New York Lunch: Bar Breton

By COLETTE ROSSANT Since Nicolas Sarkozy became President of France last year, New York City has fallen in love again with French Chefs. The latest is Cyril Renaud, the chef of the three-star restaurant, Fleur de Sel in Manhattan. Renaud recently opened Bar Breton, a brasserie-Galette restaurant on Fifth Avenue. At Bar Breton the price is right to suit hard economic times. The restaurant, which also serves breakfast, is packed all day with young people on a tight budget who splurge on galettes A galette is a delicate, crispy buckwheat crepe made on a round galeterie, a special cast iron skillet. At Bar Breton the galettes are served all day slathered with butter or stuffed with different ingredients such as smoked duck breast and watercress, or with fried eggs, gruyere and Black Forest ham. They are perfect to combat the season's blustery weather. The menu also offers something unique in New York, NIACS, pronounced nee-acks, the Breton name for small snacks served with either warm bread or delicate croissants. Examples here are unusual salt baked potatoes with snails with bits of oxtail and paper-thin parmesan chips; or a delectable suckling pig topped with foie gras and apples. For the more timid there are also grilled salmon or Bar Breton “BB” burgers served with real French Fries. For dessert try sweet crepes served with sugar and lemon or nutella or order Cyril Renaud’s signature dessert from Fleur de Sel, a chocolate mousse served with chocolate crispy rice. Super Chef cheers the French invasion! Previous articles: Christmas in New York: Bar Boulud Inauguration Dining: Four Sisters Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, cookbook reviews --> back to Super Chef