Francie

[Orik]

17 hours ago, MitchW said:

Here's the one from Baker Falls:

Didn't Baker Falls suddenly close for surprise soundproofing? 

[MitchW]

1 hour ago, Orik said:

Didn't Baker Falls suddenly close for surprise soundproofing? 

OH! I now see that on their IG...https://www.instagram.com/p/C-Qe0r6OCy3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

And not reopening until "the fall," which is not a precise date.

[Orik]

I guess that wasn't an issue during the 40 years when Pyramid was there. 

[small h]

4 hours ago, Orik said:

I guess that wasn't an issue during the 40 years when Pyramid was there. 

Because all the people who should've gone back to Ohio went back to Ohio. Now they stay here and complain.

[Wilfrid]

Francie is all-in on its membership program and special events. I did skip the $450 Burgundy tasting dinner (although looking at the retail price of the wines, it was no rip off). Last night I visited for a much more modest cheese and wine tasting. Maybe a dozen cheeses, accessories (membrillo, rosemary crackers, etc) all but two American, a glass of white and a glass of red, $45. Another glass of red comped.

All but two of the cheeses were American. Epoisses was presented in a chafing dish and flamed with Chartreuse. Quite exciting as the flames didn't want to go out. Best of the American cheeses, I thought, was Hidden Falls from Minnesota. Sheep's milk; looks like Brie but is funkier.

[Steve R.]

Went for Ginny's birthday dinner this evening.  Everything was excellent again, with special mention to the duck pithivier and green asparagus apps.  Of course, both the fish main and the crown of duck (which fed 3) made us very happy.  Cheese and a weird, but tasty, apple "pie"? with a candle ended a great time.  It didn't hurt that Monday is 20% off bottles of wine, which was a pleasant surprise.  At $700 for the 4 of us all in, including cocktails, bottles of wine and desserts it is not inexpensive but totally worth it, especially compared to what we've spent elsewhere.

[Wilfrid]

I want to try that duck pithivier.

[Wilfrid]

Whoa, there's a lamb dish in place of the pork. Booking now!

May have to eat the duck app and the green asparagus, but there is cheese too. Light lunch, I guess.

 

[Wilfrid]

A very substantial dinner at Francie. Happy to say, I am still getting the soignée treatment. Interesting conversation with Mr Winterman about cultivating ramps.

GREEN ASPARAGUS ramps, anchovy, salsa verde

DUCK PITHIVIER citrus, pistachio, sauce bigarade

ELYSIAN FIELDS LAMB fava bean, black olive, all'ascolana

CHEESES

The asparagus dish was intense in the best way, the anchovy component a sort of small purée. The pithivier was a neat little duck pie but the star there was the outstanding sauce bigarade. Lamb: I thought from the menu that the olive was going to be all'ascolana, but the breading treatment was actually applied to a sort of lamb meatball. Well marbled slices from a lamb chop. I would say the sauce here was a little salty.

Cheeses were ones not on the website menu and I didn't note the names; they were all new to me except a comped chunk of Hooligan. Also new to me, a Georgian orange wine called Rkatsiteli.

 

[Diancecht]

wow

[Steve R.]

Glad you went back.  I agree that the pithivier's strength was due, in large part, to the sauce.  If you can dig up a dining companion (or two) & haven't yet gotten the crown of duck, you really should.

We've been drinking rkatsiteli on & off for a couple of years now but have only had it as a white wine.  Did not know that there was an orange wine, but did know that an amber wine is also marketed.  Besides Georgian imports, sold in several East European liquor stores along Coney Island Ave in Bklyn, there are also domestic versions, including a very nice Dr. Konstantin Frank from the Finger Lakes.

[Orik]

Amber is Georgian for orange

[Steve R.]

Yeah, apparently some wineries are using "amber" to denote light skin contact (1 month or so) to differentiate but its white grapes w/skin contact, hence what is now, overall, considered orange wine. Thanks for sending me down that rabbit hole for the past 20 minutes.

[Wilfrid]

Based on my experience at the Orange Glou festival last summer, there are many, many shades of orange-amber-skin contact wine.

[Wilfrid]

I finally have an accomplice for tonight so we'll get our hands on the duck. I am ashamed I haven't visited since May.

[Wilfrid]

The crown of duck is very large, very expensive and delicious. Perfectly tender with crisp skin. My daughter and I ate every last piece. That's a marathon which means the later slices had cooled down; not a big deal.

It came with an outstanding parsnip mash, chard with pine nuts and some kind of jam. 

Preceded by bombolini and a crepe with blue crab and tarragon. Followed by the famous duck dessert and cheeses.

Given the price of the duck, it was easy to get to $200 a head. Daughter now old enough to pick up the cost of the car home.
 

 

[backyardchef]

Duck is very pretty. 

[Wilfrid]

Which one? 😂

[backyardchef]

That's a mighty fine question. 

[relbbaddoof]

A question that quacks?

[backyardchef]

Our humour is a mallardy.