As I continue my fan-girl like obsession with Anthony Bourdain, I continue to get lost in the Internet sites saying, “This is Bourdain’s favorite restaurant”. The list goes on and on, and quite frankly it is very hard to weed out Bourdain’s authentic favorites.
As I visited the eighteenth site trying to choose my next Bourdain approved restaurant, I came to a conclusion that the only truly authentic recommendation would come from his mouth directly- or his keyboard. Thus, I turned to Twitter.
After “creeping” on his Twitter feed, I finally found his personal recommendations, once again for French cuisine.
This time, my Bourdain adventure took me to midtown, Lincoln Center to be exact. Well, across the way from Lincoln Center that is- Bar Boulud.
Being that it is the season of Restaurant week, I decided to order off the special pre fixe menu. I started with the Soupe De Topinambour, or sunchoke soup, the proceeded to the Epaule (pork), and finished with Entremet Chocolat-Cacahouete for dessert.
From the fashion week models strutting down stairs to the restroom in their dresses that basically condoned frostbite to the man in a tight scarf trying desperately to woo the blonde across from him with anecdotes of his house in the Hamptons, the atmosphere just screamed New York. Placed in between other high quality restaurants, the windows at the front have an impeccable view of Broadway, Hotel Empire, and of course, the Lincoln Center.
The meal itself was a warm welcome after the bitterness outside. The soup was the perfect way to begin my meal, taking away that last bit of chill still nipping at my toes. It was very thick, almost reminiscent of chowder, with a perfect circle of mushrooms and toasted hazelnuts in the middle. The hazelnuts truly brought out the nuttiness of the sunchoke, highlighting its root-like taste. At the same time, the mushrooms added a hint of sweetness to the soup to make it a truly well-rounded starter.
The main course itself was my personal favorite. Epaule is essentially pork from Raven & Boar that is braised for ten hours and then served with faro risotto and mushrooms. The dish itself reminds me of something my French grandmother would serve me after a terrible break up. The dish was very heavy, and delightfully delicious. The pork fell apart just by slightly prodding at it with the tongs of the fork, braised in a mild, buttery sauce, and lightly seasoned. The dish truly highlighted the distinct flavors of the pork, rather than that of the sauce, which I found to be very refreshing. The risotto was also a good compliment, with mild flavors to really accentuate the meat. The dish was very well done, and I understand now why the managers chose to highlight this particular dish on the restaurant week menu.
Lastly, the dessert was a great end to a great meal. Unlike the other aspects of the dinner, this dish reminded me more of a modern, upscale type of dish more than comfort food. In the middle of the plate there was a chocolate biscuit, topped with dollops of rice crispies. Served on the side was a peanut caramel that reminded me of a deconstructed salted nut roll, and a scoop of milk ice cream on a bed of cookie pieces and a sheet of chocolate. Each separate part was very light, and a nice end to a heavy, comfort food-based meal.
Bourdain said Bar Boulud was good, and after visiting the place in flesh this week, I can confirm that Bourdain still does in fact know what good food is.
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