Lily’s send off party was held at Steak Frites Steak Frites, at the new location in Tribeca. I never went to the previous Union Square location, but I heard it was quite popular. I wonder if it was better in the original spot because Lon and I were pretty disappointed in this experience, and others voiced complaints as well.
Our 14 person party reserved the private room which was lined with wine rack cases. I thought it was cool at first but realized how impractical it was as wait staff came in and out to grab wine. Each time, they had to open the glass doors in inadequate space. Lon noticed the instrumental latin music as soon as we sat, but it switched to hip hop, then video game instrumentals, Michael Jackson, and then was shut off when the ultra loud live music (Thurs, Fri, Sat at 9:30PM) began.
Our first taste impression was the cumin flavored mayonnaise. It was just weird as an accompaniment to bread, and I stared at it for a while since it took a long time for the appetizers to come, and half of us were served a good 5-10 minutes before the other half. Lon and I chose a special, Little Neck Clams with Bacon. They were fresh and plump clams with visible chunks of bacon that did not add any flavor. The liquid that we would normally sop up with bread was so salty, we left it alone.
My main course was Pan Seared Scallops with Lobster and Spring Vegetable Risotto. The scallops tasted like nothing. I only ate two out of three, which has never happened before. The risotto was like steam table food, the stuff that sits on a buffet table for hours, with an over-powering taste of asparagus and carrots. You could see the flecks of lobster but could not taste it. My mom would have had a heart attack if she saw how much food I left on my plate.
Lon’s report of his Bouillabaisse was not much better. Most of the seafood was over-cooked until chewy. The familiar flavors of bouillabaisse were not there in the murky brown liquid. Uncharacteristic of Lon, he didn’t finish his dish either.
We had high hopes for the sides. Lon’s eyes widened when he saw Duck Fat Hash Browns and pointed out the Truffle Fries, he knew I would want. The Hash Browns were decent fried potatoes but the duck fat was not evident.
The Truffle Fries came out cold with a hint of truffle and we sent them back. (Others talked about their cold onion rings.) The new plate was freshly fried, nice and hot, but the truffle flavor was gone, making them just a plate of decent fries. Some pieces were crispy, some were soggy.
The focus here seems to be large portions of lovely looking food, in a modern bistro space. If you eat with your eyes, this may be the place for you, but Lon and I will not be back. Flavor is just too important to us.
In regards to the Lily’s party comment…the “Mayonnaise” they refered to is Eggplant Hummus, and they clearly don’t know what they are tasting. The scallops in the picture clearly have fluer de sel on them and I know the chef would NEVER use a steam table for any food, never mind risotto. This review was a clear insult to the people that work hard at the restaurant to make things better. If your going to comment on other peoples food, at least act as if you know what you are talking about, as I’m sure many people agree you are full of it. So please tell LON and JESSICA to stop being so nitpicky and just enjoy their meal, or say something while you are there to get it fixed. After the fact, don’t complain and not give the restaurant a chance to make up for it.
Maybe anonymous didn’t read as carefully as I tend to, but the comment was that the risotto tasted like steam table food, not that it was steam table food. And…I noticed that Lon & Jessica did comment about sending back some of the dishes.
It’s sad when eggplant hummus tastes like cumin mayo, and anonymous has made it quite visible that he/she works for or knows someone with stake in the restaurant. It’s sad when you have to start attacking us to make it seem like the restaurant is any good.
…and thanks K&S;, we did send back what we thought they could fix, but you can’t fix when the scallop itself tastes like nothing. I didn’t say it was under-seasoned, but who’s full of it now, who claims they can SEE fleur de sel.
It’s a blog site, don’t take things so personal people. I’ve had some good meals there, nothing that will knock you off your socks, but nonetheless a very solid dinner at a great cost when the economy is where it is….my vote, great neiborhood restaurant!!!
ALSO…STEAK FRITES, why would you judge them on seafood? did you even try a steak? And yes, I know people there, but I’ve had great meals there and had terrible meals at some places you claim are great! Sorry I ever came across your blog, it’s a terrible representation of what people should believe.
Although STEAK is in their name, you do realize that they are not a steak house right? It’s more of a brasserie.