#PeachysPicks @LeMarais_Steak @ManhattanPeachy #PeachyDeegan #WhomYouKnow A Peachy's Pick Since 2012, Le Marais by Jose Meirelles Spring 2019 From the owner of Les Halles, comes #NewYork #Premiere #Kosher #Steakhouse in style of fine #French #Bistro w/ #Portuguese flair of owner #ChefJose #TimesSquare
All hail the Saumon Fume Garni! J'aime says Peachy.
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we are glad to know Jose, owner of Le Marais! It continues to be one of our most favorite steakhouses and it happens to be kosher. So, if you eat only kosher this should be extremely high on your list. If you eat fine cuisine, it also should be high on your list particularly because it is really something superior in Times Square: quaint, delicious and special, all difficult to count on in this neighborhood. The Salad Verte above is quality exemplified and the organic mesclun salad is one of the best we've had this season. They listened and put the dressing on the side for Ms. Pretty Picky: a lovely vinaigrette. We understand fresh produce is delivered every day they are open; as they are Kosher of course they are not open on Saturday. The mesclun had the perfect crunch and the high level of quality set a precedent for the entire dinner. A new appetizer on the menu is the Veal Tongue Taco:
We would have never picked this out, but having an open mind, we tried it and it was exquisite. The carnivorous delicacy had a lovely depth of flavor and it is clearly the star of the show here: we did like the Veal Tongue itself and high five to Le Marais for expanding our horizons 11 years into this. If you like corn tortillas and cilantro, they round out this new party with pickled vegetables.
Of course, Le Marais continues to be aesthetically motivated and they get high marks for design and presentation. And, bien sur mes amies, we LOVE the FRENCH cultural aspect because ooh la la Mademoiselle Peachy took six years of French in school.
Le Marais first earned a spot in Peachy's Picks in 2012.
It was last featured a year ago:
Peachy's favorite appetizer at Le Marais is by far the Saumon Fume Garni, entirely fresh, highly consistent and of such a high quality we do not even miss the creme fraiche that we would find at venues that serve dairy. It is farm raised salmon delivered at its freshest six times a week. It is truly one of our most favorite items to eat in Manhattan and it is absolutely fresher than their competition.
Our feeling is that it is essential for a steakhouse to excel in seafood also.
Meet another new appetizer: Pave de Thon aux Pigments: rare, chili-crusted tuna, yellow baby beets, radish and watermelon. Technically, it was new last year but it is better in presentation now. It is a beacon of refreshment in the current muggy weather and the elements meld together for an extraordinary flavor throughout. We sipped on a lovely Bordeaux that is highly enjoyable and the wine list here is a knockout. You will also remember we reviewed their cookbook; not every venue can brag about publishing one!
Tuna glamour shot:
Note we do not edit pictures ever. You either excel as Jose does or you do not.
Our favorite chili is Gerard's at Old Town. Peachy refused to even eat chili before that and she cannot get enough of that there now! A close second is Jose's at Le Marais: Chili Marocaine! Spicy lamb chili is spiced just right achieving a balance of invigorating Peachy without setting her on fire. The avocado relish is both trendy and delicious. Five moroccan spices light up your life: chili powder, fennel, cumin, mustard and ginger and we understand this is 65/35 lamb/beef composition. You need to try it!
The Salad Nicoise au Thon Frais is another huge triumph by Le Marais and absolutely ideal for a hot day here. You will feel like you are basking in the south of France when you eat this nicoise salad of perfection with grilled fresh yellowfin tuna.
No one else in Manhattan has done flounder as well as Le Marais over the years we have had it! Filet de Fletan Saute historically has set the precedent for all of our flounder enthusiasm: pan-fried and presented with Israeli couscous and tomato-cumber salsa, it is terrific any day, any time of year.
To that end, because we are so in love with the flounder, we decided to see how the special of pan-seared halibut was:
It is precisely as gorgeous and delicious as it looks in the picture. Perched upon a bed of fava beans and uniquely crafted lemon gnocchi, this Halibut is unforgettable in flavor! Delivered fresh daily, it is joined by a festive mango papaya slaw that will light up your life! It earns high marks for beauty as well and deserves a spot as a menu regular.
We totally missed owner Jose Meirelles this visit but we are confident we will see him again soon. Floor manager Dorian Holguin rose to the occasion with gracious hospitality as is often found at Le Marais and is seen here with the firecracker stunner of a steak: Entrecote! Uruguayan grass-fed beef absolutely melts in your mouth and is even better than the ribeye. As we are in Peachy's High Holy Time of Stanley Cup Finals, to her, there is nothing as great as a steak and Bordeaux for dinner this time of year especially. This athletic cut is superior and after the salmon, which we really love, we liked this second best.
Some places are getting less competitive with their desserts; if we aren't talking about them, we didn't love them. If Peachy could pick any three desserts at all anywhere they would be chocolate, apple pie and berries. Incredibly, this is exactly what she had at Le Marais. Fondant de Chocolat et sa Glace Vanille means Warm Chocolate Cake and vanilla "ice cream" if you didn't take French with Peachy. Of course, the ice cream is in quotes as there is no dairy in the Kosher menu but it tastes pretty close to us!
Tarte aux Pommes is crafted with lovely Granny smith apples and is again joined by the not quite ice cream, while the Fruits Melange is the best in all of Manhattan with the lime sugar enhancing the pristine produce emblazoned with deliciousness.
We love Le Marais and of course will continue to keep you in the loop of their newest achievements! Le Marais continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
