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Le Veau d'Or


Wilfrid

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  • 2 weeks later...

I see I was last there in 2003:

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But first up, that midtown veteran Le Veau D'Or.  Opened in 1937, it had been owned and managed since 1985 by Robert Treboux, who passed away in 2012, aged 87.  Suffice to say that, in 2003, it was a restaurant set in its ways--or rather, Mr Treboux's ways.

It was almost empty when we dined there (I later found out that one of the few other occupied tables was hosting members of Mr Treboux's family).  The owner and host pulled up a chair at our table, sat down, and dismissed some of our initial choices from the menu.  Somehow, I persuaded him to serve me the tripes à la mode de Caen. For the most part, he was keen to select our meal for us.

I ate some warm saucisson before the tripe.  Nothing was more than passable.  This was the restaurant time had already forgotten. From the list, mainly of clarets, there was a 1996 Connétable Talbot.

 

 

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14 hours ago, Orik said:

They most certainly are!

That is a crazy business model. There weren't many of them and they were getting up there in age before the place closed five years ago. And I bet they didn't order much offal.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The table mystery is solved.

Far from empty, it was packed and buzzing last night, plenty of younger diners. The small L-shaped room has a number of four-tops. It also has some stretches of banquette seating used for two tops (seated side-by-side, no room for chairs on the outside). The banquette immediately beyond the (new) bar does not have room for two two-tops, but the one they put there left some space so they inserted a small, round table. Now you can squeeze two people around that, but the plates and bottles are going to be crowded, and that's why they sell it on Resy as a one-top (Frenchette, on the other hand, offers no tables for 1 on Resy). The existence of this table is good news for solo diners.

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Service? The staff just seemed to be having a lot of fun (and there was certainly some wine tasting going on in the kitchen). The refurb? Attractive, respectful. M. Treboux's grandson Derek as maitre d'.

The food? Very good. I admit, I thought this cuisine had vanished from New York for good. I was taken back, not so much to the old Veau D'Or, but to excellent French bistros like L'Absinthe and Trois Jeans. Indeed, it was at the former I always ordered the tête de veau aux poireaux. That's what I started with here, if anything even better, meaty, with some pieces of soft boiled egg mixed in with the pickled leeks. Great ravigote sauce.

Then the Delices, of course. My only complaint of the evening is that I would prefer the kidneys a little more cooked; the raw parts have a strange crunchy texture. Sweetbreads and liver excellent.

Salad is included between main and dessert. It's exactly what it should be, some salad leaves with dressing (the bowl is too small).

Given that it's a prix fixe, I thought I was going to have to toy with dessert, but thank heavens they have added a cheese plate. There aren't many wines BTG on the all-French list but the ones I ordered were good.

A word about value. The current price, $125 for three-and-a-half courses (the salad counting as half, according to them) is terrific value in Manhattan today. You can spend more than that on three courses at much more ordinary restaurants. Of course, you can double the check here if you start with champagne then go BTG for each course.

I want to come back soon because there's plenty more on the menu I want to eat.

Photos starting with the little one-top.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/11/2024 at 8:50 AM, Wilfrid said:

Service? The staff just seemed to be having a lot of fun (and there was certainly some wine tasting going on in the kitchen). The refurb? Attractive, respectful. M. Treboux's grandson Derek as maitre d'.

The food? Very good. I admit, I thought this cuisine had vanished from New York for good. I was taken back, not so much to the old Veau D'Or, but to excellent French bistros like L'Absinthe and Trois Jeans. Indeed, it was at the former I always ordered the tête de veau aux poireaux. That's what I started with here, if anything even better, meaty, with some pieces of soft boiled egg mixed in with the pickled leeks. Great ravigote sauce.

Then the Delices, of course. My only complaint of the evening is that I would prefer the kidneys a little more cooked; the raw parts have a strange crunchy texture. Sweetbreads and liver excellent.

Salad is included between main and dessert. It's exactly what it should be, some salad leaves with dressing (the bowl is too small).

Given that it's a prix fixe, I thought I was going to have to toy with dessert, but thank heavens they have added a cheese plate. There aren't many wines BTG on the all-French list but the ones I ordered were good.

A word about value. The current price, $125 for three-and-a-half courses (the salad counting as half, according to them) is terrific value in Manhattan today. You can spend more than that on three courses at much more ordinary restaurants. Of course, you can double the check here if you start with champagne then go BTG for each course.

I want to come back soon because there's plenty more on the menu I want to eat.

Photos starting with the little one-top.

IMG_0470.jpeg

IMG_0471.jpeg

IMG_0473.jpeg

IMG_0474.jpeg

IMG_0476.jpeg

IMG_0477.jpeg

IMG_0479.jpeg

IMG_0480.jpeg

i am just a teensy envious 

and looking forward to reading about your future adventures 

these photos are glorious 🥰

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  • 3 weeks later...

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