"Like A Fine Wine"

My Restaurant Week Experience at Le Cirque

Last night I had the pleasure of attending New York’s infamous “Le Cirque”, located in the Bloomberg building on East 58^th St. I must admit, walking through the Bloomberg courtyard and into the restaurant, gave Le Cirque an allure from the start.

You immediately notice the lavish decorum, polished staff, and elite clientele when entering. The hostess immediately greeted me with delight and inquired about my reservation. I arrived a few minutes early, so I was asked to have a seat with my friend in the lounge area, until our table became available. After sitting, my friend and I were immediately greeted by a waitress, who asked if we would like a drink while waiting. –Needless to say, I was already blown away by the hospitality.

Yet, my friend who arrived earlier than me was singing a different tune. She mentioned that after arriving and mentioning my name for the reservation, the hostess smugly told her to have a seat in the lounge. Also, for the entire 20 minutes that she waited in the lounge for me to arrive, not once was she greeted by a waitress or asked if she would like a drink–which struck me as shocking, because I had yet to experience this.

After waiting 15 more minutes after our scheduled reservation time, we were escorted to our table in Le Cirque’s Dining Room area, which can only be described in one word- lavish. The area was dimly lit and decorated with supreme elegance. After being seated, we were immediately asked for our drink and wine selection. I ordered a glass of Bordeaux. –which was very flavorful and smooth. The waiter also brought our menus and an array of tasty bread selections, which we snacked on while waiting to order our meal. After making our dinner selections, drinking half of my glass of wine, and eating more than enough bread, and suffering about 20 more minutes of hunger, we finally flagged down a waiter. Annoyed and famished, we placed our order and accepted a sincere apology from our waiter.

Obviously our waiter understood our frustration, because the entire dining experience improved dramatically thereafter. We were promptly served our appetizers which were both intriguing and delicious dishes. I had the Parsnip Veloute- escargot and parsley soufflé, and my friend enjoyed the Pheasant Tortelli- dried fruit vinaigrette. The Pheasant Tortelli was far better than my escargot dish. Yet, I was seeking to try something new and my soufflé serve its purpose.

For my entrée, the Duck Jambonette- sweet and sour pearl onions with creamy polenta. The dish was absolutely savory. The duck was seasoned to perfection and the pearl onions were covered with the perfect mix of bold flavors. The duck was succulent, meaty, tender, and laid beautifully over the creamy polenta. My friend’s dish, the Grilled Daurade Royale Fillet was decent, but not near as amazing as the duck.

This fabulous 3 course meal was topped off with an amazing desert experience. Chocolate Cannelloni, “Le Cirque” Crème Brulee, and our waiter served us a complimentary selection, the Classic “Baba au Rhum.” The Chocolate Cannelloni was perfection; crispy and chocolaty shell with a sweet and creamy filling. The cannelloni was also served with tasty gelato. The “Le Cirque” Crème Brulee was a simple treat; light but very tasty. The Classic “Baba au Rhum” was definitely a winner; sweet, spongy, with hints of rum.

After taking the last bite of our dessert, it dawned on me how completely stuffed I was.-Which I was not expecting from ordering restaurant week menu selections at an upscale restaurant. In my experience, these types of establishments never serve you enough food; but Le Cirque convinced me otherwise.

When leaving, the hostess and staff graciously thanked us for dining there and even asked how we enjoyed our meal.

Elegant, courteous, and delicious- my experience at Le Cirque started somewhat rough but ended delightful by the end. Taking advantage of this fine establishment during NYC Restaurant Week is something you won’t regret.