an ode (or oh no) to french cuisine...

First of all, I just want to say, before i write this article, that I have the utmost respect for Daniel Boulud's culinary style after having oysters at Daniel NYC.

But last saturday night, at DB Bistro Moderne, Boulud fell flat.

Not that it was a terrible experience but I need to stay the hell out of midtown on the weekends. I'm never happy with the decision to leave brooklyn for midtown on the weekends. If you are going to offer an extensive and expensive wine list, please teach your waitstaff to at least pretend to pronounce the wines on your list. In the most un-snobby way possible...how well does it bode for my confidence in your staff's advice if they act like they haven't even SEEN the wine on the list before let alone actually TASTED it.



On to the food...To start, bread on the table. What a cute presentation...before I take a bite, I say to my friend that this "looks like a little pretzel loaf." Bite. Pretzel. Didn't know I was at a Yankee's game. They didn't even give me mustard. I'll stick with the mini-baguette, thanks.

Then, I had a salad called "Rocket Arugula." Ok. I am lost. Is my salad blasting off? I mean, i love arugula as much as the next Italian but...there were no fireworks. The salad was actually bland, despite the tiny cubes of serrano ham and manchego cheese. The olives they used were actually fairly rancid, if not just a very poor choice. The dressing was unmemorable. I'm sad. I love salad.

Alright, don't cry over spilt milk mediocre salad. For dinner, i had to stay away from the db burger. I just do not like foie gras and i definitely don't like it inside a sirloin burger. call me crazy, but I shared the sea bass, which was the special for the night and duck confit.



The best thing I ate all night was definitely the tiny stuffed razor clam on top of the sea bass. It was also served with herbed, and steamed squash and tomatoes. The skin on the sea bass was great, as was the clam which was topped with a little bit of pecorino. veggies were slightly overcooked but good flavor.

The duck was kind of sad. The waitress actually recommended the spaetzel as a side dish which was puzzling to say the least. We declined. The concept was great: wild chanterelle mushrooms and broccoli rabe but the actual duck wasn't as crispy as I'd like and the breast was probably from an anorexic poultry farm.

But all is not lost! The strawberry tart for dessert is LOVELY. Not only because I love to crack the caramelized crust but because it was (actually) original! Served out of a ramekin with with strawberry sorbet on the side, it's actually seasoned in the crust and light glaze with a hint of fennel and clover.

Delicious cut to the sweetness. db Bistro Moderne also has a great after dinner drink list (left). A great supplement or substitute for dessert.

Anyway, probably not worth the hype but seeing as how it was in mid-town a couple blocks from Grand Central, they are probably not on their toes as they should be.

Next time, I'm getting the coq-au-vin....or picking up a fried chicken breast from KFC and watching a movie in my apartment in Brooklyn...