If you are a fan of Eataly, European food/groceries, or French food/groceries, then head over to Boorkfield Place near World Trade Center for Le District. It is basically a French version of Eataly. If you have the time, you can go visit both Eataly downtown (you can read more about it here: http://www.foodlovergirl.com/eataly-nyc-downtown/) and Le District on the same day, as they are pretty close to each other. Le district has two entrances; one through inside the Brookfield Place, and another one with access directly to/from outside.

When I walked in, I was really surprised how similar they are to Eataly! They had grocery section with all sorts of produce, dairies, snacks, etc., and the rest is separated into categories, just like Eataly. The space was very clean, organized, and a bit pricey, as expected. A bit dark since it is inside the building, and not much natural light coming in from the windows. Only the area by the entrance with outside access had windows, but the rest of the place was rather dark.

They try to be unique with their name and concept, “district.” Within the Le District, they have “Market District” where they have bread, wine, cheese, and “Cafe District” where they have coffee and sweets, and “Garden District” where they have groceries, flowers, etc… But, there is no real division between the district, so you wouldn’t know they are separated into districts, unless you have seen in or heard it. Therefore, they basically look just like the individual sections, very silimar to Eataly.

So, they had Poissonnerie (fish/seafood) section, with nice, fresh fish and seafood. Oh yes, here is one differentiation from Eataly. All of their individual sections are written in French…

They also have Boulangerie (French style bakery), wine bar…

Pâtisserie (French style pastries and sweets), and Crêperie.  Now, you can’t leave without paying attention to some French pastries (in my opinion). And, one thing that really stood out was their Crêperie. They certainly don’t have that in Eataly! How fun is it to be able to have French style crepes???!!! They have just a plain crepe, sweet crepes, and savory crepes. We didn’t get any crepe since we already had dessert elsewhere, but I have to go back to Le District for some French crepes!

And the pastries? My goodness, look at these beauties! Don’t they look amazing? Yup, I am definitely going back there in a near future…

We were looking for a light dinner, and as expected, everything was so expensive here… But then, we came across one section, Rotisserie, with several people lining up. We checked it out, and we immediately liked the concept and food options, along with their price!

They have this thing called “Plat du Jour” (daily special plate), and you pick 1 base, a protein, and 2 sides. The price differ based on which protein you choose, but it was between $10 and $13. No wonder it had a nice line of people!

We decided to have our dinner here, and they have some seating right in front of the ordering counter for customers. We luckily found an open table quickly, and I went over to order. It starts with “base” – choice of either Saffron Israeli Couscous, Garlic Potato Mousseline, or Basmati Rice Pilaf. They had a sample of each at the beginning of the ordering counter, so you can easily see what they would look like before deciding on the base.  Very helpful. We chose Saffron Israli Couscous, that just sounded soooo good.

 

Then the protein. They had several to choose from: Blackened Salmon, Rosted Chicken Breast, Le District Ratatouille, Braised Lamb Curry, or Beef Bourguignon. You could see them through the glass on the counter as well, so you know exactly what you are ordering would look like. We went with Beef Bourguignon ($12.50), with pearl onions, mushrooms, bacon, and red wine.

For the two sides, they had Haricot Vert, Jardiniere Vegetables, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Fatoush Salad, Roasted Beet & Fennel salad, Kale & Spinach salad, and Fingering Potatoes. We went with Haricot Vert, also known as green beans, with wild mushroom. I was curious about their Brussels Sprouts, but it seemed like a popular item, when I was in line, it was almost gone. So, I chose Fingering Potatoes (confit, roasted) instead. Shortly after, I saw the kitchen staff re-filling the Brussels Sprouts container with freshly made ones, but it was too late by then.

At the end, we received a pretty good amount of food for only $12.50! What a deal! And let me tell you, they were soooooo good! Beef was tender and juicy, packed with flavor. It was addictive! The couscous was very plump, light, with great saffron flavor. Green beans were cooked just right so that they are not too hard nor mushy. It still had its springy-ness to it, and the wild mushrooms were great too. And the potatoes? They were awesome! I am glad we got them, as they were very tasty. It was soft in the inside, and not some processed fries, but real, hand-cut type potatoes, and they are roasted, not fried! Nice amount of seasoning and cooked to perfection. This food alone was totally worth the visit. I shared this with my mother, and we were full after finishing the plate.

If you are not interested in dining there, or getting any groceries, they also have more of a gift section. They have all sorts of sweets and candies there, in really pretty wrapping or in super adorable tin cans. Look at the way they display some of them…cute!

They also had French Madeleines in all kinds of flavors, such as orange, pistachio, chocolate, etc. And during the holiday season, they have a huge Christmas tree in there too. It was such a fun place, you will totally become the “kids in candy store” when you walk in there.

I am glad to see this new addition to New York City. Even thought it is very similar to Eataly, it has its own unique features and offerings, and the food at Rotisserie is just amazing! I would like to go back for their pastries, and definitely for their crepes! If you a hungry for some food, I recommend getting the Plat du Jour. You don’t have to worry about bad service (which I heard some people say about the restaurants in Le District), or the wait time. It is quick, easy, and delicious!

Le District – Brookfield Place, 225 Liberty St, New York, NY 10281