman has monkfish liver these days. Should I start another thread with that information?

And Wilfrid, I made Jean-Georges' beet tartare and it was like a Seurat- only stacked. (Apologies to any female Seurat family members).

[CathyL]

Wilfrid and Liza and cod and monkfish liver are so dreamy.

[Wilfrid]

...it was like a Seurat- only stacked. (Apologies to any female Seurat family members).

That could take me off onto a discussion of a, er, revealing production of "Sunday in the Park" I saw in DC this summer. But let me focus. I have frequently found cod used in upscale restaurants as a kind of blank canvas for whatever sauce or garnish takes the chef's fancy. Any flavor of the fish being thereby eradicated. I particularly recall disliking Paul Liebrandt's cod in curry sauce at Atlas (although the rest of the meal was enjoyable). This dish was an eye-opener.

[cabrales]

Wilfrid -- What were your impressions of the service from the maitre d' (is it still the Asian American gentleman)?

[Wilfrid]

Yes, the same guy. I am biassed because I got on very well with the first maitre d', a well-upholstered French gentleman. I have no idea why he left. I find the current maitre d' correct and courteous, but perhaps a little reserved. Service is not as jolly as it used to be; which is not necessarily to say it isn't better.

[jaybee]

Do you know what it's like when a dish slowly grows on you while you're eating it?

There was this dish I used to eat in Topeka....

Thank you Wilfrid for the update on FdS. I have every intention of eating there as soon as possible and would enjoy making a EG party with any who'd like to during a weekday evening. PM me please if you do.

[La Niña]

jaybee, you know I'll go anywhere with you, any time...

[tommy]

Wilfrid and Liza and cod and monkfish liver are so dreamy.

and nick too.

[jaybee]

That's a PM? How will we ever keep our torrid affair a secret?

[Liza]

Count me in, Jaybee. SHould be able to give you my listening report to Jay Jay Johnson - The Emininet, Volume 1.

SOrry, thread police!

[Sandra Levine]

Alan and I will be at Fleur de Sel on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m.

Edited December 10, 2002 by Sandra Levine (log)

[jaybee]

And Ellen and I will be there with four friends on Friday Dec. 13th at

8 PM. Willyou leave a note for us Sandra?

[Sandra Levine]

Too bad it won't be Thursday!

[yvonne johnson]

Funny, we'll be there with a couple of friends on Sat 14th. Should make for some interesting posts.