Peachy Picks Capsouto Freres Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Owner Samuel Capsouto
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From the moment you enter Capsouto Freres and Samuel and Kathy Capsouto greet you at the door with warm smiles on their faces, you know you are in for one of the best dinners in recent memory, and we do mean BEST. Since 1980, Capsouto Freres has been excelling in fine french dining in Tribeca, and our uptown girl even made the pilgrimage downtown and it was so worth it. Capsouto Freres was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
Today we are pleased to announce Capsouto Freres has winningly catapulted into Peachy's Picks because it embodies every element of fine dining possible in our experience. First of all, it was not lost on Peachy Deegan that she was dining at a Landmark Building that once was a spice warehouse...oooh we'll have to tell our friend Peg Breen and do mark your calendar for Thursday November 8, 2012 for our most favorite gala all year...
And like we said, the owners greeted us at the door. We also loved that Sam himself answered the phone the very first time Peachy rang up and from that moment we knew he was a total peach. Every element of Capsouto Freres is aesthetically pleasing. We were thrilled to have a window seat in the back, and every table is spacious and gracious. There's not a bad seat in the house.
Everyone there is friendly and happy and you'd understand if you were eating there right now!
As we sat down, we were greeted with some lovely pate to get the party started:
Capsouto Freres was started in 1980 by brothers Jacques, Samuel and Albert and our only regret is that it took Peachy until 2012 to get there! They grew up in Egypt and France and truly possess authentic French taste and style. Even the butter was perfectly presented:
Its heavenly taste of pure creaminess on the fantastic rolls was amazing. Not everywhere has bread and butter that is this fresh and tasty.
The menu itself was straightforward French bistro but much more elegant and thoughtful than a standard French bistro. Terribly classy, Capsouto Freres is where the ladies that lunch would go if Park Avenue was in Tribeca we believe!
As a starter, Peachy Deegan ordered the escargots and they were as succulent as you might imagine and were served piping hot! The combination of the garlic and sauce and escargot combined to perfection that was thoroughly enjoyed right down to the last drop. Peachy can count on one hand how many French places have escargots as masterful as Capsouto Freres and these might be the best we've had, ever. Not only is Peachy in love with the divine little snails but also she is enamored of the sauce, and was so pleased when Samuel suggested that she get extra bread to dip in the sauce, which she happily did. The plate was white when Peachy was done!
Magdalena our server was the quintessential expert of not only all things French and culinary but also she is terrific at being a mind-reader - knowing what kinds of people like certain things. Peachy almost always knows exactly what she wants but when faced with so many excellent choices once in a blue moon she asks for an opinion from the owner or top waitstaff when she is deciding.
Peachy was in the mood for some poisson, and the Amandine Filet of Sole defined what fish should be! The crispy flavorful crust of almonds creatively dancing in a lemon butter sauce was absolutely terrific paired with broccoli and carrots, also flavored well. Every element of this dish was incredibly fresh and the portion size was generous.
Peachy sipped on a lovely Sauvignon Blanc to go with the Filet of Sole and it heightened the flavor to an even greater extent. At the beginning of the meal we were asked if we liked Souffles...we like Souffles as much as we like air and sleep and all of life's essentials and when someone heard chocolate was available she almost jumped out of her seat:
Hands down, this is the best souffle Peachy Deegan has ever had. It is perfectly punctured to pour in chocolate sauce and is finished off with a dollop of cream that will make you feel like you must be eating something that was sent down from heaven.
Don't be envious-just make your reservation for tonight.
In fact the only thing we did not like about Capsouto Freres is that we had to leave! But we certainly will be back. Where can Peachy sign up to be a Capsouto Soeur?
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Capsouto Freres was an amazing dining experience. Easily one of my
favorites in Manhattan! As I parked outside I was impressed with this
landmark building, tucked away in a quiet corner of Tribeca. The
dining room was very spacious and had beautiful high ceilings. The
other patrons in the restaurant looked like they felt right at home
and very relaxed, they had a certain vibe I don't see at many
restaurants around Manhattan.
Our server, Magdalena, was amazing. Very knowledgeable about the menu
and made some great recommendations for me. She first brought me a
glass of Sauvignon Galil Mountain from Galilee. I loved this wine, and
even had a second glass of it later. For my appetizer, Magdalena
recommend one that did not at first jump out at me from the menu, the
Zucchini Blossoms with basil goat cheese and garlic. I'm so glad she
pointed me to this one, because it was wonderful! The diced tomato
with it went well together, and was so fresh and sweet. Dinner was off
to a great start.
I sipped a winning Cabernet that was from Galilee which paired well with my whole meal.
I am a big fan of Sweetbreads, something not served in too many
restaurants. What are sweetbreads? Well, they are not sweet and they
are not breads! They are a very french dish consisting of different
organ meats and glands, sautéed or poached. I told Magdalena I was
considering ordering this, and she quickly said it was a great choice
and she'd recommend it. After I ordered, Sam, one of the founding
Capsouto brothers, came over to the table and said, "Someone ordered
my favorite dish!", referring to the Sweetbread. We chatted a bit
about how its very hard to find a restaurant to serve Sweetbreads in
Manhattan. Well, my plate came and I enjoyed every bite of it! I even
gave Peachy a piece, and Peachy (who, unlike me is not normally a fan
of strange organ meats and offal) thought it was great too!
Finally, desert. Wow! Capsouto has the title, "Best Souffle in NYC",
and rightfully so! I went with the Apricot Souffle, again, on
Magdalena's recommendation, she's so great! The souffle was so light
and fluffy. Perfection!
After dinner I got to have a nice chat with Sam and his wife about
their interesting lives and the history of the restaurant. Both were
very pleasant, warm, friendly and passionate people. Their
personalities are definitely why the Capsouto Freres experience is so
great. Capsouto is a very special place in New York, and I will
certainly be back soon and would highly recommend this place to all
New Yorkers and those who visit our great city!
We even had a lovely glass of dessert wine with Sam at the bar as we left. And then he told us that Marty Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio were there the night before filming the Wolf of Wall Street...Marty maybe you want to turn turn our friend Norb's books into movies next!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/
When we were leaving, we noticed this sign:
Kathy, Sam and Peachy:
Peachy Picks Capsouto Freres!
Capsouto Freres is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
Peachy, Sam and Ryan
