Little Frog by Francois Latapie Inaugural Review Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
"We're a pretty neighborhood bistro and we've invested in above-average decor. We're interested in becoming a classic, hoping and expecting to have longevity here on East 86th Street."
-Francois Latapie, owner of Little Frog
This was just ducky! Duck Liver Fois Gras Parfait
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We think Francois is right.
This will become a classic.
Oooh la la no matter how you feel about the election results, everyone knows something that can unite us all, Americans or International Readers, is food. Especially French food. Our restaurant reviews are loved around the world and we are so grateful for your interest-thank you. Avid readers know Peachy Deegan likes to go back and visit all the great places we have discovered to see what they have done lately to rock your palate. She sometimes likes to go to new places; some of them are featured only once. Some of them are never featured. We seek out the best cuisine with the brightest owners that we believe will result in an experience that will truly wow you.
This is the initial review of Little Frog, and it is the first time we've met and worked with Francois Latapie. If you don't know him certainly you know his work from La Goulue which he took over in 1994, moving it to Madison Avenue and Orsay which he started in 2000, and if you don't yet, you do now. He said he wanted to pick an English name; with a name like Que Vous Connaissez (Whom You Know in French) we certainly appreciate the English language since this site is named after Peachy's English class-and you know the general association with being French and Frogs. And thanks to influential (to her) French Canadian hockey players that Peachy knew when she was young, she also loves French. Francois came to America from his native Paris in 1979 and first was in Los Angeles. California's loss was New York's gain when he moved here in 1981.
Little Frog is simply the best thing ever to happen to 86th Street, East or West and it is even better than the upcoming (is it really coming?!?!) Second Avenue Subway.
Little Frog opened on October 24, 2016 and we sincerely hope this is their first review because we are so impressed.
No that is not our takeout bag so soon. This is an innovative way of bringing bread to your table, and you can see a lot of thought went into every detail here.
By the way, it's not simply bread. It's Fougasse: roasted bread with sea salt and rosemary, rustic and charming, unique in flavor and presentation. It is Sunday Bread in Provence.
The flavor is brilliant and it is served piping hot.
You are going to love it and forget about carbs.
It is in the shape of a leaf.
We began with the Grilled Octopus under appetizers. Not only is is exactly fresh and tender like you'd hope for, but also it is accompanied by a nice crunch of celery, a hint of red onion and pine nuts, pecorino and tapenade. It will properly ignite your appetite, and octopus is a great measure to see if a venue knows what they are doing.
Next in the batting order was the Duck Liver Fois Gras Parfait, sourced from our mutual friend Ariane from D'Artagnan.
Look at how gorgeous this is! We never ever edit pictures: our pictures are the truth.
The sour cherries add an element of spectacular contrast in both flavor and texture to the phenomenal quacker who's excited to meet your taste buds.
No one passes go and collects a virtual $200 on the Whom You Know reviews without a great green salad. Francois does not have a singular great green salad: he has two.
We chose the classic Little Frog Green Salad and they listened and put the dressing on the side for the picky one here. Baby head lettuce, mache, herbs, radish, and haricots verts (green beans are one of Peachy's favorite vegetables) are usually joined by goat cheese (but you know who does not care for that so they accommodated.) The sherry vinaigrette was perfect.
Francois also suggested we try the Shredded Beets salad and the beautiful shooting streams of beets were delightful. Hazelnuts, farro, baby kale and apple join them to make this interesting and different but not overwhelming.
The vibrant color of the Ora King Salmon was sensational and was trumped only by the splendors of the flavor. Sunchoke puree, zucchini, and aged balsamic in the right proportion gives this proper kick and the Salmon is a nice, lighter option on the menu. Feminine and delicate, it is also substantial and we loved it.
You absolutely should try a side of the delicious Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
And drumroll, please, meet the Steak Frites!!!!!! Pat LaFrieda is the purveyor of choice at Little Frog which is another example of Francois totally knowing what he is doing.
It arrived perfectly medium, at our request:
It was our favorite part of the meal and the first part totally gone and you know that Little Frog also has great reds to sip with it. The classic presentation was attractive and the carnivorous sensation was joined by sauce choron: pimento and tomato combined with a kind of bernaise. You are just going to love it.
Francois also recommended we try their superlative Roasted Cauliflower. It's further enhanced by crushed almonds and colombo.
Come on: you know you want to be a Miss Piggy meeting their food and maybe you'll even see Kermit there. Little is only part of the name because they are going to be a BIG SUCCESS.
This frog is HOPPING. Ribbit.
Little Frog is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
We look forward to their next hit.
