Alright readers. I'm back! After an inspiring trip to France, I thought my first post of 2014 should be Claudette, the hot new French restaurant from the same owners as Rosemary's. It looks like French food is trending in NYC, finally knocking Gastopubs off the food du jour [insert sigh of relief here].
The owners of Claudette completely transformed the space previously occupied by Cru. Claudette's dining room is breezy, largely a result of the white walls and several large French doors cast wide open. Walking into Claudette made me wish my flight back from Nice was cancelled during the pilot strike. The only thing missing from Claudette's wicker chairs and cushioned benches is a beach within walking distance. While the tables at Claudette are as cramped as Rosemary's, Claudette accepts reservations, a huge improvement for people that aren't interested in waiting over a half an hour for a table.
The service was a bit of a mixed bag. The hostess, upon learning that my good friend was 8 1/2 months pregnant, immediately sat me (even before my friend had arrived, a classy move). Our server, on the other hand, largely ignored us. After being seated for ten minutes, we had to ask the bus boy if we even had a server. When the server finally arrived, he relentlessly tried to get us to order drinks, which ultimately resulted in me pointing out that my friend was days away from giving birth so no booze that night, thanks. We never received the bread basket that was delivered to every other table in the dining room. And after taking our order, we did not see the server again until he delivered dessert menus. I had better servers in France. That said, the busboy was mostly attentive and helpful so perhaps our experience is only an isolated server issue.
On to the food. We started with the flat bread with pistou spread (similar to pesto, minus the pine nuts). The dense flat bread, drawing from Claudette's Moroccan roots, was served in a bread basket with a side of of the pistou spread. If you are a garlic fan, the pistou spread is an excellent option. If you are anti-garlic, this spread is not for you.
As a contrast to the heavier flat bread appetizer, we also ordered the Courgette, a vegetable starter. The Courgette consisted of thinly sliced zucchini mixed with sun dried tomatoes and basil, tossed in a light olive oil dressing. The Courgette was colorful, light and refreshing. While it is placed at the top of the menu, insinuating it is a starter, I would recommend ordering this as a side for your entree.
As a contrast to the heavier flat bread appetizer, we also ordered the Courgette, a vegetable starter. The Courgette consisted of thinly sliced zucchini mixed with sun dried tomatoes and basil, tossed in a light olive oil dressing. The Courgette was colorful, light and refreshing. While it is placed at the top of the menu, insinuating it is a starter, I would recommend ordering this as a side for your entree.
The dish that makes me want to go back to Claudette is the Lamb Shank, which happens to be a commonly featured special. The tender, braised lamb was flavorful and meaty without being gamey. I won't bore you with the bland beans and squash that sat in the au jus sauce, looking more like colorful decorations than having much flavor or appeal.
The fries, which taste delicious with the left over pistou and/or au jus sauce, are coated in a North African spice, Ras el Hanout. I spent a large portion of the meal trying to decide if I liked the Ras el Hanout spice on the fries. Strangely enough, I am still debating this as I write this blog.
Even though we didn't partake in alcohol on this trip to Claudette, I certainly plan on ordering from the French only wine menu next time. Like Rosemary's, Claudette features affordable (for a NYC restaurant) wines (in addition to more expensive wines). The wine menu boasts wine from every region in France, including one of my favorite Champagnes, the Billecart-Salmon.
Looking to join the new French food craze? Claudette's Lamb Shank will make you glad you did.
Your foodie friend
Insider tip: Skip the overly hyped Chicken Tangine. While the chicken is moist, the dish was largely bland and underwhelming. Cafe Mogador's chicken tangine is twice as good and about half of the price. Writing this blog post made me realize I have not reviewed Cafe Mogador so stay tuned for the review this winter.
