It's restaurant week again, folks. You don't always get the best dishes on the restaurant week prix fixe menu, but it's still a good excuse to meet up with your friends over a good meal. Last night, we went to Bar Boulud and ordered from its $38 restaurant week menu.
Bar Boulud is a chic and casual French bistro owed by Daniel Boulud, one of the most celebrated chefs in NYC. Upon entrance, you will see arched cavern-like space furnished with blonde-wood booths and a big communal table, promising an intimate and personal experience at the first glance.
We arrived early and sat at the bar. To my big surprise, we didn't get any service for a good 5-10 minutes, the longest wait I've ever had in any Daniel Boulud franchise. We asked the lady at the door to ring us whenever a table opened up, and she never did. After sitting at the bar, eyeing all the empty tables and gradually burning out our patience, we asked an waitress if we could get a table. And we got it in two minutes... OK, I knew this was a casual restaurant and I should not expect the same "kind" of service as in Boulud Sud, but, given the price tag, I felt truly entitled to service of the same "level"!
Since we are at the price tag, Bar Boulud have an impressively deep wine list that goes all the way up to the north of $3,000 / bottle (I didn't flip through the whole list... no, I mean "the whole dictionary"... of course). Unfortunately they do not offer half bottles or quartinos that wine lovers are so crazy about. So we decided to go by glass. We started with something light and fruity, and moved on to Syrah that had a little more body as the meal came. Wines were good, but they could have poured a little more.
OK. Enough complaints. Here comes the best part: the food.
Bar Boulud knows how to serve simple food to its simple perfection. The pate was impeccable. The duck confit was crispy and tender. I was not a big fan of its chocolate tart, but it was not the end of the world. All my grudges were soon washed down by the fantastic food, fine wine, and bubbly conversation. I had a good time!
Overall, I would give a 3.5/5.0 to Bar Boulud. Food was great, but its service was definitely not in par with its less casual siblings. Its casual ambiance was deadly charming and could have made it an ideal romantic dating spot, provided their service was upgraded from coach to first-class cabin. Till that day, I strongly suggest you avoid the risk and take your date to Boulud Sud, which is only blocks away.
纽约，纽约
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