Frenchie

Part of the reason it has taken over a month to post about Frenchie is the difficulty we’ve had putting the experience into words. In concept, and perhaps upon first glance, chef Gregory Marchand’s market-driven cuisine is simple, yet deceptively so.  His passion and dedication to artistry is reflected on each impeccably designed plate in new and unusual ways.  The refined, clean and subtle nuance and combination of flavors the chef concocted for each dish surprised us with every bite, and only compounded as the meal progressed.  The epitome of a meal where the whole was much more than the sum of its parts.  All in all, a good night out in Paris.  

First came the foie gras au torchon, which was an add-on to our prix fixe. Our guest of honor had never tasted the luscious duck liver before, and we insisted that she try it before leaving-  what an introduction it was! Perfectly balanced in every way—citrus zest shavings to cut the richness, and pieces of crunchy toasted bread as a counterpoint to the silky texture of the meat, and baby greens with an apricot jam to cleanse the palate.  We wiped off every crumb from the plate.  For those wondering, foie gras au torchon is a time-intensive preparation that requires a lot of skill to execute. If you’re really curious, click here.

Next came the stunning house-cured trout (pictured above) topped with cucumbers, pickled shallots, dill, and placed carefully on a subtle avocado puree. The cool creaminess of the puree together with the smoky fish reminded us of a lox-and-schmear combo, though there was no bagel necessary here.  The light and refined flavors trumped the nostalgia induced by these associations.  

Another appetizer two of us ordered was the “raviolo al sole,” which translates to sun ravioli. Not knowing exactly what to expect, we were equally delighted as we were surprised when the first cut into the thin pasta dough revealed a perfectly runny egg yolk, which oozed out onto the plate and blended seamlessly with the rest of the broth-like sauce. The yolk’s thickening effect, as well as the richness, could be soaked up by the accompanying morels, while the wild asparagus and zucchini provided a pleasant and fresh crunch. The shavings of comte cheese added a salty bite to the dish to top it off.  A real showstopper (though, to be clear, there was no stopping until plates were clean).  We’re still baffled by how he managed to cook the ravioli so perfectly without cooking the egg yolk inside.  If you have any idea, please let us know! 

The main courses were no less special or impressive.  One of them was a piece of line-caught merlu (hake - similar to cod or haddock) sitting in a green “spring minestrone.”  The fish skin was crisped to perfection and the broth singlehandedly demonstrated the attention to seasonality that Chef Marchand prides himself on.  The minestrone included basil, asparagus, zucchini, peas and fava beans.  On top of the fish was a piece of tomato and a beautiful zucchini blossom.  Other tiny flowers were sprinkled on the plate as a finishing touch - a feature of nearly every dish that evening.

The other main course was veal with carrots, which you can see above.  Al dente carrots, peas, and spring onion joined the well-cooked and tender veal over a sweet carrot puree with a bit of thickened veal jus and some dill.  How was such an ordinary dish - on paper - able to transcend the combination of ingredients it included?  Unfortunately, we didn’t and still do not have the answer.  You will have to experience Marchand’s cooking for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

A blue cheese course with black cherries bridged the gap between our main courses and two memorable desserts.  The first was a lemon-verbena pana cotta with berries and candied sage, which was heavenly, yet somehow outdone by the second (above) - a rhubarb lemon tart, with a burned sugar top à la crème brulée, and a caramel sauce for good measure.  This was easily one of the best desserts we’ve ever tasted.  

All throughout the meal, we had the pleasure of watching the chef lean out of the microscopic kitchen through his cubby hole, while he observed the diners regale in the delicious bounty he and his two sous-chefs created.  The diners enjoying his food, and the chef finding pleasure in our appreciation of the experience - it was the embodiment of the symbiotic relationship between a chef and diners at its purest, and only magnified the bliss already wafting through the air.

At the end of the night, we approached the bartender to commend him on the wonderful meal, and he promptly directed us to speak to the chef himself.  Since we elevate culinary artists to the level of celebrity that most would reserve for Hollywood actors (and we didn’t want to be one of those annoying couples), it took us a few minutes to muster up the courage.   Chef Marchand welcomed our approach and compliments with an equal amount of graciousness, thanking us for our patronage, and expressing his hopes to see us soon. We wasted no time in making sure that would be the case.  We asked for the next available reservation - two months in the future was the earliest - and we pounced on it without hesitation.  It’s not often that a place is hyped as much as Frenchie (it’s one of the hardest reservations to land in the entire city) and still manages to pass nearly every discerning judge’s test with flying colors. Frenchie is a keeper.