Unfortunately when I had this meal it was too dark for my Iphone camera to catch any good pictures without the flash. I think using a flash camera in a restaurant is obnoxious and therefore there are no pictures for this posting.
I work managing the tele-fundraising department of a worldwide philanthropy based in midtown. I started off as a telephone fundraiser there about six years ago. I was eventually promoted to a calling room supervisor and once my boss got fired about three years back, I became the manager . Our company’s fiscal year ends June 30th and for the past three years they have allowed me to take my group out (about 12 people total) for dinner at the end of the campaign. For the two years that I’ve had complete control of the department we’ve hit our dollar and pledge goals, so it’s a nice way of saying thank you to the people who make it all possible. Basically, we have to stay around a $500 budget and cover our own alcohol. Trust me, these people can drink.
I like to pick places that have priced fixed options so that no one will OD. Two years ago we went to the Sunburnt Cow in Alphabet City, a fabulous Australian restaurant with great cocktails. Last year we went to Acme Bar and Grill in Noho, a southern restaurant that makes great creole food and has an insane collection of hot sauces. This year we went to one of my favorite French restaurants, Les Sans Culottes on East 57th street.
The way that it works at Culottes is that you pick an entrée off of the priced fix menu for $25 (there are more expensive options as well, duck and lamb are $30 etc). All entrée choices includes mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables but they always put bowls of rice pilaf and excellent thin and crispy fries on the table as well. I’ve had a lot of the main courses and I really like the garlic chicken and the baby lamb chops. The garlic chicken is roasted and is served right out of the oven with a beautiful crisp skin.
The star of the show at Culottes, however, is not the main courses, but the appetizer for which no choices are given. As soon as you sit down, a lot of different shit starts appearing on your table. First comes a tremendous basket of fresh fruits and vegetables. Nothing is sliced or pre-cut, so it’s a little dramatic and quite fun to go through the basket and find whole cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges, apples, green onions, cauliflower etc. Next comes a plate with a lot of little bowls on it. One bowl has a ranch dressing like dip for the vegetables, another has butter, another has cornichons and another has an excellent, rich, and thick pate. Finally, you get, what I can only describe as a sausage tower. It’s a steel structure that has about five different types of sausages hanging from it. The idea is to slice off whatever you want, and this way I assume, the links can be reused. Of course there are bread baskets as well.
Obviously people spend a lot of time with this first course and the restaurant never makes you feel rushed. It’s a great concept and one that I think that more restaurants should utilize. You get a choice of either caramel flan or chocolate mousse for dessert.
Les Sans Culottes provides a lot of value which is certainly important, especially during these times. The dinner at $25 is a great deal but the price drops down to $16 for lunch which is a steal. Anytime I’ve been there, the rather tiny room is packed. People who eat there go back and for those who have been to Les Sans Culottes feel like they’re in on a secret that other New Yorkers should want to be in on.
Les Sans Culottes – 1085 2nd Avenue (at 57th Street) NY, 10022, (212) 838-6660
Filed under: French Food Tagged: | Acme Bar and Grill, French Food, Garlic Chicken, Les Sans Culottes, The Sunburnt Cow
