‘French” and “classic” used to go together like “Dover” and “sole.” French restaurants were the apex of fine dining in New York City, and any chef worth his toque served a meticulously studied repertoire from onion soup to crepes Suzette. But “Les Français” didn’t like change. And New Yorkers grew bored of the fussy French-ness at once acclaimed, now-shuttered temples like Le Pavillon and La Caravelle.
Fast-forward to 2013. French cooking is on the rise again, with a new generation of international chefs unafraid to mess with the classics. New spots like Three Letters in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill and Andrew Carmellini’s upcoming Lafayette in NoHo are loosening Gallic codes with dishes like foie gras fluffernutters and fennel confit. “We love French, but [not] stuffy-French,” says Ginevra Iverson, the French-trained chef and co-owner of East Village bistro Calliope.
To celebrate the (new) French Revolution, we’ve listed five of the hottest “21st-century French” dishes in NYC. Bon appétit!
Instead of a Paris-Brest …
Try the Paris-New York inspired by a Snickers bar
* Dominique Ansel (189 Spring St.; 212-219-2773)
Growing up in France, the Paris-Brest — a ring-shaped pâte à choux pastry stuffed with hazelnut cream — was Dominique Ansel’s favorite dessert. But when the pastry chef moved to New York and worked 16-hour days, it was a Snickers bar that he devoured daily. To pay tribute to both sweets when he opened his bakery, he created a twist on the original gateau. “I wanted to incorporate the American spirit into this French classic,” he explains.
The dessert, appropriately called the Paris-New York, is quite different from the original. “[First], I wanted to make it smaller,” says Ansel. Then out came the hazelnut cream, and in went dark chocolate ganache, peanut butter cream and salted caramel. Finally, the top is glazed with caramel and sprinkled with peanuts. Voila — a Snickerfied Paris-Brest. “It’s one of our best-selling items,” he says.
Instead of meat-studded cassoulet …
Try bean-studded cassoulet — no meat needed
* Table Verte (127 E. Seventh St.; 212-539-0231)
With a degree from Manhattan’s French Culinary Institute and a stint at France’s Michelin-starred Château d’Adoménil, it comes as no surprise that chef Ken Larsen created a fully French menu at the new East Village restaurant Table Verte. Save for one thing: It’s all vegetarian. “The French do wonderful things with vegetables,” Larsen points out, “But they still put protein on a pedestal.” Something he’s out to change, taking on meat-studded favorites like cassoulet.
“I [use] the same cooking technique, just no meat fats,” he says of his vegan adaptation. He takes pains to make it hearty, though, admitting that the pork and duck are arguably the best parts of the traditional stew. Seasonings — bay leaves, thyme, cardamom, cumin and chili powder — add depth to the veggie-based mirepoix, and roasted garlic and shallots give it full-bodied flavor. “It’s a really rich vegetable ragout that bathes the beans,” he explains of the trifecta of butter, black and pinto beans that makes this a stick-to-your-ribs meal. Even for carnivores.
Instead of sweetbreads sliced nicely into medallions …
Try sweetbread nuggets
* Café Tallulah (240 Columbus Ave.; 212-209-1055)
Arguably, no other nation loves animal innards as much as the French do, and sweetbreads — the thymus glands, or throats, of young cows and lambs — are particularly prized. The velvety meat is typically sliced into medallions and sautéed with a sauce. But at the Upper West Side’s new Café Tallulah, they’ve rejected tradition and deep-fry the offal into nuggets.
The unconventional preparation is the brainchild of chef Roxanne Spruance. Though she grew up learning from Francophile Julia Child on TV, Spruance acknowledges that the French classics are “tired and passé,” and by being inventive, she and other chefs are bringing French cuisine to a younger crowd. Her sweetbread pieces are served atop a giant smear of sweet potato-banana purée, sprinkled with cashews that are candied in curry and bitter stout gelées, and finished off with a leafy celery spear. If that can’t create a new generation of Franco-gourmands, no dish can.
Instead of rack of lamb …
Try neck of lamb in Asian broth
* Calliope (84 E. Fourth St.; 212-260-8484)
Though Ginevra Iverson and Eric Korsh, co-owners of and chefs at Calliope, met in the kitchen of the celebrated French restaurant Picholine, they didn’t want “to be super-duper Frenchie” with their own modern bistro.
While the French are best known for rack of lamb, Iverson and Korsh have opted for the neck. They still use the French technique of braising, but use Asian flavors to do so. “Anything sticky and fatty needs acid to balance it out,” Iverson says of the hot and sour sauce, made with a purée of oil-cured Calabrian chilies that cuts through the fatty lamb. It also needs cooling, so the lamb and broth are served atop agnolotti filled with a mélange of mascarpone, mint and lemon zest. Talk about French fancy.