Last night, we ate dinner at Anthony Bourdain’s restaurant, Brasserie Las Halles, in the Flatiron District. The menu consisted of relatively simple, straightforward French bistro fare. And the ambiance matched–it could have been airlifted in from Paris and dropped in the middle of Manhattan.
Since the weather was perfect, we opted for a sidewalk table on Park Avenue. We enjoyed al fresco dining and also got a show from the city’s wandering crazies (such as the guy who was cursing at someone only he could see… apparently he no longer wanted to be imaginary friends). I guess that’s life in the big city…
Back to dinner: Libby started out with the melted brie on toast topped with honey and cracked black pepper (a bit sweet for me, but she loved it). I had the classic Onion Soup (a very respectable version and one of my all-time favorite foods). For her main, Libby opted for a ham and cheese quiche (excellent). I enjoyed the steak frites, specifically a skirt steak (good beefy flavor) with a blue cheese sauce. For our sweet, we split a creme brûlée.
Overall, while the food wasn’t wildly creative or ultra sophisticated, it was honest and good. Better still, Las Halles is a bargain for NYC: $85 for two people, three courses w/ drinks (a nice Rhone wine by the glass). Excellent quality-price ratio. Highly recommended.
Happy you enjoyed Les Halles. I agree with your comments 100%. Frank and I ate at the now-closed Les Halles in Washington DC years ago, and really enjoyed it for the atmosphere and basic bistro fare. We forgot to recommend Balthazar Restaurant, another nice French bistro style restaurant in NYC.
Enjoy the rest of the trip.
[…] going on the inaugural voyage of the M/S Nieuw Amsterdam, eating some excellent meals in NYC (DBGB, Les Halles, Craftbar), and enjoying a very relaxing week sailing around the Caribbean with the […]