Peachy Picks La Promenade Des Anglais Sponsored by Stribling and Associates
Peachy Deegan, Alain Allegretti, and Julie, a Whom You Know panelist
It's so much nicer in Nice! You know, the one on 23rd Street!!!
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Merci beaucoup Sylvain Cote and Sylvain Turgeon for starting Peachy Deegan on her love of all things french many years ago and merci beaucoup to Mademoiselle Charton for formalizing the experience...all of the years Peachy spent learning french were totally worth it for nights such as this at La Promenade Des Anglais, one of the hottest restaurants in Manhattan right now. Not everything new is fabulous, and you know we gravitate towards the classic places that have been around for years, however, in the case of La Promenade Des Anglais, we cannot get enough of the fine french cuisine that is made famous by Alain Allegretti, a Nice native.
La Promenade des Anglais was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
It has easily advanced to Peachy's Picks! It's so much nicer in Nice, like the song from the musical The Boyfriend says...and we prefer the Nice of 23rd Street by our new pal, Alain Allegretti. His demeanor and charisma only adds to the fine food phenomenon that he has made famous.
And may we say, no recession here! You would be lucky to even get a table at all....! La Promenade Des Anglais is hopping with a capital H. You absolutely must make reservations and you should do it NOW. Peachy Deegan began with some beautifully arranged roasted baby artichokes with tomato confit, parmesan, and anchovy sauce. These boasted a sharp simplicity that was stunning to the eye as well as the palate. Every aesthetic quality that a restaurant possesses was carefully attended to right down to the gorgeous palladian window above the door with a cute palm tree resting there. We absolutely adore the umbrellas painted on the ceiling. And the booths of Mediterranean Sea Blue suede we just floated in:
Never before in over 100 plus reviews have we gotten so excited about the quality of a booth fabric but you're going to be excited about it too. Details clearly matter to Alain Allegretti and that is why he is one of the best around. And, we absolutely worship every last detail...in every discipline.
Of course, the main reason you are going to La Promenade Des Anglais is the cuisine to die for. Look at how chic even the asparagus looks, lazily lounging on a bed of scallops as if it were on a beach in Nice. Pancetta paella risotto cake, crispy asparagus and tomato diable sauce is one of the most coveted entrees on the menu in Peachy's humble opinion. The scallops? Succulently fresh and seared to perfection. The asparagus? Standing at attention! Not soggy like inferior places can be. Risotto cake? Heavenly! And you know Irish Peachy is not so into many sauces, but she did love this one!
A fabulous restaurant must have an outstanding sommelier-and La Promenade Des Anglais has Julien Martin-who is not only outstanding but also a Master Sommelier. Peachy began with a bold Chateau Laland-Borie from St. Julien, Bordeaux 2006 which we believe was a good year as well as 2005. Julien is clearly knowledgeable and is also personable, which is key to being a successful component of a restaurant. Also he is French (from Niemes), and of course when we walked in the door we wanted to feel like we were in France for the entire experience- Peachy did not even drink American alcohol. Later with her entree she tried a lovely white also from France-Vincent Duriel-Janthail, Bourgogue Aligote, France 2009. However, each of these were trumped by the 1994 Riesling from Australia...private reserve!!! Pink and perfect. Alain, we wish you could have left the kitchen to have dessert with us but we know how busy you are! Lya Som was quite a professional server.
The perfect ending? Zucchini pound cake with olive oil gelato:
Don't listen to just Peachy!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
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| Upon approaching Alain Allegretti's new restaurant, "La Promenade Des Anglais," I knew I was in for a real treat! Allegretti, who has won over the hearts of Martha Stewart and other notable food critics is well known for his simple, yet refined, sophisticated dishes. During our initial introduction, Allegretti mentioned that he would like the beauty in his dishes to speak for itself. I believe it truly did! The interior of the restaurant was absolutely stunning- clearly inspired by the Mediterranean in the south of France. There was a great ambiance and the restaurant overall felt quite chic and modern. It was a very inviting, yet sophisticated environment. For my appetizer, I tried the "Autumn Cassolette" which was white and green asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, salsify and black truffle natural jus. |
This dish was a great introduction to Alegretti's style of cooking-complimenting unique flavors for a delicious, new way of eating your vegetables! For my main dish I ordered the "Hanger Steak," which was accompanied with confit chestnuts, roasted butternut squash, winter mushrooms and shallot red wine sauce. I, upon suggestion of Julian, the wine sommelier, paired my meal with "Vacqueyras," a red wine from France, 2009. This was an excellent suggestion! The wine complimented the flavors in the steak quite well. The main dish was so incredible that I've been thinking about it for days after! The combination of flavors were simple, but absolutely brilliant. The red wine sauce had a slight sweetness which went perfectly with the steak! There was also a fried onion garnish which helped give an extra punch of the salty, sweet combination that I always desire. For dessert I had the "Chocolate Mousse," which sold me immediately upon seeing salted caramel as one of the main ingredients.
The light, whipped mousse had a nice, crunchy cookie layer at the bottom and was topped with a layer of marshmallow, combining three delicious, unique textures together. Beyond the food itself being absolutely flawless, the entire experience at the restaurant went beyond expectations. The staff were all quite knowledgeable and professional, which helps take the dining experience to the next level. I felt so comfortable and taken care of, which I could sense was a feeling shared by the many other diners in the restaurant that night. I'm excited to not only come back in the future, but to recommend the restaurant to anyone who finds themselves in Chelsea looking for a great dining spot!
Peachy Picks La Promenade Des Anglais!
La Promenade Des Anglais is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
