I Tried a Sundae the Size of My Head at Bagatelle

I'll admit it. I was a bit of a glutton last week, and this post only reinforces that. Trust me, I'm still full. Now on with it...

I was invited back to Bagatelle (1 Little West 12th Street) in the Meatpacking District a year and a half after my first visit there to check out some of their newer (or new-to-me) dishes as well as sample some old favorites. Truffle was still the predominant flavor among all the courses, yet the summer setting led me to favor lighter, more refreshing dishes compared with some of the richer items.

Jocelyn from Chic & Sweaty and I opted to start with some Bootie Calls ($17) from the bar (get your head out of the gutter!) because watermelon. Elderflower helped that decision also.

Bootie Calls

We got started with Bagatelle's famous truffle theme with the Pizza a la Truffe Noire ($26). You might say, who goes to a French place and orders a pizza?, but trust me, you want to order this pizza. The crust has gotten thicker since my last visit, but I like the change. I wish you could at least smell the super-satisfying. earthy truffle scent through this blog. It's heavenly.

Pizza a la Truffe Noire 

We tried the Salade Bagatelle ($14) with hearts of lettuce, parmesan cheese, fresh garden herbs, and a mustard vinaigrette. There were also two tartares--Tartare de Thon Bagatelle ($19/$29) with ahi tuna, avocado, and taro chips and Tartare aux Deux Saumons ($19) with fresh and smoked Scottish salmon, shallot, and dill creme fraiche. These were all very similar to the last time we came, however the presentation is different. I loved that the salmon tartare was served in a shell dish.

Salade Bagatelle

Tartare de Thon Bagatelle 

Tartare aux Deux Saumons

Then, lest we forgot about the truffles, we were presented with a giant heaping bowl of Gnocchi Truffes a la Parisienne de Nicolas ($25/$36), AKA: truffle gnocchi. I tend not to order gnocchi from restaurants unless I know the dish is spectacular because often they can be made so dense that they just fall like giant bricks down your esophagus and land with a thunk in your belly. To make a light and fluffy gnocchi is a skill that I admire, and Bagatelle has it DOWN. These are truffle pillows and you should order them.

Gnocchi Truffes a la Parisienne de Nicolas

Now for the main course. (I know, right?) First I have to point out that going to a blogger dinner is unlike any other outing. Tons of food is brought out, it smells delicious, you can see the steam wafting off of each dish, and then we all break out our iPhones, Androids, and for some fancy pants bloggers, giant cameras. If lighting is low, iPhone flashlights come out to create makeshift studio spotlights. You just have to see it.

Dinner with bloggers

But I digress. We sampled the catch of the day filleted at the table ($MP) which was served with pea and corn risotto. This was a perfect summer dish as it was light and gently flavored with lemon and salt. The other seafood dish we tried was the Calamars Snackes a l'Encre de Seiche ($19) with sauteed calamari, saffron risotto cake, and squid ink vinaigrette. This was an unusual dish, but I enjoyed it.

Catch of the Day

Corn and Pea Risotto

Calamars Snackes a l'Encre de Seiche

For the meat, we fulfilled our iron quotient for the month with the Steak au Poivre ($45), a 12 oz. NY Strip from Thunder Ridge Farm served with pommes frites and cognac peppercorn sauce, and the Poulet Fermier Roti et Truffe ($35), roasted chicken with truffles and country style potatoes. Presentation is everything with the chicken as it comes in a sautee pan. I remember this dish because the chicken goes against the "dry restaurant chicken" assumption. Rather, it's juicy, flavorful, and maintains a rustic vibe even in this trendy setting.

Steak au Poivre

Poulet Fermier Roti et Truffe

Then after we finished all of that, they brought out the Chateaubriand for two ($125)--a 24 oz center cut beef tenderloin, truffle potato puree, and red wine and peppercorn sauce. The waitstaff needed the whole table just to put down this giant plate of meat. I was pretty stuffed by this point, but sampled a piece of it and was very, very satisfied. I know the menu says this dish is for two, but I'm sure glad there were 6 of us to finish it off (I hate wasting food!).

Chateaubriand

All of us knew we weren't escaping this marathon dinner without dessert, but the folks at Bagatelle literally made me utter "Oh my God" when they brought out their "Mauboussin Mega Sundae."

Mauboussin Mega Sundae

Just LOOK at that thing!

For perspective, of course, I had to pose with the behemoth.

Me with the Mauboussin Mega Sundae

Normally when ordered, this sundae comes with jewelry to make it worth the $1,000 price tag. It also features countless scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, granola, strawberries, an avalanche of whipped cream, brownies, cookies, and a Jackson Pollock of caramel and fudge sauce. Oh, and a sparkler. I don't know who Mauboussin is (was?), but he must've been a hell of a dude to have a sundae like this named after him. (Editor's Note: Mauboussin is a French jeweler who I'm assuming must make the baubles that go in the sundae).

To round things out, we also tried the Apple Tarte Tatin, Dark Chocolate Mousse, and Creme Brulee (each $12). While the sundae was sensational, the Creme Brulee was probably my favorite taste-wise. You can't beat a candied shell in my book.

Apple Tarte Tatin

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Creme Brulee

Another epic one bites the dust in my gastronomy book. Bagatelle knows how to deliver solid food for all tastes (but especially for those who like truffle). With a DJ spinning beats, sexy art flocking the walls, and a killer mixology program, this is the place to be if you want to impress. As long as the weather stays nice, request a table right by the patio--the doors stay open until the sun falls and you'll get the best of both indoor vibes and outdoor warmth (and people watching!). Just prepare your wallet however, because this is not a meal for the frugal.

Disclosure: Bagatelle provided me with a comp meal in exchange for this review. However, all opinions are my own.

Take Me Owwwwwww-oooooooot Tonight!

(Anyone catch the Rent reference? If not, it's all good.) This past Saturday night, I was invited out with my friend Meredith to try Take Me Out's mixology tour. I consider myself pretty well versed in the NYC bar scene, but I jumped at the chance to be chauffeured around in a limo (YES A LIMO), sped through the lines (NO WAITING IN THE COLD), and seated at a reserved table (NO STANDING AROUND EYE PULLING THE BARTENDER TO SERVE DRINKS).

Inside of the swanky limo

The night started in Union Square where we were grouped with a pair from England, two friends from Philly and Chicago, and a foursome out celebrating a birthday. Our guide for the evening was Connor, a model who was jetting off to Europe in a few months to walk in fashion week runway shows. Don't we all wish. Anyway, we were immediately served some sweet concoction of Champagne, vodka and St. Germaine. Not totally my cup of tea, but hey it was free.

Our first stop was Bathtub Gin, a speakeasy-style bar hidden behind a coffee shop in Chelsea. I had heard all about this place before, but a) never would have found it myself and b) loved the fact that I didn't have to look like a fool who didn't want to mistake a coffee shop for a bar. It's all about what you know after all.

Here we took a cue from the name (yes, we split drinks to cut costs) and tried the Bathtub Gin Martini with extra olives of course ($15).

Bathtub Gin from the outside...what's all the hubbub outside a coffee shop late at night?

Back in the limo we all went, where Connor had a bit of fun popping some corks and passing out shots of vodka. This is about the time of the night where I've learned enough in my life to not say yes just because it's free.

Next stop was uptown at the swanky Stone Rose Lounge in the Time Warner Center. This is not a place I ever would have visited in a million years on my own (hello hidden elevator that also takes you to the same floor as Per Se and Masa and $16 well drinks). However, it was fun to grab a couple of couches in the corner and watch the lights of Columbus Circle. The people watching at the bar was also unique and let's just say very James Bond, if you're into that kind of thing. We tried the Spicy Paloma ($16) with casamigos blanco tequila, thai chile aperol, grapefruit and soda.

Piling back in our stretch carriage, things began to go wrong for some of our friends. Moderation is key everyone. En route to our last stop in the Lower East Side we had to make a pit stop for some of our companions and thus Meredith and I decided to head on home before the limo turned back into a pumpkin before our very eyes.

At $150 a head, this tour is not for the casual nightlife seeker, although I've heard they offer Groupons at half off. You are essentially paying for the convenience of not having to plan your night (and the ease of getting into popular places and having a table), a 3-hour chauffeur, and some cheap drinks you're likely not going to want much of in the limo. I could definitely see this as a fun thing to do for a bachelorette party/birthday if you can fill the whole limo (so as not to have to deal with strangers with drinking habits that might derail your night). All in all we had fun, but this definitely would not be for everyone.