Peachy Picks A.O.C. East by Jerome Leroy, Collin Yairis and Romain Bonnans #PeachysPicks #WhomYouKnow @ManhattanPeachy
Blue Point Oysters-Quintessential Summer!
Codfish Special!
The fabulous Escargots au Pastis a l'Ancienne!
It's not who you know, it's Whom You Know and we were pleased with A.O.C. East at the beginning of 2017:
so we returned last fall:
We are honored to announce it is the newest restaurant to join the ranks of Peachy's Picks, and it's the best new French restaurant we've seen in Manhattan. A.O.C. East is owned by Jerome Leroy, whom we've worked with all three times, and Jerome has two partners, Collin Yairis and Romain Bonnans, whom we met the first time.
They have a smashing combination of both cuisine and wine that is sure to impress even the most discriminating, and the upbeat positive attitude by those we encounter is most welcome.
We began with the Fresh Crab Croquettes with tartar sauce made on the premises, above. They are essentially summer in a bite, and are delicate, fragrant and light. Also they earn high marks for consistency.
The Escargots au Pastis a l'Ancienne were even more fabulously succulent and garlicy (a positive for us!) than the first time we tried them and they were the first item from this review to magically disappear, and are among the best escargot we have had in Manhattan in 2018. Bien Sur they give you the proper fork when they serve them to you-the first time. We did not have to ask. Details matter. You will want to absorb every last drop of the sauce with French bread or it would be a great tragedy.
The Blue Point Oysters insisted on some glamour shots. Deservedly!
Fresh, these were tremendous in flavor and accented perfectly with minuette, cocktail and horseradish. Gorgeously displayed in an icy tray, the Oysters will truly wow you and make you feel like summer has started early, even though we've two more days of spring. The Blue Point Oysters are sourced locally from Long Island. Super healthy and super fresh, you must order them.
Continuing along the lines of healthy, we are making a greater effort to order more green vegetables, and A.O.C. East hit the high marks here too. We believe you can go out to eat and be healthy. Both the brussels sprouts, nicely halved, and haricot verts were simply smashing sauteed in garlic, which we adore.
We do not ever edit pictures. You either do as well as Jerome or you're not published!
The codfish outperformed its competition from other venues, and it was the fish special the day we visited. Red Snapper, Monkfish, and Striped Bass and more may be among other choices depending on the day. This was beautifully presented with a diagonal cut grilled to perfection in a superlative buttery lemon sauce. Peachy does not like most sauces, but she loved this sauce. A.O.C. East is tremendously strong and super competitive with their sauces. Couscous and string beans round out the party here, and they were lovely additions.
There are five salad choices on the menu, and the Salad Nicoise with Fresh Sushi Grade Tuna is a must-have. The sensational combination boasted three pieces of tuna, and is tremendously authentic you will note if you have also eaten this in Nice. Aside from the quality tuna, the tomatoes and roasted red peppers were particularly standout spectacular. A.O.C. East uses about 70% organic vegetables overall, depending on availability.
A new salad, not on the menu but a special, was the Quinoa Salad, which Jerome suggested. It's running all summer we understand, and typically Goat Cheese is a component although we asked for Roquefort instead, so that is what you see in ours above. Shiitake mushrooms, portobello, avocado and both red and yellow heirloom cherry tomatoes come to this fresh fragrant party on a plate.
A regular on the menu is the Burrata Salad, with the Burrata being sourced from Italy. The equally flavorful roasted red peppers paired with pesto are in perfect proportion to the creamy delight. Even the French can do Italian sometimes.
Hudson Valley Duck Leg Confit is another entree that will really impress you and is not common in New York. Paired with frisee and fingerling potatoes, this Toulouse recipe is superlative and another French Bistro classic that sets A.O.C. East apart.
And finally, though obviously A.O.C. East is French, they do have Manhattan enthusiasm and make an amazing cheeseburger, an essential component of being a success here especially in summer. 100% beef sirloin blend black angus (we were told no hormones) joined cheddar, lettuce, tomato and onion for a classic taste that has wide appeal.
Peachy Picks A.O.C. East!
A.O.C. East is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
