Whom You Know: Peachy Picks Brasserie Cognac

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Peachy Picks Brasserie Cognac

Did you know you can Take a Trip to the Cote D'Azur at 55th and Broadway? Peachy Deegan is pleased to announce that Brasserie Cognac has graduated to Peachy's Picks!

We first learned of Brasserie Cognac under Tasty Tidbits:

http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/08/tasty-tidbits-brasserie-cognac.html

We are delighted by the fabulous artistry of Chef Florian Hugo and enthusiastically endorse Brasserie Cognac. Whom You Know brought our two experts on France to this dinner panel, and they found it truly authentic. If you have been an avid Whom You Know reader you know it was only 2 months ago that Peachy Deegan was scouting out Nice and Antibes in search of great vacation ideas for you and she is certain that Brasserie Cognac is a place she might have seen on the Promenade D'Anglais!

Opened in April 2008, Brasserie Cognac is the Serafina Restaurant Group's French specialty, and not only is it a great restaurant, but it also offers a bakery which Peachy took a look at on her way out.

Upon arrival, we were pleasantly greeted by Ged Martin, Manager and graciously served all evening by Mario, waiter extraordinaire. Through each course, Chef Florian Hugo came to visit us with background on each dish. His wonderful talent, charm and sophistication can only be derived from both his culinary expertise and his exquisite genes of the artistic Hugo Family. He IS related to Victor Hugo, for you curious readers.

We began with the fabulous cocktail: Do Re Mi which is a blend of Cognac, St. Germain, Apple Juice and Champagne. This was quite well-received by the panel! We were immediately transported to the coast of the French Mediterranean. The mirrored walls lined with shelves of fine wine and cognac accentuated the maroon and gold decor and crisp white tablecloths. Mario started us with a lovely lobster bisque which we loved and you should try if you go-it is a specialty.

Appetizers included the Tomato Tart-roasted tomato, fresh goat cheese and thyme (served thoughtfully on a wooden board); Croque Monsieur-imported ham, swiss cheese and white truffle oil and bechamel sauce; Salmon Ceviche-marinated scottish salmon, frisee, endives and dill sauce, and was highlighted by the fabulously exquisite Octopus Salad which was our favorite food of the night, shown above. The Octopus Salad is composed of Grilled Marinated Octopus, Tomato-Tapenade Fondue and Argula and every bite is worthy of the labor-intensive nature of the dish. The flavor was fresh and unique, leaving us nearly fighting over every last morsel. In conjunction with these starters our dining panel experienced a basket Gougeres: gueyere, flour and a dash of parmesan resulting in one lovely puff!

We next tried "Our Fabulous Cheese Souffle," which if you go to order it yourselves, requires a 25 minute wait. Ours was absolutely worth the wait. Peachy liked it so much she was thinking about it again at breakfast today! Made with three different cheeses, it was light and perfect. It was accompanied by a green salad.

For the main course, we had Rotisserie Chicken and Filet Mignon Flambe (Mario showing above preparing this.) The Rotisserie Chicken was very fresh and not at all "gamey" or having a bird flavor. This chicken is their signature free-range flame-roasted chicken served with mashed potato, haricot vert and tarragon sauce. The Filet Mignon Flambe was as much fun to see cooked as it was to eat! Mario added Cognac and then peppercorn sauce to the pan prior to the entry of the Filet. Served with lovely potato medallions, the Filet Mignon Flambe is an menu selection not to miss!

There is also a sushi bar option, although we did not explore that. It is notable that the menu is balanced equally between meat and fish.

Brasserie Cognac does private events as well and we can tell you firsthand it is a great place to celebrate a birthday! Dessert included Brasserie Cognac's famous "Floating Island," which is poached meringue with caramel and vanilla creme anglaise. It looked and tasted like an angel floating in heaven. We love loved loved the Profiteroles: Chou puffs with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Dinner was accentuated with lovely alcoholic drinks. We could not more strongly endorse the Poire Granite Sparkling Eric Bordelet made with 55 different kinds of organic pears (!!!) and the Tesserone Cognac Lot 76. The lot refers to the year of the oldest barrel used in the blend. There are 104 different kinds of Cognac offered at Brasserie Cognac!

"Chaque jour est un bon jour pour un bon cognac" it says on the menu, and we would have to agree when you are at Brasserie Cognac!

For more information and to make your dinner reservation:

Brasserie Cognac

1740 Broadway (Corner of 55th)
New York, NY 10019
212 757 3600
www.cognacrestaurant.com

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