Balthazar
Balthazar was an interesting yet contradictory experience. It's casual yet elegant French flair make it a wonderful and unique place to dine, yet its long waits, indifferent service, and noisy, cramped tables may make it a place you do not want to visit often. One thing for sure? The food is fantastic! So, if that is what you are interested in, be sure to go. And make sure you visit the bakery on the way out. Try the Bread, French fries, Duck Shepherd's Pie, Lamb Sandwich, and Pastries.
Atmosphere
From the outside, Balthazar appears quite quaint and cozy, with little red awnings spanning out over the sidewalks, and a window displaying freshly-baked breads from the adjoining bakery. How sweet, you think, how adorable, how wonderfully French! Once inside, however, NYC hits you in the face, with a huge cavernous space, a very crowded bar, and a multitude of hungry diners waiting for tables. It's than that you realize, You're not in Provence anymore!
The building that houses Balthazar was once a leather wholesaler's warehouse, and a warehouse is exactly what the space looks like: big, square, and high. What saves it, though, is the impeccable design. Meant to echo a true French brasserie, tables are heavy wooden bistro style, flanked by either slatted-wood benches or vintage-style red leather booths, some of which are charmingly-curved, reminding me of old Hollywood movies. White mosaic tile floors are complimented by amazing vintage-deco lighting. Soft music, French or, in our case, Christmas music, plays in the background at a comfortable level. A large brasserie-style bar sits off to the right where patrons can either dine at casual tables or imbibe one of the many specialty cocktails. In the back, a raw bar that looks like it jumped directly from Paris to here sits perfectly against the wall, tempting with deliciously-fresh seafood.
Overall, the setting is a wonderful mix of Old World and new; it's very much like France, but also a lot like NYC. The décor is perfect in it's brasserie-style, being at once comfortable, tasteful, elegant and, just like France, perfect in it's imperfection. It's best trait being great without appearing to try too hard. On the other hand, its crowded, fast-paced, cavernous enormity is definitely a reminder of being in NYC. The best of both worlds, perhaps? At least you don't have to take a long flight... Oh, and people speak English.
The building that houses Balthazar was once a leather wholesaler's warehouse, and a warehouse is exactly what the space looks like: big, square, and high. What saves it, though, is the impeccable design. Meant to echo a true French brasserie, tables are heavy wooden bistro style, flanked by either slatted-wood benches or vintage-style red leather booths, some of which are charmingly-curved, reminding me of old Hollywood movies. White mosaic tile floors are complimented by amazing vintage-deco lighting. Soft music, French or, in our case, Christmas music, plays in the background at a comfortable level. A large brasserie-style bar sits off to the right where patrons can either dine at casual tables or imbibe one of the many specialty cocktails. In the back, a raw bar that looks like it jumped directly from Paris to here sits perfectly against the wall, tempting with deliciously-fresh seafood.
Overall, the setting is a wonderful mix of Old World and new; it's very much like France, but also a lot like NYC. The décor is perfect in it's brasserie-style, being at once comfortable, tasteful, elegant and, just like France, perfect in it's imperfection. It's best trait being great without appearing to try too hard. On the other hand, its crowded, fast-paced, cavernous enormity is definitely a reminder of being in NYC. The best of both worlds, perhaps? At least you don't have to take a long flight... Oh, and people speak English.
Service
Our service at Balthazar was fine though I fear it is falling into the we-are-so-busy-we-don't-need-your-business mode. Our server was a little lackluster and devoid of much personality, even though I tried to coax it out of her a few times. And, a busboy went away shaking his head and tsk-ing us when we asked for more 'whole wheat' bread, instead of calling it the appropriate name, 'country-style' bread - who knew?!
Other annoying things were being asked what kind of bottled water we would like, not offering us ice water as a choice, which I think is a rude and pushy way to sell, and a big pet peeve of mine. And, an attendant in each restroom that holds the paper towels captive and then hands you one as you finish washing your hands, doling them out one at a time as if they were coated in gold leaf. Now I understand the purpose of an attendant, and I am not altogether opposed to the idea, especially if I need a toothpick, mouthwash, lotion, or whatever, but I am happy to, and more than capable of, getting my own paper towel, thanks very much, and I'd rather not tip a dollar to do it. Sorry.
Other annoying things were being asked what kind of bottled water we would like, not offering us ice water as a choice, which I think is a rude and pushy way to sell, and a big pet peeve of mine. And, an attendant in each restroom that holds the paper towels captive and then hands you one as you finish washing your hands, doling them out one at a time as if they were coated in gold leaf. Now I understand the purpose of an attendant, and I am not altogether opposed to the idea, especially if I need a toothpick, mouthwash, lotion, or whatever, but I am happy to, and more than capable of, getting my own paper towel, thanks very much, and I'd rather not tip a dollar to do it. Sorry.
Food
In a restaurant like this, where one must wait an hour for a table, and endure tsking busboys and lackluster service, it is the food that makes or breaks the experience and, I must say, the food at Balthazar did not disappoint. Going in the late afternoon we didn't order too many dishes, but chose simply 2 entrees: a roasted lamb sandwich ($15), and a duck shepherd's pie ($18). Before the food, thick, fresh bread was brought to the table, an excellent French bread and an outstanding dense brown bread called 'Country-Style' (see above), served with a ramekin of chilled sweet butter. The lamb sandwich was on the greatest Baguette I'd ever had, firm, yet soft enough to eat the sandwich without difficulty. The lamb inside was sliced thin and was very tender. The harissa mayonnaise did not add much flavor on its own so I ordered a side of it to give it a little extra kick. The sandwich also had a nice slice of grilled zucchini, arugula, and a few caramelized pickled onions.
With the sandwich, the famous Balthazar French fries, thin, yet still crispy outside and tender inside. It has something to do with the way they double, or triple, cook them, I can't remember, but they had the most exquisite potato taste. When ordering, the server asked if we wanted ketchup with the fries and at the time I thought it was an odd question, but as soon as I popped one in my mouth I understood that not only do you not need ketchup, the ketchup actually destroys the wonderful and delicate flavor. It is said that these are the best fries in NYC. I can't disagree. Just as a side note, the fries can also be ordered by themselves for $8.
The Shepherd's Pie was also excellent, tasting more like a beef bourguignon, but with duck, with a rich and decadent red wine sauce, onions, and mushrooms, and a fine topping of whipped potatoes, slightly crusted from the oven. The meat was falling-apart tender and intensely flavorful. It was an English dish with a definite French twist, but quite possibly the best take on Shepard's pie I'd ever tried- though those who love the English version will argue with me wholeheartedly on this.
Blathazar also offers an extensive wine and specialty cocktail list, and though I usually abstain from these expensive, gimmicky drinks, I decided to let my guard down and give one a try. My choice? A Brigitte, gin with cucumber and muddled mint ($14). It sounded light, refreshing, and subtle. It came in a martini glass, looking innocuously cute with pieces of mint floating around in the glass and a nice cucumber slice on the side. The taste was sweet and sour, a little too much like a margarita for me, but not bad. It had a good dose of gin in it. I finished it way too quickly because it wasn't very big, but it packed a nice punch, and I left the restaurant feeling pleasantly happy, and remained so for the next few hours.
Balthazar is also connected to it's own bakery next door. Instead of having dessert at the table, we wandered over and picked up a few tartes to go, a caramelized banana tarte ($6.50), and a fruit noisette ($5.50), both of which were exquisite, exactly like pastry in France. The one disappointment? Balthazar bakery, like the restaurant, is extremely popular any day, any time, so, they often run out of their most popular items. If you want the more traditional things, like brownies or lemon tartes, go early, or call ahead.
With the sandwich, the famous Balthazar French fries, thin, yet still crispy outside and tender inside. It has something to do with the way they double, or triple, cook them, I can't remember, but they had the most exquisite potato taste. When ordering, the server asked if we wanted ketchup with the fries and at the time I thought it was an odd question, but as soon as I popped one in my mouth I understood that not only do you not need ketchup, the ketchup actually destroys the wonderful and delicate flavor. It is said that these are the best fries in NYC. I can't disagree. Just as a side note, the fries can also be ordered by themselves for $8.
The Shepherd's Pie was also excellent, tasting more like a beef bourguignon, but with duck, with a rich and decadent red wine sauce, onions, and mushrooms, and a fine topping of whipped potatoes, slightly crusted from the oven. The meat was falling-apart tender and intensely flavorful. It was an English dish with a definite French twist, but quite possibly the best take on Shepard's pie I'd ever tried- though those who love the English version will argue with me wholeheartedly on this.
Blathazar also offers an extensive wine and specialty cocktail list, and though I usually abstain from these expensive, gimmicky drinks, I decided to let my guard down and give one a try. My choice? A Brigitte, gin with cucumber and muddled mint ($14). It sounded light, refreshing, and subtle. It came in a martini glass, looking innocuously cute with pieces of mint floating around in the glass and a nice cucumber slice on the side. The taste was sweet and sour, a little too much like a margarita for me, but not bad. It had a good dose of gin in it. I finished it way too quickly because it wasn't very big, but it packed a nice punch, and I left the restaurant feeling pleasantly happy, and remained so for the next few hours.
Balthazar is also connected to it's own bakery next door. Instead of having dessert at the table, we wandered over and picked up a few tartes to go, a caramelized banana tarte ($6.50), and a fruit noisette ($5.50), both of which were exquisite, exactly like pastry in France. The one disappointment? Balthazar bakery, like the restaurant, is extremely popular any day, any time, so, they often run out of their most popular items. If you want the more traditional things, like brownies or lemon tartes, go early, or call ahead.
Cleanliness
Balthazar is not one of those sterile restaurants, though it is perfectly clean. The bathrooms are nice and the aforementioned attendant keeps them running smoothly. They have great leather club chairs to sit in if you are waiting for someone.
Pros
Great food, beautiful atmosphere that combines the best of France and New York.
Cons
Good but not great service, tables that are scrunched together, and long waits to get seated.