Cocotte was the only French bistro on Fifth
Avenue when it opened in 2002. Not long afterward, this commercial
strip of 99-cent stores and greasy spoons began a culinary turnaround.
Joining the few intrepid restaurateurs, like Cocotte’s owners
Bill and Christine Snell, came chefs who opened French cafes,
Thai places, Italian trattorias and bars.
Before long, Fifth Avenue was the second – and much improved
– coming of Smith Street.
Having so many dining choices can be a wonderful thing, but it
can pose a problem: with new places to sample, customers sometimes
forget the older gems in their midst.
That’s what happened to me.
I never made a decision to stop visiting Cocotte (French for
"chicken"); I just got busy giving the newcomers a
try. Before you could say "coq au vin," a year went
by between meals there. During that time, executive chef Rebecca
Peters and pastry chef Valerie Pryor moved on. I’d heard that
the Snells hired Adam Ross (formerly of Salt, a four-star restaurant
in Cambridge, Mass.), who was turning out elegant, boldly flavored
fare. I’d also heard that the desserts, executed by Richard Chirol,
were impressive.
I never know what to expect when I’ve been away from a restaurant
for a while: the menu can seem dated; whatever I enjoyed about
the ambience could lose its charm at second glance. Neither proved
true during a recent visit to Cocotte, where Christine still
acts as the charming hostess.
I’d forgotten how lovely Cocotte’s dining room is. On the first
Sunday evening, when the weather finally felt like spring, the
cafe’s tall windows were opened wide, allowing breezes to ruffle
the sheer golden curtains. The walls are covered with dark wood
and lit by stained glass chandeliers, so the space is romantically
dark in the colder months, and full of light from the street
during the warmer seasons. With its deep-stained wood floors
and white linen tablecloths, its aesthetic is neither farmhouse
cute nor Parisian chic, but something comfortably in between.
The dinner I recently had there was indeed elegant, but also
earthy and attractively – yet simply – plated.
There isn’t a better way to welcome spring than with an icy cold,
crisp – yet slightly sweet – flute of Kir Royale. The old-fashioned
cocktail is made with champagne tinged with creme de cassis,
the black currant-flavored liqueur.
Another touch of spring is Ross’s bright green pea soup. He kept
the seasoning down to a minimum so the vegetable’s freshness
stayed strong and clear. Creme fraiche added a touch of tartness
to it, while mint brightened the taste. A brittle, extra salty
strip of house-cured pancetta balanced on the rim of the bowl.
One nibble of the intense bacon, paired with a spoonful of the
warm soup, made a little cha-cha on the tongue.
He played the same salty/delicate dance in another appetizer
of asparagus spears, tossed in champagne vinaigrette and topped
with slices of house-cured duck breast. The vegetables had a
nutty, lemony taste; the meat was tender and rimmed with crisp
fat. Coarse grains of sea salt intensified each ingredient and
added a playful crunch to the dish. A warm poached egg dripped
over the works.
An entree of grilled sea scallops was as attractive on the plate
as it was a pleasure to consume.
Big, grilled scallops sat over lusciously creamy mashed potatoes.
Small chunks of braised sunchokes – which are actually tubers
– added nuttiness, while a dab of cherry tomato salad, freshened
with cilantro, brightened the plate.
One stunning entree was the slow-roasted pork shoulder bundles.
Ross roasted the meat with orange juice, rosemary and garlic
for five hours until it took on the texture of confit, and then
wrapped in fatback. Each little bundle is served juicy like a
plump sausage. Slices of orange and anise-tinged fennel lighten
the dish with citrus notes. It’s delectable.
So was the 14-hour braised lamb shank, but this dish was a touch
heavy on a warm night. Ross served the hearty meat with sunchokes,
pieces of silky, slow-cooked turnips and string beans that added
a necessary touch of green to the plate.
Like Ross, Chirol takes familiar fare and gives it a contemporary
spin. Rice pudding, the humblest of desserts, travels to the
tropics when the grains and moist golden raisins are cooked in
coconut milk. The dish is finished with a scoop of intense mango
sorbet, candied walnuts and banana slices that have a hard cap
of caramelized sugar.
Flourless chocolate cake is served just as it should be: in a
small, warm circle, enveloped on one side by a disc of chewy
hazelnut meringue and topped with a spoonful of GuinnessStout-tinged
gelato.
Cocotte may be an old-timer in the Fifth Avenue dining scene,
but it’s my latest favorite.
Cocotte (337 Fifth Ave. at Fourth Street
in Park Slope) accepts MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $10-$22.
The restaurant serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday; brunch is
available from 11 am to 3 pm on weekends. Closed Mondays. For
reservations, call (718) 832-6848..
