Francie

[Wilfrid]

Another good dinner at Francie. Clams with a fiery horseradish-parsley sauce. A harmonious dish of chilled cucumber chunks with buttermilk, a slice of smoked trout, and a kind of soil made from crushed buckwheat. Halibut with chanterelles, capers and lemon. I ordered three cheeses and was comped a fourth.

This is very precise cooking supported by excellent service. It comes at a price, and a higher one than I expected. As ever, two people splitting a bottle of wine might get off more lightly than one person ordering by the glass. I did have four courses, and the cheeses are much more expensive than the desserts.

$116 for food, $76 for drinks. And an espresso.

[Wilfrid]

Since I can now add photos.

[backyardchef]

Pretty

[Wilfrid]

Foxface aside, this must be my favorite New York restaurant of the last couple of years. For whatever reason, I always get the soignée treatment. Mr Winterman was not around last night (traveling) but the sommelier/manager knows me. There must be a note against my name, as I don't go here that often.

Reason for the visit, as last time, new things on the menu I wanted to try.

First oysters with a cranberry mignonette; interesting choice not to serve a lemon wedge (couple next to me didn't get lemon either).

Then, new to me, cabbage with egg yolk, crushed walnuts and generously sliced Perigord truffles. As with the oeufs en meurette I loved last time, this kitchen can do good things without meat or fish.

Comped: Small bites of wagyu carpaccio and maitake mushrooms on croutons, rich Worcestershire sauce reduction.

New again, perfect beef short ribs, beer-mustard sauce, spaetzle and baby turnips.

Cheeses: Quimby, Maroilles, Blue Yonder and - comped - Gubbeen.

My espresso was comped too.

So $200 before tip, but almost half of that must have been wine (I started with champagne). As always, two people splitting a bottle could get out for less than BTG options.

Looking over it now, it was a huge meal. Very good.

[Wilfrid]

[MitchW]

Anf it's really close to Baby's All Right. Where good things may happen.

[Wilfrid]

Yes, I stopped to peer through the window in excited anticipation. 

[Wilfrid]

Francie is impressing me every time. Seasonal dishes triggered my visit. First, an intricately flavored combo of soft, savory morels, white asparagus and a white asparagus mousse topped with caviar. Then what was billed as spring lamb, green garlic persillade, ramp, spring onion soubise. The ramp bulbs were very small, but the ramp leaves were put to use in the soubise. Excitement: unexpected fiddlehead ferns. Ordered three cheeses and was comped a fourth as usual. 

Laherte Frères "Ultradition Extra Brut," served in a regular wine glass and seemed a more generous pour than you'd get in a flute. Then a Jura chardonnay that paired amazingly with the asparagus: 2022 Domaine Tissot "Patchwork." I usually order the Listán Negro (2022 Pablo Matallana "La Bardona ~ Viñas del Norte") with meat here because I really like it. 

 

[Wilfrid]

New dishes on the menu. Cucumbers, big, surprisingly fragrant cucumbers shaved and shaped, garnished with slivers of sharp smoked eel and a slice of delicate buttermilk mousse.

A hearty portion of duck vadouvan sausage, meaty and mildly spiced, with beluga lentils cleverly accented with golden raisins. The charred eggplant mustard was a bit fierce.

I’ve had halibut here before, but this was a different prep, en meunière. A slice of halibut with a crisp crust and a baton of the fish presented as a goujonette.

Cheeses: shepsog, verano, caveman blue plus a fourth, comped cheese I can’t remember the name of.

 

[Wilfrid]

As leaked here some time ago, Francie plans to open a casual outlet next door. It now has a name, Allegretto al Forno, and it is crowdfunding its start-up money. Has a way to go.

[small h]

 

Huh. You know what I got for my $75 contribution to Mam's GoFundMe? $75 worth of food. Maybe Allegretto should try that.

[Orik]

Well you get $500 over 5 years and the swag and party supposedly make up for inflation, so it's not that different.

[Steve R.]

Did you really make a math error??!  $50/year for 10 years (not 5 years).

Unfortunately, there’s no way your $50 gift certificate will be buying the same amount of food after the first couple of years, no?  By year 10 that $50 will pay for the bread service (maybe with butter?).  No way the swag will offset that.

Edited July 31, 2024 by Steve R.

[Steve R.]

I realize that I never mentioned that we went to Francie awhile ago with some friends & really liked it.  I cant remember details other than 1 ordered the fish & 2 decided to split the crown of duck.  There were 3 or 4 small plates or apps ordered & a 3rd entree.  Everything was great although we certainly could've split the duck 3 ways and still had more than enough food.  The owner (John W.) came over, talked to us for a bit then comped us the cheese (a large portion).  He must've mistaken me for Wilf.

Havent gone back yet but really should.  One of the rare places that match the price with quality and quantity of very enjoyable food.

[Orik]

6 hours ago, Steve R. said:

Did you really make a math error??!  $50/year for 10 years (not 5 years).

Unfortunately, there’s no way your $50 gift certificate will be buying the same amount of food after the first couple of years, no?  By year 10 that $50 will pay for the bread service (maybe with butter?).  No way the swag will offset that.

10 years, right. Assuming 3% inflation your $500 will buy you about $440 in today's money. Of course you need to show up 10 times and many people won't, but it still seems like a potentially very expensive way to raise funds.

[small h]

The restaurant also needs to survive for ten years, and most do not.

[MitchW]

I just got the email from them begging for money...

Will you help us build Williamsburg's next favorite restaurant, Allegretto?

With over 80% of financing already secured, Allegretto is currently undergoing renovations and is slated to open at the end of the year.

We want to give our beloved community (that's you!) the opportunity to get involved as a sponsor, and help us hit our $500k crowdfunding goal.

Sponsoring Allegretto at any level is a signal that you'd like to see this project succeed and be an addition to Williamsburg's dynamic dining scene. We wouldn't be able to do this without you!

Earlier this week, I got an email from the owner of Baker Falls (nee Knitting Factory) asking for investors at the sum of $25 K per.

What the fuck.

[MitchW]

Here's the one from Baker Falls:

Have you ever dreamt of being an owner of a venue in New York City?  Well, we are oh so close to expanding on our Feverdream venue concept.  After good news last night, we are looking for Founders Club investors to push the new live venue and community gathering space over the line to secure the space at 192 Allen Street in NYC (Former Rockwood Music Hall main stage).

Last night we unanimously passed the local community board to open a new brick and mortar venue and cafe that can be respectfully open until 3AM in the neighborhood I have called home for over 30 years.

The time is right:  people of all generations are ready to come out, see each other face to face and gather around the hearth of music discovery.

We need to raise 250K in the next few weeks and will be offering Founders Club preferred shares for 10K each.  Reach out for more details, but we are incredibly thankful for those willing to invest in our vision.

People who back us in this round will enjoy things like:

1) Preferred Shareholder status for quicker recoup of original investment.

2) No Cover Charge (most nights).

3) V.S.P. membership: we say screw “Very Important People” we just want a vibe of very solid people on our team.

4) plus we want your input on our in-house playlists–which we have shown are one of the most important aspects of creating an interesting community.

As I have said before, but in case you missed it:

At 192 Allen Street, we are hoping to create a social club for artistic weirdos (and those who love them)…a safe space to rock out, experiment and build something special over time through residencies & regular live events, as well as a home for weekly curated retail Maker Fairs.  We will be all about artist collaborations from T-shirts to ToGo coffee cups.

In daylight hours we will have a full service cafe with plenty of space and outlets to get some work done, meet new friends, have a meeting and hang out drinking coffee.  And let’s not forget amazing cocktails, beer & wine programs and lots of Non-Alcoholic options during the night time.

Just as we saved the Pyramid Club space with Baker Falls at 101 Ave A last year, now we are looking to create a 2nd more intimate version of what we built at that 300 capacity spot.

Things like the Anti-Folk reboot, performance art, looping artists, theatrical plays, victorian puppet theater, street magic, one person long form comedy residencies as well as full-on bands we love to see live like MX LONELY, Punchlove, Mary Shelley, Shred Flintstone, etc… and maybe put it all together on one bill.

Those who know me, get that I am all about creating the “vibe” as proven with my other co-owner/operator roles with Baker Falls, Cake Shop, The Library Bar and alt.coffee.

Who wants in? Serious investors only. Please no sales calls at this time (I’ve been doing this for 30 years and not looking for a new dishwashing machine lease, etc)

[small h]

Are they moving from Ave A, or are they opening an additional place?

Also, isn't Cake Shop defunct?

Also, LOL.

53 minutes ago, MitchW said:

2) No Cover Charge (most nights).

Very interested in how fancy the entertainment is that investors don't get in free.

[Wilfrid]

Cake Shop takes me back.

[small h]

We spent a very nice NYE there once.

[MitchW]

40 minutes ago, small h said:

Are they moving from Ave A, or are they opening an additional place?

 

He wants to buy the recently closed Rockwood Music Hall, on Allen Street.

[small h]

Right, I got that, but as an addition to Baker Falls, or a replacement?

[Wilfrid]

I remember getting thrown out of Rockwood one night. Not just me, but the whole audience for a particular band; we were disrupting the previous act (a singer-songwriter) by being, I suppose, boisterous.

[small h]

I was there for an afternoon thing once, and I was trying like hell to get a bloody mary. The bartender said the mix was in the other room and kept promising to go grab it. After about an hour of this, I went into the other room to look for the mix myself, which did not go over big with the guy that caught me rummaging through the fridges.