It is always interesting to visit “the oldest” establishment, such as restaurant. I feel like they either stay completely authentic, or become a tourist spot, losing its authenticity. I found one of those “oldest” kind, the oldest French bistro in the Theatre District. It was founded in 1948, and still owned and managed by the same family, that is so incredible! When we visited, the father (or grand-father?) was sitting at the corner table, dining and watching the servers (who are also family members) and customers. Before we left, he asked how the food was, and gave us a warm smile. I liked the outdoor seating area, with big Eiffel Tower (that lights up in the evening) and red-checked table clothes, giving off the provincial-feel setting.
The inside is a bit smaller than it looked from the outside, but I liked the cozy feeling, and is better to control the crowed with family business. When we arrived, they had several empty tables, but they got completely packed quickly. It only has windows up front, so it was a bit dimmed even on a bright day, but that created that extra cozy feel to it. It was equipped with a large bar to the right, and tables packed as much as possible. It had many French decors – painting, movie posters, postcards – on a brick wall. It seems like most of the customers were French, which meant the food must be authentic, we were excited!
The first thing they brought to us, which was different from any other restaurant in city we have been to, was the complimentary bread and fresh cut veggies! What a great way to start the meal, very healthy!
Since we wanted to try several different kinds of dishes, we decided to order small plates, instead of any large, main dish. (I also hard that the main dishes has been influenced American food, so the appetizers are better and more authentic option.) We started off with Onion Soup Gratinée ($9.50), Coquille Maison ($10.50), and Little Neck – Baked ($9.00). I must say, for appetizers and for the small portion, I felt they were quite pricey. The Onion Soup was really good, strong garlic, right amount of salt, gooey cheese, rich and comforting.
Coquille Maison was a scallop baked in white sauce. It came on a large scallop shell, I liked the presentation. As for the taste, it was just ok, nothing too memorable about it. And at over $10, it should have been memorable.. . The Little Neck can be served on half shell or baked, and we chose “baked.” This one had more flavor, with its green sauce and chunks of pork pieces. The little neck clams itself was really small, so we didn’t get to taste the clam as much, since the flavor of the sauce and bacon were a bit overpowering. We still liked it though.
We also ordered Prosciutto with Melon ($10.50) and Brie en Croûte ($12.00). The Prosciutto with Melon is certainly different, I am not sure if had this combination before… but anyways, it was tasty, refreshing, and addictive. I really enjoy this simple yet flavorful item. The Brie en Croûte is pastry-wrapped soft Brie cheese, and was so delicious! It was small and in somewhat an odd shape, but taste was excellent regardless. The pastry was light and airy, and cheese was gooey, silky, and packed with flavor.
As soon as I cut them into two (as we were sharing all the appetizers), the shiny cheesy started to slowly seeped out, it was a cheese porn time. This was my favorite appetizers of all the ones we ordered. For $12, I wish if this was much larger in size.
Then we ordered two desserts with Cappuccino ($4). The Cappuccino was foamy and was a good cup of coffee.
We heard their Crème Brûlée ($9.50) is pretty good, so we chose that one, and also Crépe TVB ($10.00). The Crème Brûlée was good, with hard sugar top, and very creamy, velvety custard down below. The Crépe was big, it might have been the largest dish we had, which was kind of funny. It was filled with whipped cream, and bits of strawberries, and chocolate drizzle. I mostly remember cream. This dessert is definitely for sharing.
The staffs there were all French, and more casual and not-so-business like. It really was kind of down to earth, warm, family-type environment. I enjoyed our dining experience there, it was not the best, but we got the atmosphere we were looking for. The price seemed high, but then again, they are sitting in Theatre District, so maybe the price hike comes with the territory.
Tout Va Bien – 311 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019