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Bâtard, in The Hallowed, Original Montrachet Space at 239 West Broadway in TriBeCa


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I guess you could call it hallowed ground, that space at 239 West Broadway, where some 30 years ago Drew Nieporent, along with a youthful (weren't we all?) David Bouley, opened Montrachet, their ode to fine French cuisine and, of course, fine wine.  At the time, I was living in the San Francisco Bay area, toiling away in Silicon Valley, barbecuing and grilling in my backyard, and heading to Jeremiah Tower's Stars and Berkeley's gourmet ghetto whenever I got the chance.

Montrachet had a fine run, followed in the same space by Corton, with its esteemed chef Paul Liebrandt.  When PL left (after 5 years) to open The Elm in Williamsburg last summer, Nieporent was cagey about what would happen next with this space that has been a destination for 30 years. Fast forward to May, 2014 and now we know; happily, Significant Eater and I got a taste of it this past weekend.

Along with co-conspirators John Winterman (late of Daniel) and Chef Markus Glocker (late of Gordon Ramsey at The London), Drew and the rest of his team appear to have another winner on their hands. My wet Plymouth Martini was well made and served in a beautiful (though unchilled) glass - I hope the $17 tariff will cover breakage, and Sig Eater's Aviation was just right.

Menus are offered in 2, 3 or 4 courses...
 
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And surprise, surprise...this kitchen can actually figure out how to parse your order, unlike (too) many places that open these days, where the dishes come out of the kitchen when they're ready, not you.  You want 3 savory courses? No problem.  One of you wants to order 3 courses and one wants 4? They can do that - I know because that's what we did; they handled it well, but then again these guys are pros.

Sig Eater's first course was the English pea soup...

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Simple, right?  And just about perfect; the creamy texture of the soup makes those crispy, organ-y sweetbreads even better. Tiny pea tendrils and a salsify crumble add bite and crunch.

Lobster and asparagus make a fine combo, no?

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Indeed, here they do, with the chunks of delicate lobster accompanied by stuffed zucchini blossoms and an expertly fried quail egg.   The kitchen was kind enough (and once again, pro enough) to split my second savory onto two plates, so we didn't have to battle each other for that last spoonful of the insanely rich Parmesan risotto.  Beware - if you order and eat a whole portion of this, your appetite will wane, even with the nettles, ramps and sunchokes doing their best to help ward off the gout.

Sig Eater decided to have beef for her main course...

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The tender strip was fine, but the braised cheek really brought the beef.  Served with a cauliflower puree, baumkuchen (go ahead, look it up), and Romanesco, this ought to satisfy one's cow craving for a while.

And my main? Rabbit, "Flavors of Bouillabaisse," of course.  I had already heard about how good the rabbit was, but I still was knocked out by the tenderness of the bunny.  And the fabulous saffron ravioli didn't hurt either. Take a look at the little ribs served along with the chunks of rabbit...

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Just a fabulous dish.  Dessert, or rather cheese, beckoned, and we shared our order of Époisses, because eating a whole order would have been, well, decadent.  And then, since the kitchen was out of the Key Lime pie, we were comped the Black Forest, which satisfied Sig Eater's chocolate craving (for the night, at least). I ordered the poached stone fruits, which was fine to counter my guilt for eating like a pig, though you'd really have to convince me to order lemon thyme ice cream if any other flavors are available.

And what to drink with all this food?  Well, I'm a wine neophyte, but the by the glass list seems to go along with a broad swath of the menu...

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A pet peeve? Sure. When I asked which wine might go nicely with the lobster, I was poured the most expensive glass of white, and then again with my rabbit. And when Sig Eater asked the same question about her beef, you got it - the most expensive red got poured. And then the 2nd most expensive red for a second glass. So be aware - our wine bill was $111, and the 2 cocktails added another $31. It's not a complaint, just a pet peeve - and a caveat emptor - because I could've just as easily ordered a glass by name. I did that with the risotto course, and enjoyed my choice of the New York Riesling with the rich rice.

As I've mentioned in some previous blog posts, Sig Eater and I are celebrating some big-deal birthdays this year, and we're treating ourselves well. But even if it wasn't a big birthday year, we'll happily return to Bátard.  For a one-week old restaurant, and a first visit, the food and service were fine indeed.

Bátard
239 West Broadway, NYC
(212) 219-2777
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A pet peeve? Sure. When I asked which wine might go nicely with the lobster, I was poured the most expensive glass of white, and then again with my rabbit. And when Sig Eater asked the same question about her beef, you got it - the most expensive red got poured. And then the 2nd most expensive red for a second glass. So be aware - our wine bill was $111, and the 2 cocktails added another $31. It's not a complaint, just a pet peeve - and a caveat emptor - because I could've just as easily ordered a glass by name. I did that with the risotto course, and enjoyed my choice of the New York Riesling with the rich rice.

If you were served the $22 (!) Bourgogne Blanc and the $24 (!) Monthélie without being warned first, you got hosed, and red flags should be raised all over the place. Obviously, I wasn't there so maybe the server assumed you knew, but if not? Let 'em have it, I say, because you got screwed, plain and simple. Can you expand a bit on the circumstances, so other diners won't find themselves in the same situation? Great post, btw.

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Other than the prices, which evidently are high for those wines (from people who know much more about wine than I do, the list seems pricey), the wines went well with what I was eating.  Trust me, I was more aggravated about the $17 Plymouth Martini, when my wife's Aviation was only $14.

You would have loved it when I was recently at Del Posto for dinner at the bar.  My friend asked for a wine to go with his (insanely delicious, btw) oxtail ragu, and without hesitation was poured a $36 glass.

Both places, of course, pour you a taste before filling your glass.

This is NYC - caveat emptor.  Or stay away.

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Last night being Tuesday, I decided to head over to Batard. I'd never been there when it was Corton, only years ago when it was the Montrachet space, toward the end of its run. I was impressed with the dining room, which was bright and modern "“ for the most part unadorned. There are some reliefs carved into the walls, and some decanters on shelves in the bar area, but that's pretty much it for décor.

Like Weinoo, I started with the lobster and asparagus, which was the same preparation that Weinoo had. I really enjoyed the fried zucchini blossom stuffed with lobster, which was the part of the dish that stood out to me. I had a glass of rose' with this course, which I thought was fairly priced at $9.

Looking through the mains, which are also the same as when Weinoo was there, I was torn between the branzino and the veal. The description of the juniper broth sold me on the branzino, and I wasn't disappointed. The branzino was perfectly roasted "“ two filets resting on top of each other in an extremely aromatic broth, with a portion of ratatouille alongside. My waiter recommended a manzanilla sherry with this course, which was both unexpected (to me), and solidly in the middle pricewise at $12. I was very pleased with the pairing, particularly with the broth. All in all, I enjoyed this dish although I felt that the ratatouille was great on its own, but suffered a bit when mixed with the juniper broth "“ I felt that the broth made the ratatouille more acidic, although this is a minor quibble.

Key Lime pie is my favorite desert of all time, and this version did not disappoint. A portion of the key lime pie was charred (sorry, no better descriptor and I don't take pics), which caramelized a bit of the sugar and provided a nice contrast to an otherwise very traditional key lime pie. Also providing contrast was an herb ice cream. The ice cream didn't taste of any one specific herb to me, but was pleasantly astringent, cutting the richness of the key lime custard.

All in all, I really enjoyed Batard and expect it will be very popular. Seems like they are executing what can be called for lack of a better term "modern fine dining". Lighter, traditionally prepared food with a European bent, in a modern room with knowledgeable, relatively informal service. Speaking of the service, I thought the wait staff was very knowledgeable and attentive "“ always offered a taste of wines by the glass, even offering to taste several in the event I wasn't sure about the sherry. The only quibble I might have was with the pacing of the meal, although as a solo diner that may not be fair, and I would expect that a two top would have been paced more leisurely. I'd make a reservation here now, or through the summer, because it'll be packed once the review comes out and/ or summer in NYC ends, whichever comes first.

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Back at Batard this Wednesday evening. Once again a fantastic meal, and a bargain, given the quality of the ingredients. The place was absolutely packed, however the room remained quiet enough for easy conversation. We  Started off with a bottle of '06 Parent "Les Epenots", figuring that the more robust pommard would stand up to a variety of courses - it was signing nearly off the bat, and many thanks to the sommilier for steering us away from a Gaunoux Corton-Renardes that he didn't think was what it should be ('95 vintage, so maybe not terribly surprising).

Canadian Lobster (carrot fondue, salsify, chervil): Classic flavors, beautifully presented. I didn't understand the "fondue" portion of the dish, as it seemed more like a sauce, but worked well with the lobster. Didn't get much chervil taste in here - it has been powdered and placed on the plate, so it may be that I didn't drag the lobster through it enough.

Duck Breast (persimmon, mushroom crepe, duck liver mousse) may well have been the best duck dish I have had - at least in recent memory. Paired perfectly with the burgundy. A very generous portion of duck, cooked perfectly, along with a crisp mushroom crepe (almost more like a spring roll, actually), and the duck liver mousse, which provided a different textural component to the dish.

Our waiter chose four cheeses as a final course, which I had along with a saussignac from chateau la peyral that was an excellent accompaniment, and pretty herbaceous for a dessert wine. A quick meal in that I would have opted for a four or 5 course were my dining companion up for it, so next time I guess.

Outside of the wine, two courses was $55/ person, cheese extra. Hard to imagine anywhere in NYC delivering more bank for your buck in this category right now.

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My cousin and his wife took @MichaelBDC and I to Batard during our recent trip to NYC. We chose to have four courses ($82) and ended up drinking two bottles of wine. I don't remember many details from that evening, but the lasting impression of just how wonderful the evening was, from the ambience of the restaurant, to the service, and especially the food. The highlight was @MichaelBDC's celeriac tortellini with black truffles. I also enjoyed the duck breast for my main course.

Have to agree with Keithstg's assessment from over two years ago that this restaurant give you a lot of bang for your buck. $82 for four courses at a highly rated fine dining restaurant (if Michelin guide and New York Times stars mean anything to you) is a great deal for NYC and even compared to DC prices. 

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I've said it before, and it bears repeating - Batard is the best fine-dining deal in NYC. Was there last week,  and despite restaurant week crowds Batard delivered a wonderful experience. We opted out of the restaurant week menu and the three of us sampled the majority of the "regular" menu dishes. I started off with the Octopus Pastrami, which was reminiscent of David Dunlap's Octopus carpaccio from his Ashby Inn days (with the addition of pastrami spices, obv).  The octopus was bound into a terrine and served warm-ish, along with ham hock, pommery mustard and roasted new potatoes. The ham hock was a nice accompaniment to the octopus, as was the mustard, which helped cut the richness of the dish. Not sure why it's obligatory to include potatoes in each Octopus dish,  but there they were. Didn't add a ton, but didn't detract either.The others in our group had the foie terrine (duck confit,  apricot, mache salad, hazelnut viniagrette) and the scallop crudo (avocado mousse, lime, radish, black sesame) both of which were excellent - but when is foie ever bad?

We then moved on to a pasta course, where I had the rabbit sausage (spigarello, preserved lemon). This dish was flawless, and my favorite of the night. Really not much else to say about it other than every component worked harmoniously. Reminiscent of a Roberto Donna prepared risotto, back before I stopped patronizing his establishments. In fact, all of the pasta dishes were standouts - the others being sunflower seed pasta (roasted quail, spinach and olive oil) and agnolotti (taleggio, caramelilzed onions,  roasted tomatoes, parmesan). I got a bite of the sunflower seed pasta and it was also excellent.

Although the pasta dishes were the standouts, mains were no slouches either. I had the lamb, which included the rack and leg, along with runner beans, romesco and pistacios. The rack was a bit more rare than anticipated - I would have prefered less than 30 seconds more in the oven, but was still good. The leg was compressed into a terrine-like square and was excellent. Other mains included steamed black bass (goldbar squash, tomato, black olive) and a pork schnitzel, although I have waited too long to document the dish and it' already off menu - replaced by a roasted chicken dish now, I believe.

Wines were two burgundies - a 2010 Domaine LeFlaive Puligny-Montrachet and a 2008 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle - Musigny. Both were singing. We skipped dessert/ cheese and headed over to Compagnie des vins Surnaturels for wine and cheese, but had another truly memorable meal. Service was excellent and the pacing was also on point - at no point did we feel rushed, despite a huge crowd for mid-week in August. Batard continues to provide tremendous value and a fantasic overall experience.

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On 2/23/2018 at 10:28 AM, kitkatpaddywak said:

I am struggling with where to celebrate my 44th. It will be either here, or Le Bernardain. First world dining problems:rolleyes:

Tough call. Le Bernardin is amazing, and puts any seafood centric restaurant in this area to shame. I’m up in NY next week and will be at The Grill and Le B back to back. Will be sure to report in.

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Realizing I haven't posted in over 2 years since we moved from DC to NYC. Not sure what made me decide to sign in tonight... I think I've missed this.

We've been to both Le Bernardin and Batard recently. They are very different restaurants and I think the answer to your question totally depends on what you are looking for. Batard is going to be a much more relaxed meal from the food to the atmosphere. I like the format of the menu at Batard and the flexibility it offers to create your own adventure.  If you are going on a Monday night, Batard has free corkage. We usually go there on a Monday night for that reason, though their wine list is exceptional and well curated. 

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15 minutes ago, lekkerwijn said:

Realizing I haven't posted in over 2 years since we moved from DC to NYC. Not sure what made me decide to sign in tonight... I think I've missed this.

We've been to both Le Bernardin and Batard recently. They are very different restaurants and I think the answer to your question totally depends on what you are looking for. Batard is going to be a much more relaxed meal from the food to the atmosphere. I like the format of the menu at Batard and the flexibility it offers to create your own adventure.  If you are going on a Monday night, Batard has free corkage. We usually go there on a Monday night for that reason, though their wine list is exceptional and well curated. 

I must admit I have been dreaming of a meal at Le Bernardin ever since I personally met the silver fox, aka Eric Ripert in DC many moons ago. I also follow John Winterman, the maitr’de extraordinaire  on social media. To answer your question, I just want a great meal paired with superb wines. This, I imagine can be executed at both establishments. I guess Ill jusy flip a coin, and it will depend on what hotel Ill be staying at. I want to be able to walk to the restaurant. So we shall see, and I will certain report back.

industry groupie,

kat

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