Lafayette - Restaurant Week

Lafayette Grand Cafe and Bakery was the one place I really wanted to go to for restaurant week. I've passed by this NoHo bistro so many times, peeping through the windows, oogling at its refreshing use of high ceilings. The tiles can give it a sterile effect, but the mahogany balances it out. Their bakery section is so tantalizing with items like passionfruit cheesecake, chai tea creme brulee, butterscotch eclairs, etc. Their baguettes and croissants also looked heavenly.

I went with my buddy Will and we were thoroughly satisfied with their restaurant week menu. There were so many restaurants with subpar menus, but Lafayette had such a great selection of prix-fixe.

We shared everything. So for appetizers we got the salmon tartare with sauce aigrelette, and crispy potato in addition to the frisee salad with bacon maison and a poached organic egg. Excuse my picture skills, my hunger probably gave me the shaky hand syndrome.

 The aigrelette sauce made the salmon tartare refreshing and light with its tangy vinegar and citrus pieces. There was definitely a hint of orange zest in there. I'm not the biggest fan of orange flavored dishes, but it was light enough for me to swallow and enjoy with their rustic bread basket. This dish came with "crispy potato," which, shown below, was more like a flavorful potato chip. I'd stick with the bread, but if you want texture, go for the crispy potato as your tartare vehicle.

The frisee was light and the bacon pieces added the punch it needed. But, I personally feel like this bacon trend is now overrated. The poached egg was interesting because the yolk added to the texture. Not sure how to feel. But, the overall taste with each piece on one fork was delicious. I'd get it again.

Crispy potato.

Will and I both got the crispy duck confit with lentils du puy in red wine. Just another way to say a deliciously baked duck thunder-thigh with lentils in a red wine sauce. This was perfecto!

Excuse the plating-- it looked better before my hungry hands delved in without a second thought.

Ugh, this duck was so crispy on the outside. Do you know how delicious crispy duck skin is??? Do you??? The best crispy duck I've had was in Beijing and Shanghai in a pecking duck dish. I've never had a crispy duck dish within the european cuisine-world. I will say that this was delish. If you don't like salty foods, you might not like this because the salt is unavoidable here.

Lastly, dessert. Will and I shared the almond frangipane tart with winter citrus and mandarin granite and the milk chocolate pot de creme with chai tea and espresso notes. Fantastic. Thumbs up. Two thumbs up. 

And here's da big boiiii Will with his lito pot de creme. I ate most of it. He doesn't like chocolate--not sure why he is my friend.

Lafayette: 10/10! I would come here twice over for their regular brunch menu too. Good day it was indeed. 

Lafayette Grand Cafe and Bakery 380 Lafayette St. New York, NY 10003 http://lafayetteny.com/