Quatorze Bis

Uncle Butzy (pronounce butz as in kih-BUTZ) lives on the Upper East Side and asked me to dinner quite a long time ago. Finally I had a Monday where nothing was going on (my Mondays are usually manic) and we met up for dinner, despite the rain- lashing I received on my departure from the office.

Uncle Butz had chosen a French restaurant in his neighborhood Quatorze. He kept saying the name on voicemail and all I could understand was "Quertze". And I kept thinking what is French about that? The third time he said the name it was definitely catorce and I was completely baffled why a French restaurant was naming itself after the Spanish word for 14. As the taxicab turned onto 79th St. I spotted a bright red and yellow awning that read QUATORZE and I felt so silly...

As I walked in I noticed the red and yellow color scheme continued in the dining room and on the menu. Vintage posters and large mirrors adorned the dining room walls and on each mirror you could find a different item from the menu in bright red paint (or was it lipstick?). I felt as though I had just walked into a Toulouse Lautrec poster, and I liked it. I was the youngest patron there by far, which didn't make me feel uncomfortable. The patrons seemed tres typique of the Upper East Side. Elderly couples and their friends were wining and dining : men in their sport coats and ties and women in their jewels and scarves and fancy furs. The waitstaff was young, lively, and friendly whatever your age so it didn't phase me at all.

The man working the coat check kindly took my drenched Barbour and umbrella and we were seated at our table. The server came to pour us some water and placed a small mini chalkboard on the table with the daily specials. A very nice touch. For some reason I love chalkboards. Whether they're outside restaurants to draw you in, or in cafes with daily specials neatly printed on them, or in someone's kitchen. I hope to have a wall in my kitchen someday made into a giant chalkboard.

I hadn't seen Uncle B in ages so we caught up and ordered cocktails. His favorite is the Mount Gay and tonic (of his Sag Harbor cottage fame) and mine is a Grey Goose dirty martini. Though they forgot the lime garnish to his tonic, the drinks were perfect.

Menu Memorables: I chose the spinach and bacon tourte from the chalkboard as an appetizer. And when it came to the table it seemed that tourte was their fancy name for a slice of quiche. I was corrected, however, after taking the first bite. Quiche was too colloquial for this elegant and refined tourte. It was tall and very dense and I loved the flavors of the layered spinach and crispy bacon. Uncle B tried the mozzarrella, peppers and mushroom salad, glazed in a sweet balsamic sauce. I stole a fork of this salad and found it to be light and refreshing, similar to its Italian caprese counterpart. My entree was the special beef bourgignon Uncle B went for the crispy duck. My beef bourgignon came to the table with several "Ooooohs" and "Aaaaahs." I had 3 large pieces of beef in a deep dark burgundy (almost brown) sauce that cried "Mangez moi! Mangez moi!" as soon as it landed. Uncle B's duck looked equally enticing. I'm a big fan of sauce, and they laid it on THICK at Quatorze. The beef was drowning in the bourgignon sauce and I was blown away by its richness. I had to eat this savory dish extremely slowly ( a real challenge for me) so my tastebuds didn't combust from over-exertion. Again my fork stole a piece of Uncle B's food and I loved the tender canard in its sweet glaze.

Quatorze made for an excellent soiree, and I hope to bring Swimster and/or my parents there sometime soon. The only French bistros I've been to before this were downtown, so I'm thrilled to have found an uptown place that satisfies all the senses. Whether I'm craving beef bourgignon (which I already am) or my parents come to visit, I'll remember to head to Quatorze, order off the chalkboard, and wear my fancy grown-up duds.

323 East 79th St, b/t First and Second Ave
212 535 1414