La Promenade des Anglais

I LOVE French food.  I love how each dish is more decadent and savory then the next.  So Sunday night, we "dragged" our foodie friends to the new Chelsea hot spot, La Promenade des Anglais.

La Promenade is not your parents local French bistro (although on a crowded night, a hearing aide may be in order).  The few red hues used in the decor at La Promenade are barely noticeable because of the refreshing light blue highlights used throughout the restaurant.  While the decor may be closer to new age French, the music choice is for the old soul, featuring hits by Frank Sinatra. 

The wine list was impressive, with solid French and American bottles at reasonable (for NYC) prices.   I would recommend starting your night by opening a bottle of wine at the glamorous, white marble bar while you wait for your table.

My only complaint about this restaurant is that the portions are small (even for the average person, we all know I eat like a horse), which makes you feel that La Promenade is a bit over priced.  La Promenade charged us for extra slices of toast to eat with the cheeses we ordered.  When your entrees are $30 and each person at your table ordered an app and an entree, to me, charging for a slice of bread screams (greedy and) short sighted.  Similarly disappointing, the scallop entree only included three average (not jumbo) size scallops.  At $29, there should be one or two more scallops on the plate.

La Promenade is probably better suited for a night of drinks, apps, and desserts (unless you have a sugar daddy and/or corporate tab).

What to eat:

The Whipped Ricotta. You must start with this (lactards, you know who you are, I promise this is worth whatever stomach discomfort that will follow).  Spread the honey drizzled ricotta generously on the warm, lightly toasted and buttered bread.  The burrata was tasty but it did not hold a candle to the sweet and savory ricotta.

For your entree, go with the Duck Breast, which is prepared medium rare (unless otherwise requested).  The duck is placed on a bed of lentils and is surrounded by a medley of winter root vegetables.  The honey glaze is lightly drizzled on the plate, leaving a hint of sweetness without overpowering the tender duck.

The only good thing about La Promenade's small portions is that you will definitely have room for dessert.  If you are only getting one dessert, go with the Chestnut Glazed Doughnuts.  The chestnut doughnuts were glazed with an autumn spiced pumpkin sauce, making them sweet and gooey, but not mushy.

If you have room for a second dessert and need something chocolatey, order the Warm Chocolate Fondant, which is accompanied by a delectable scoop of stracciatella gelato.  The fondant was cooked perfectly, ensuring that the firm exterior gave way to the rich liquidy interior.

Need a bit of glamor and fantastic French food?  Check out La Promenade,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip: look for this restaurant on Savored.com ($10 gets you 30% off your entire bill).  While the coupon will probably only exist for early dining times, the perk of coming in early is that you can still hear your friends speaking to you across the table.