Peachy Picks Cercle Rouge Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
"Success is not about opening restaurants, it's about not closing any."
-George Forgeois, Owner of Cercle Rouge
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Executive Chef Pascal Condomine and George Forgeois
We're not sure it gets any better than classic French cuisine, absolutely stellar wine and conversations about racing! Whom You Know is just thrilled to kick off coverage of The Forgeois Group in Manhattan and we begin with Cercle Rouge which is why we're writing in red. George Forgeois is one of the most intelligent and hardest working restaurateurs we've met-not to mention a lot of fun, and if you have not been coming here since 2005 when it opened, you are in two words, missing out. Drawing a commanding local clientele as well as being widely appealing to tourists, his restaurant group also includes Jules Bistro (began in 1993), Cafe Noir (began in 1995), Singe Vert (began in 1997-fun name that translates into Green Monkey), Bar Tabac (began in 2000) and the latest and greatest, Clarkson which began this year.
George is the embodiment of the American Dream. He started off washing dishes, then became a busboy, a waiter, a manager and you can see where he is today! He was preaching to the choir (of course we love classic everything) when he told us he loves classic French Bistro food and does not believe in reinventing the wheel: less is more and perfection cannot be messed with. Executive Chef Pascal Condomine greeted us when we arrived at Cercle Rouge and George joined us a bit later and everyone was so gracious and showed a true love for their vocation.
We loved the interior of Cercle Rouge: it has a warm ambiance and the tables are from Paris and date back to the 1950's. The bar even has a wooden refrigerator.
Bien sur mes amies, Peachy Deegan would be drinking French wine. She began with a robust Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend: Medoc, Chateau Haut-Maurac 2009. It was the perfect beginning to an evening of culinary bliss.
As we were narrowing down the amazing menu choices, Pascal thoughtfully presented us with Terrine de Fois Gras:
The texture of this was ideal and could not have been better and the flavor was as well. With quince compote and brioche, this was truly authentic right down to the gray salt that traveled to us from the Southwest of France. Pascal joined George in July 2011 and since January 2012 he has been at the helm of the menu at Cercle Rouge. Like the Sel De Garon (gray salt), Pascal himself is from the Garcony region which is about an hour from Toulouse. (...like Toulouse-Lautrec.)
As you know Peachy loves garlic and absolutely adored the essential escargots-snails baked in garlic-parsley butter which was quintessentially divine. Every bite was escargot ecstasy: they were fresh, flavored well and cooked just right. When George says they do the classics right he's not kidding. This was right on the money.
As an entree, Peachy opted for the route de poisson and ordered La Raie Aux Capres: pan seared skate wing, brown butter, capers, cornichon, Yukon gold mashed potato and lemon. It was so delicious and the definition of comfort food in this weather. Thumbs up on the potatoes especially from someone's who is Irish. The skate was light and flaky and the preparation was ideal.
The philosophies at Cercle Rouge we found down-to-earth which is refreshing, and though chicken wings are not something we'd normally order, it's for the simple reason that most places don't do a good job with them and we don't want to be fighting with skin and bones for a tiny bit of chicken meat. Peachy buried that thought once she met these delightful lollipop chicken wings, and was quite like the owl in this commercial we remember with the chicken wing pops. These were so flavorful and full of meat on a single bone, and you will agree that you never have had better chicken wings.
George was right to insist that we try these.
Domaine des 2 Anes Red Corbiere wine, which is what George drinks, is without a doubt the best wine Peachy has had this entire fall, anywhere and winter so far too for that matter. It is ripe and bursting with rich flavor and there is no way you will be able to stop at one glass. Whomever is responsible for this vineyard: we'd like to hear from you directly please!
An apple tart and Solera Ratafia de champagne hit the spot to close the night perfectly. And do note if you are a racing or car enthusiast, George is up to speed on that category and will gladly show you his cars via video!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
If you're looking for classic French bistro fare in a charming and inviting setting, look no further Cercle Rouge. This gem of a restaurant, on West Broadway, just a few blocks south of Canal Street, is worth the trip, no matter where in the city you live. Owner Georges Forgeois and Chef Pascal Condomine clearly take a great deal of pride in their establishment, and with good reason: the food is outstanding, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the staff is stellar. As I nibbled on the crusty bread set out for us and sipped on a glass of Chateau Maris Minervois la Liviniere "La Touge" (a lively syrah/grenache blend) while perusing the menu, Chef Pascal brought us out a plate of his Terrine De Foie Gras to try.
And boy, were we happy he did! Smooth as butter, topped with gray salt (unpurified sea salt from the South of France), and accompanied by brioche toast, this dish was simply outstanding. A perfect start to our meal!
After this, I tried the Endives Au Roquefort, which was a beautiful salad of endives, blue cheese, walnuts, and pears. The combination of flavors and textures was outstanding, and the cheese was especially delicious!
For my main course, I opted for Steak Frites - Georges had mentioned that what sets Cercle Rouge apart from so many other restaurants is that, instead of getting experimental or fussy with their dishes, they prefer to do the classics, and do them as close to perfection as possible. Since Steak Frites is about as classic as they come, I thought this would be the perfect dish to try. And I'm pleased to report that it was, hands down, the best Steak Frites I've ever had. The steak was tender, juicy, and full of flavor, and the fries were so delicious, I could have made a meal on them alone! Before dessert, Georges insisted that we try the Cercle Wings, which are Cercle Rouge's house special chicken wings. Although most typical French bistros don't include chicken wings on their menu, we're so happy that Cercle Rouge does.
Made "lollipop style" to make them easier to negotiate, the wings were fantastic - the sauce was just hot enough without being overwhelming, and the meat was tasty and tender. Although we were nearing our limit of fullness, we simply couldn't leave without trying dessert! Although everything sounded delectable, I ultimately decided upon one of the "Beaujolais Week" specials: Poire À La Beajolaise, which was a pear poached in Beaujolais, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.This was accompanied by a special dessert wine, which was a champagne without bubbles, made in the same way as sherry.
The pear was amazing - sweet, without being cloyingly so - and the wine was the perfect complement to it. Overall, a simply phenomenal meal!
Peachy Picks Cercle Rouge.
Cercle Rouge is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
You want to try this wine!
Actually, you'll want to try everything...
