I have always wanted to eat at Balthazar. After many years of
fruitlessly trying to go to Balthazar, I finally succeeded. Maybe it
was the way the restaurant teased me over these past few years that I
had become thoroughly intrigued: The restaurant’s Parisian frontage and
the crowds of diners seen through the windows beckoned me. Maybe it was
the promise of la vie Bohème. From afar Balthazar has that
je-ne-sais-quoi look, but from up close it seems just a bit faux and
overdone. I think the restaurant tries too hard to look authentic with
its crackled mirrors, dark paneling, and dim light fixtures.
To
make sure I got in this time, I made reservations almost three weeks in
advance, but I still could not get the specific time I wanted. Still
the eventual time was suitable enough for a stress-relieving Friday
night out this past week with my friend Amanda of the Undomestic Goddess.
When we arrived, one of the many hostesses confirmed that indeed the
reservation was made, but then told us to wait for the maître d’ to
direct us to our seats. A little confusion followed in which we were
stormed by a large group coming from the bar area and then another
group entering. We almost didn’t get served—a somewhat sordid start to
an evening meant for relaxing.
At
our seats we unloaded our winter gear, though checking our coats might
have been a better idea as my chair decided to do a somersault later
on. I already knew what I wanted to order from the menu, of course I
had just about memorized it over the years, so we ordered almost right
away. While we awaited our food, we very much enjoyed the Balthazar
Bakery breads. The bakery always has the freshest artisanal goods. The
only caveat was that the butter could have been at room temperature.
For an appetizer we ordered the grilled squid with lemon roasted
potatoes and arugula. The squid was good but a bit too salty, whereas
the potatoes were underseasoned, overcooked, and sour. I had no fault
with the arugula except that it seemed out of place. I think the dish
would have been better if it had just been the squid with a squeeze of
lemon.
We decided to enjoy our evening with more than just the
wine-by-the-glass offerings. I ordered a reasonably priced 15-ounce
carafe of Côtes du Rhône. When asked about the wine the waitress seemed
knowledgeable and was able to describe the differences between the two
choices of red wines by the carafe. We decided upon the Le Grange de
Piaugier for its full-bodied blend of Syrah and Grenache. With the $18
carafe we each had about a glass and a half of wine.
For entrées
I ordered the grilled lamb T-bones with potatoes Dauphinoise. It was a
very good choice, but it needed some salt. I usually never salt in
restaurants, but the meat and potatoes required it. I wished that some
vegetables might have been provided. In this day and age where
nutritionists tell us that half our plate should be made up of
vegetables, this plate didn’t have any. It took a while to carve off
all the little bits of meat from the two T-bones I got and I didn’t
want to let any go to waste. Most of the evening was spent with my
friend Amanda watching me carve my meat. She ordered the duck confit
with crispy potatoes and frisée salad. The duck was succulent with
crispy skin with only a few dry bits of meat here and there. The
potatoes on the other hand were akin to a bag of potato ships. So I
ended up donating half my potatoes to Amanda to make her meal a little
more satisfying.
We originally were set to share one dessert,
but we felt we still had plenty of room for our own desserts. Sometimes
it's just better to keep one's dessert to oneself. The warm chocolate
cake with white chocolate ice cream was standard faire, however,
nowhere near as good as those expertly made by Johnny Iuzzini at Jean Georges.
The caramelized banana ricotta tart with banana ice cream was rather
good. I thoroughly enjoyed the banana ice cream but was let down by the
small amount of ricotta inside the center of the tart, it only amounted
to about a tablespoonful. The bananas could have been a touch riper.
I’m not a banana fan, but this tart could have changed my mind.
By
the end of our dinner we were well sated and ready to leave. It was
just so horribly crowded, hot, and smelly in there that much of the
evening was spent peeling off layer after layer and sweating it out.
Could a combination sauna and restaurant possibly be a good thing? I
guess there's no weight gain. Maybe I'll end up at Balthazar again but
I won't be seeking it out as I've done all these years past. I mean
it's just another restaurant with a French shtick in a long line of
French restaurants in the city. I think there's better to be found.
Balthazar
80 Spring Street, between Broadway and Crosby Street
New York, NY 10012
212-965-1414
Open daily, Monday through Thursday 7:30 to 12 a.m., Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m., and Sunday 8 to 12 a.m.
Appetizers range in price from $10 to $24 and entrées from $19 to $38.
Joseph Erdos is a New York–based writer and editor, but
above all a gastronomer and oenophile. He shares his passion for food
on his blog, Gastronomer's Guide , which features unique recipes and restaurant reviews among many other musings on the all-encompassing topic of food.
Also published on gastronomersguide.com