Oooh La La Mademoiselle Peachy is Delighted with the Italian Talents of @BenoitNY #BenoitNewYork @BenoitNY by #AlainDucasse Led by #JulienMoreno in New York, General Manager and Sommelier Guru of Nimes, France and Executive Chef Alberto Marcolongo of Verona, Italy #60West55thStreet #Midtown #Manhattan
Say yes please to Braised Beef in Red Wine!!!
Maybe you spend April in Paris but you should spend November in New York!
At Benoit!
Charles Pigeaux, Service Director, Executive Chef Alberto Marcolongo and Julien Moreno, General Manager
We have simple taste: we like the best! So, we dine at Benoit.
Previously, Benoit was lauded early this fall. We've said it once and we'll say it a million times more: it's never been who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we have known Julien since 2011 when he started with Alain A. (not to be confused with Alain Delon whom we hope is reading upstairs now!).
Here's the photo evidence~!!!
(and readers stay tuned for more wine excellence from Katie Lee and Adam because it's KIND OF WILD plus FINALLY Peachy found the picture with Katie Lee from 2008 to be released with our upcoming wine feature on her!)
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Nimes Native Julien Moreno and Peachy Deegan when they worked together in 2011 at La Promenade des Anglais by Alain Allegretti
So, through Julien we have met the talented team behind Benoit New York!
We were especially impressed with Maitre D Joanna Trendler, below, who is showing New York how anything boys can do, girls can do better and we really don't have enough opportunities to say that.
Every last detail is attended to, and we love the monogrammed butter (see Monogrammed Peachy.)
Benoit New York is gorgeous. If we were going to live in a restaurant as our house, this would be in our top ten choices in Manhattan.
This is how Peachy likes her water. No ice with lemon.
It's right the first time at Benoit, bien sur, and we were graciously greeted with amuse bouche of gruyere cheese puffs. Delicious!
They are totally on-theme for fall. They last changed their menu for a seasonal update at the end of September, which was after the first time we visited.
Aesthetically, Benoit is one of the most beautiful dining experiences one can have in New York. This visit reconfirmed that. Alberto is Italian, and we cover Italian cuisine just as much as French so we thought this visit, we'd explore the Italian section, which also changes seasonally. First, Fresh burrata with sunchoke and black truffle wowed us with its light, fresh exquisite flavor, above.
Then, the Carpaccio de capesante, below, was a total celebration of scallops, hazelnut and roasted celeriac. The hazelnut sauce was pure divinity and the thinness of the carpaccio announced that Benoit knows nuance at the highest level. Julien accurately paired the dinner with three Italian wines to match: this first wine was a lovely 2022 Abruzzo Prope Velenosi which was ripe and invigorating, and it makes you feel like summer is lasting a little bit longer which it has weather-wise here in New York.
So, the Italian section of the menu is named Alberto's Italian favorites, and mirror mirror on the wall, which one is his most favorite of them all? He tells us this one: Octopus paccheri. The sauce is an octopus juice (are you really living your best life if you are not eating octopus juice at Benoit???) and it's joined by fresno pepper and has an outstanding nuanced flavor kick. The 2021 Vernatsch Alte Reben Sonntaler Kellerei Kurtatsch (Schiava grape 100%) lightly paired with this. Next, a universally-appealing number: Risotto!
We were enraptured with the richness of this dish and the mushrooms and tarragon brilliantly shone brightly and comforted our palate on a chilly day in New York. It hit the spot!
The final firework was Peachy's favorite: Brasato al vino rosso. Braised Beef with Red Wine yields delicious richness and incredible taste and squash sings backup. The sauce was superb and these above pictures show the presentation to you from every angle. It was paired with the strongest red of the night which obviously Peachy liked the best by far: Rosso Di Montalcino La Torre.
The Tiramisu is pure divinity and no, Peachy did not eat the whole thing though she certainly could have.
Peachy did not like the Tiramisu.
She loved it. And Joanna served up some Madelines, excellent!
We are pleased to announce that Benoit excels in Italian cuisine as well!
Their website tells us:
Benoit New York is a contemporary French bistro by Alain Ducasse. In August 2016, Alain Ducasse transformed the original Benoit into a more modern 21st century dining destination. While the updated look still retains traditional French bistro elements, such as the signature red velvet banquettes, the lighter color palette and brand new Wine Bar bring a breath of fresh air to the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
DUCASSE Paris, fondée par le célèbre chef aux 20 étoiles Michelin, développe en France et à l'International des activités centrées sur l'univers de la gastronomie et de l'hospitalité : 34 restaurants dans 8 pays, 2 auberges de luxe : « Les Maisons d'Alain Ducasse », la formation, le conseil, « Les Collectionneurs » (chaîne hôtelière regroupant 585 adhérents), La Manufacture de chocolat et La Manufacture de Café. DUCASSE Paris, c’est avant tout des hommes et des femmes passionnés qui partagent une ambition commune : procurer du bonheur aux clients, leur faire vivre une expérience inoubliable, être créateur d’enchantement. Cette quête repose essentiellement sur le talent de nos collaborateurs, ils sont un élément clé du succès. C’est pourquoi notre politique de recrutement s'inscrit dans une vision à long terme : nous avons à cœur de développer les potentiels et de reconnaître la valeur du travail.
About the Paris Benoit history from their website:
A rich history
More than 100 years: a venerable age for this Parisian bistro which continues to carry the colors of the bistro tradition in the heart of Paris. The dynasty began with Benoit Matray who bought the restaurant in 1912 and gave it his name. A butcher by trade with an excellent memory for taste, he made it a must, welcoming customers as a generous and good-natured friend. Benoit’s became a very popular address for both the traders of Les Halles (which, at the time, was home to the huge and very lively Paris market) and artists.
In 1961, his grandson, Michel Petit, succeeded him at the head of Benoit as soon as he graduated from the Paris hotel school.
Remaining faithful
Many changes were made: installation of a private lounge on the first floor, renovation of the kitchen, enlargement of the restaurant room… Michel Petit also recalled the old mother Marie, author of a book of recipes that had made the place a success. His wife, Catherine Petit, designed the plates and the trompe-l’oeil in the living room, and the pyrographer Lesage, a faithful customer, came up with the now famous slogan: “Chez toi, Benoit, on boit, festoie, en rois” (At your place, Benoit, we drink, feast, like kings), and personalised the menu with very festive drawings, to which Catherine Petit would later add her own touch.
In April 2005, the Petit family decided to sell Benoit to Maison Ducasse. Chef Ducasse followed in the footsteps of his predecessors and carefully maintained the bistro spirit of Benoit. Moreover, he gave the brand an international visibility by opening, in September 2005, a Benoit bistro in Tokyo and another one, in 2008, in New York.
The bistro spirit in every detail
Push the door and come to discover Benoit in its warm and comfortable atmosphere. From tile to woodwork, from red velvet seats to brass, from engraved glass windows to fake marble columns, from the lightings to the bar, from the huge mirrors to the art paintings, the whole decoration gives a peaceful feeling and a sensation of time travel. On the upper floor, a private room with a large oval table welcomes the guests. The paintings on the wall, the terracotta tiles, the decorative panels above the doors and the fireplace will make you feel at home.
The bistro excellence
Bistro cuisine is a repertoire and above all a spirit. The great classics are there, executed with skill and even more love: pâté en croûte and snails in their shells, black pudding and sweetbreads, profiteroles and savarin, to name but a few. Kelly Jolivet, the chef, masters them with talent. She adds a touch of creativity so that this gastronomic heritage remains a gourmet pleasure today. The wines are just as good: by the glass (don’t miss Georges Duboeuf’s pouilly-fuissé served in magnum!), by the pitcher and of course in beautiful bottles from Beaujolais, Bourgogne and the Vallée du Rhône. As the saying goes, “At Benoit, drinking and feasting like kings”
