Bar Boulud: Classic French Fare with A Side of Pretention

Bar Boulud is Daniel Boulud’s casual classic French bistro located across from The Lincoln Center in NYC. Daniel Boulud is a famous French chef and restauranter who now has restaurants in NYC, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Beijing, Palm Beach, and Miami.

He opened his first restaurant, and most famous, Daniel, in 1993 after his time as executive chef Le Cirque in NYC. Bo and I have often passed Bar Boulud during our long walks and Columbus Circle ventures and finally decided Friday night that we had to try it! After a work happy hour we wandered up to Lincoln Center around 7:30 in hopes of snagging a seat even though we didn’t have reservations.

We were escorted to the bar area while we waited for a table but after fifteen minutes were told that we could in fact eat at the bar if we wished. This was a perfect option as the bar area offers the full menu, a first hand look at some of the cheeses and chartucerie, and wines. We started the evening with a glass champagne and the Degustation de Charcuterie to share (3 types of pate, charcuterie, condiments, pickles, and mustard) and the escargots persillade (wild burgundy snails garlic and parsley). The pates were amazing though the chicken liver pate was definitely my favorite. The snails were a treat as i’d never tried these before and they were rich and succulent. The parsley added to the flavor against the warm snails especially when paired with the small hushpuppy like potato balls.

Photo from post Classic French Fare with a side of pretention

As for our main meal, we shared a classic French fish dish, local catskills trout, toasted almonds roasted cauliflower brown butter, verjus. This dish was absolutely divine as they used the cauliflower in so many different ways and the fish was perfectly crisp. Bo and I agree that Bar Boulud’s food and wine was absolute perfection. Everything we tasted was seasoned perfectly and bursting with flavor. However, it was all very classicaly prepared which means the flavors weren’t innovated (to be expected at a classic French restaurant) and the service was attentive but a bit pretentious for our liking on a Friday night after a long week. We would definitely go back but we’d probably take friends so we could make our own noise and laughter. This Friday night it was painfully quiet and reserved which was ironic since Zagat warns of the noise levels.

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Cookie Friday recipe!

In honor of Carrotsncake’s cookie Friday, I was more than willing to bake a small batch of chocolate chip cookies last night when we came home from dinner at Bar Boulud. Bo was craving cookies and in exchange was willing to fold our laundry while we watched Runaway Jury. What wife wouldn’t gladly accept this exchange?! I altered the famous and trustworthy Ghiradelli chocolate chip cookie recipe a bit based on our cupboard’s contents. In addition, I cut the recipe in half since we didn’t want too many leftovers. These turned out absolutely fabulous! Sometimes my chocolate chip cookies are hit or miss due to being too thin but Bo said that these were “some of the best chocolate chip cookies i’ve ever tasted hands down.” If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day sweet for your loved one this will definitely please! The whole wheat flour makes it a bit healthier as well!

Whole Wheat Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
6 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup(s) butter or margarine, softened
3/8 cup(s) sugar
3/8 cup(s) brown sugar, packed
1 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/8 cup(s) whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

DirectionsHeat oven to 375ºF.
Stir whole wheat flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add egg whites, vanilla, and almond extract one at a time. Mix on low speed until well blended. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy thouroughly with a friend or loved one!

*The picture is complement of JBD Cookies as I forgot to take a picture last night!

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Thank you Eggland’s Best and Katheats for a yummy breakfast recipe!

Bo and I decided that we were going to reconnect this weekend by spending most of the weekend together, just the two of us. The last few weekends we’ve been busy with our friends or work and therefore haven’t had a date night or lazy Saturday together in ages. This morning I woke up craving pumpkin pancakes. I quickly started searching through my favorite blogs and recipe sites in hopes of finding a recipe that wouldn’t require me to go down to the grocery store. I found a pumpkin oatmeal pancake recipe on Kathy’s site and quickly set to work. I was also quite happy to finally use the last of my free Eggland’s Best eggs that I bought a while back thanks to the great Foodbuzz and Eggland’s best partnership and free coupon! The recipe was very easy and tasty! I was able to put three leftover pancakes in a ziplock bag so that I can enjoy them one day at work this week. Bo didn’t care for it as much as I did because it wasn’t light and fluffy however he agreed that for a healthy, filling pancake it does the job. I’ll warn you, they aren’t the prettiest in the world but the are scrumptious! . I enjoyed mine with some sprinkled unsweetened coconut which was leftover from last weekend’s macaroons and some sugarfree syrup. Here is the recipe I used, altered a small amount from Kathy’s.

                                                       Batter:
                                                       1 cup oats

2/3 cup egg whites
2/3 cup pumpkin
3 tsp vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
a dash of salt

Mix all ingredients together. Pour onto a hot skillet in 1/8 c portions in order to make flipping easier. Flip once they easily slide in the pan. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

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