Peachy Picks Papillion Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Executive Chef Damien Brassel
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It's not who you know, it's Whom You Know and we know Frank McCole, owner of Lillie's in Times Square, which we absolutely loved. Especially after a stellar renovation last month, Papillion is now a spot not to miss! Papillion was first featured in Tasty Tidbits, and we are pleased to announce it has graduated to Peachy's Picks. The name Papillion celebrates the life of Henri Charriere, an author who penned a memoir by the same name. Papillion is French-inspired, but in our opinion they are all Irish from Frank himself to Executive Chef Damien Brassel, who came to New York ten years ago from Kinsale in County Cork. Damien oversees the menu at both Lillie's locations as well as the new menu that is coming out at Papillion. Previously, he has history with the Knife and Fork and Bobby Flay. He is one of the most even-keeled chefs we've met!
Papillion boasts an energy that is seen at few restaurants in New York because of its extremely popular bar areas, so if you like jovial dinners this place is for you-the adjective bustling is absolutely accurate that they use on their website! After studying Commerce in Cork and going to culinary school in Switzerland, Damien moved to New York ten years ago and joined Frank's team in August 2012. Damien has come out with some quite creative concoctions that you should be excited to try!
We first sampled scallops with seared foie gras, roasted red pepper, asparagus, shallots and parsley puree.
This accounted for a tremendous variety of flavors in a beautifully presented starter. Damien is clearly enthused about his new venture and embodies the typical exuberance of the Irish! Too bad Peachy did not know Frank and Damien in 1997 when she lived in Cork and lived on Tangle Twisters by HB which is basically like Good Humor in Ireland....
The next plate we tried was seared ahi tuna with seaweed salad, braised oxtail and more delights that exemplified Damien's commitment to culinary imaginativeness.
And, if you are a lamb aficionado, and lamb is a popular dish in Ireland, you will be thrilled to try the sundried tomato tapenade, cauliflower truffle puree, garlic escargot in chive butter with the loin of lamb!
And, to balance it all out, if you are a true culinary purist and want fewer flavors in one dish do not fear, Damien is an accommodating chef who wants to excel in his new position and accomplish many aspects of the spectrum of cuisine. Chargrilled with sauteed spinach and an amazing touch of parmesean, this steak was chargrilled to perfection.
With a sip of cappuccino and one of the best desserts in recent memory, the night at Papillion was complete.
All in all we believe Papillion is a universally appealing spot that visitors and locals will find warm and welcoming that celebrates both the spirit and talent of the Irish and you can't beat that.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
If you are looking for a fun, inviting dining and bar atmosphere, Papillon Bistro is the perfect place! With a greatly spacious and newly renovated location this restaurant is quite the experience! The executive chef, Damien, who joined Papillon Bistro in August is in the midst of creating a brand new menu for this popular restaurant. It will include small plates which we were able to preview!
The first plate was a seared foie gras, scallop, parsley purée, asparagus, shallots and roasted red peppers.
The next was a seared ahi tuna with kimchi, seaweed salad, braised oxtail, squid sauce with coconut and wasabi tobiko. The last plate was a loin of lamb, shallots, cauliflower truffle purée, garlic escargots with chive butter and sun dried tomato tapenade. It was wonderful having the opportunity to try these new dishes! I am eager to come back to Papillon Bistro once the brand new menu launches to the public! There are delicious dishes on their current menu as well, which we also had the opportunity to try! I had the chargrilled steak topped with parmesan, sautéed spinach and confit shallot veal jus. The steak was cooked perfectly, was juicy and full of flavor! I've never tried steak with parmesan before and really enjoyed the combination! It also paired perfectly with the beer I ordered, a delicious Hoegaarden. For dessert I decided to order the warm chocolate lava cake with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. This was the perfect ending to our dining experience at Papillon Bistro! I loved the richness of the warm chocolate in this dish paired with the cold vanilla ice cream. It certainly hit the spot for my sweet tooth! Papillon Bistro is a great place to enjoy with friends, coworkers, family or even a first date! The atmosphere is fun and relaxed so everyone can feel welcome here. I can't wait to go back soon!
Peachy Picks Papillion!
Papillion is Recommended by Whom You Know.
