It’s safe to say I’m an Anthony Bourdain fanboy. I have been since about 2010 when my friend told me about Kitchen Confidential. It’s the book that sent Bourdain on his path to fame and perhaps even led to his downfall.
What Bourdain was less famous for though was his actual culinary chops. He was the Executive Chef at Les Halles on Park Avenue in New York City when he wrote his acclaimed book.
I had the chance to dine there multiple times in the mid-2010s, and always left feeling satisfied. It was no frills. Basic, comforting brasserie food. Working class food, as Tony described it.
Les Halles closed in 2016, and of course, Bourdain sadly left us a couple years later.
The restaurant’s old building was turned into a temporary memorial when he died. Mourners left pictures, flowers, and other memorabilia celebrating the life of a man who discovered a way to connect people through food. His greatest strength was using food as a vehicle to tell a story that built empathy and transported his audience to a specific time and place.
So when I recently discovered that a new French brasserie had opened its doors on the old site of Les Halles, I had to try it.
Can another French brasserie compete with the legacy of Anthony Bourdain and Les Halles?
The new restaurant is appropriately named La Brasserie. Its menu is very similar to Les Halles.
They even have steak frites in honor of Anthony Bourdain who famously regaled the dish in his book as a great moneymaker for the restaurant. No wonder it bears his name on the La Brasserie menu. Whatever can get high margins from the American meat and french fry crowd.
But La Brasserie can also expand and challenge the standard American palette too. From dishes like frog legs (bullfrog, nice and meaty) and bone marrow, you can go on a culinary adventure here.
They have French staples too like steak tartare and bouillabaisse. The wine menu is extensive, with a great selection of Margaux, Bordeaux, and Sancerre.
When we dined there for lunch, the soup du jour was a French-Thai fusion of chicken with coconut milk and lemongrass. It was delicious.
So while the restaurant pays homage to Anthony Bourdain and Les Halles, it goes its own bold way as well.
The fact the restaurateur, Francis Staub, even opened a French brasserie on the old site of Les Halles should tell you enough. They think they can thrive with the legacy of Bourdain and his restaurant. Like any good historian, they use the past to their advantage.
Whether the restaurant can survive its 15-year lease in a city as competitive as New York remains to be seen. But after my dining experience, I was convinced it had all the necessary elements to succeed while honoring its past.
The quintessential brasserie
Many New Yorkers enjoy elegant spaces. Flashiness. Glitz. Glamour.
It’s why I love New York City. Energy.
La Brasserie is tailored for those vibes. From its 20-person zinc bar to its 12-seat outdoor terrace, this place was made for the power lunch, romantic date, and New Yorker simply craving quintessential French fare.
The tables are covered in white linen, they dim the lights, and there’s red leather and dark wood everywhere. It felt like I had been transported to France. But there was a New York edge and flair about the space, the menu, and our waiter. The latter arrived with red tinted glasses. Despite it being Halloween, I think it was part of his normal everyday costume, which made me feel right at home in New York City.
The French New York connection
I’m not sure what it is exactly about French restaurants and bars in New York City. They just fit perfectly. The energy of the city mixed with the low light ambiance and love that pours from these places meshes for a true epicurean experience.
The food and the city are designed for excitement and sensory overload. They are not simply fuel for the body or a place to live, work, or play. They are experiences.
La Brasserie lived up to this standard. It’s a beautiful space with great food and service that respects and honors its past.
The great Anthony Bourdain would be proud. Especially if you bought his steak frites like a typical American.
Very good blog post. I absolutely appreciate this website. Thanks!