Window-shopping in Soho works up an appetite. After a few hours of walking around, I needed a place that served a substantial late lunch rather than tiny bites. Balthazar seemed like a good stop.
Even at 3pm, the dining room was till bustling. Like sister restaurants Odeon and Pastis, Balthazar's interior is designed to evoke an early 1900s Parisian bistro. The enormous slanted wall mirrors allow diners to watch themselves eat surrounded by the beautiful Art Deco decor. Everything old is new again.
The bread served comes from the inhouse bakery, and even though many restaurants in New York serve Balthazar bread (and reveal the source proudly), there is something to be said about eating it at the namesake restaurant. The chicken liver moose appetizer came with grilled country bread and a delicious red onion compote.
One of my favorite brasserie dishes is steak frites, but for some reason I was in more of a fish mood. The grilled brook trout, served over a warm spinach salad with lentils, was served with skin on and turned out to be more substantial than I had thought.
Some day I'll have to come back late at night, because apparently that's when the restaurant really gets bustling. Delicious hearty bistro food any time of the day...I may not be in Paris, but at Balthazar, it sure feels like I am.
Balthazar
80 Spring Street (btwn Broadway and Crosby), Soho
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