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It's
a magical world at
La
Grenouille.
There is, of course, the luxurious delight of a divine French meal
in the theatrical atmosphere of the famous mirrored restaurant
with its dramatic flowers and red banquettes, or the more intimate
and romantic pleasure of the private dining room above, all high
ceilings, charming wood balconies and beautiful oil paintings,
light filtering through even more flowers at the tall
windows. But the magic is far more subtle than the obvious
pleasures of food and decor, of celebrities that come and go, and
is perhaps why La Grenouille has outlasted all the other
old grand French restaurants in New York. Charles
Masson Sr., who founded La Grenouille in 1962, would tell
his son Charles, the restaurant's current owner: "Bois de la
vie!" And perhaps this is part of the secret at La
Grenouille -- that the experience is not merely culinary, but
a complete one, an aesthetic event, one of the spirit as well as
the body. Masson, a French immigrant who fell in love with
his adopted country, named his restaurant after a term of
endearment that he used for his wife, one of those wonderfully
idiosyncratic Gallic monickers: mon chou, ma poire, mon
crotin…ma grenouille…. Flowers
flowers everywhere…. dried flower arrangements that change with
the seasons, extravagant bouquets of flowers, beautiful fresh
flowers at tables…. Flowers that bloom, and history and
art and literature that permeate the space, the very fabric of
time discernible here. Bernard Lamotte, the painter, and
later a friend of the Massons, originally had a studio workspace
in the second floor (what is now the private dining room) before La
Grenouille opened, and one still feels the presence of those
who once walked there…Jean Gabin, Charlie Chaplin….eCognoscente
particularly loved that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a friend of
Lamotte's, is said to have
begun and worked on
The
Little Prince
here, and something of that whimsical dreamy spirit still pervades
the restaurant. Lamotte's paintings and easel still decorate
the room, as do the paintings of both Massons, père et fils. One
understands then that the Massons are artists in the best sense of
the word. Some of La Grenouille's charm lies in the
painterly attention to detail; taking the obvious -- fresh organic
ingredients, classic French culinary skills, exquisite
presentation, impeccable service -- and adding the perfectionist impulse...the
subtleties of light given as much care as the food. On a
recent afternoon, we had La Salade d'Endives et Poires aux Noix
et Roquefort, Le Foie de Veau aux Dattes et Raisins and a
wonderful Bass Pöelé aux Épinards et Xérès. The
salad delicate and perfect, the pan seared calf's livers paired
with dates, raisins, and sauteéd onions -- a felicitous marriage of
sweet and salty flavors. Bass that melted under the tongue,
accompanied by tender roasted fingerling potatoes and spinach that
had somehow been made divine with sherry. All this with a
fine dry Sancerre Pascal Jolivet 2007 and a Viré
Clessé Prosper Maufoux Burgundy 2008. And later, a
remarkable Grand Marnier Soufflé that proudly rose from
its dish like a white baker's hat, perfectly browned and crispy
and filled with a mixture of liqueur and cream that could send
even the most demanding food critic to culinary heaven.
 Masson
has created a very reasonably priced ardoise or blackboard
concept in the private dining room upstairs and there are the
daily prix fixe selections, perfect for pre-theatre or a
business lunch, or one could just go all out and indulge for a
long moment in the magic that is possible in this city. Bois
de la vie!
Eat:
La
Grenouille
Read:
The
Flowers of La Grenouille, Charles Masson
Read:
The
Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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