Only after diligently signing in to OpenTable exactly 1
month out from my birthday was I able to score a prime time (read: normal dinner
time) table to celebrate with my husband at Dirty French in the Ludlow Hotel.
The restaurant opened over a year ago, but it was added to my never ending hit list
and I decided now would be a good time to try this place out. Knowing it is
part of Major Food Group (Torrisi/Carbone), I had high
expectations for an overall top notch experience. I would say that mostly
happened, but not completely. Here is why…
We arrived early on purpose so we could get a drink at the
bar. We both really enjoyed our cocktails from a high-end cocktail menu with
all fresh ingredients.
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| Left: Pigalle - bourbon, ancho chile, bitter aperitif, fresh orange and lemon juices Right: Belmondo - blanco tequila pear eau de vie, ginger, gentian, fresh lemon juice |
The entire atmosphere is really cool with unique/interesting
décor and dim lighting to really set that trendy mood. [DISCLAIMER – this is
why my pictures are so awful! Sorry!] The bar is no exception and would
recommend it even if you are in the area and just wanted a fancy drink. All of
the staff was super nice, accommodating, and not stuffy in the slightest. My
only complaint, and I would say it is a pretty big deal, is that the music was
SO incredibly loud. I could barely hear my husband across the tiny 2 top or the
waitress standing directly next to the table answering our questions on the
menu. The music was all 80s – on theme with their Dirty Dancing-inspired logo –
so that was cool and even a refreshing change in playlist choice... I just
didn’t need Bruce screaming in my ear while I enjoyed my (mostly) delicious
meal.
We tried to structure a well-rounded meal with some help
from the waitress. We started with 2 items from the “hors d’oeuvres” section –
and only realized once they arrived that we actually ordered 2 different types of thinly
sliced, cured meats. Both were light to start, yet offered significant
portions.
The first one, Carpaccio, was thinly sliced lamb covering
the plate and topped with shishito peppers and dollops of labneh. The lamb was
so tender and flavorful and the toppings added extra flavor and some
creaminess.
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| Carpaccio |
The second one was the Salmon Maison – thinly sliced cured
lox spread out across a layer of creamy pommes chemel and then topped with
crisp and fresh chives and fermented radish. The dish had great textural
balance and the salmon was unreal.
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| Salmon Maison |
The second course was the endive salad which had 5 Cajun shrimp on top. The Dijon vinaigrette that topped the endive salad was
good and balanced the usual bitterness, but those shrimp were just terrible. I’m
sorry, but there was something just off-putting about the flavor from the
shrimp. They looked appetizing with a blackened exterior, but the seasoning was
just way off and the shrimp itself had a weird metallic taste. We did not get
very far on this dish and I would NOT recommend it.
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| Endive salad |
Next came the main course and a side dish we threw in last
minute. For our entrée, we split the Duck a l’Orange (I believe it is their signature
dish). A decent piece of breast came on top of a flavorful sauce and seasoned
with a ras el hanout spice blend and then garnished with preserved oranges. The duck itself was
very decadent and really showcased the French inspiration of the restaurant. I
often find that duck is fatty, but this piece featured a beautifully cooked section
of meat that was super tender and extremely enjoyable.
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| Duck a l'Orange |
Our side dish was the pommes frites, of course, because I am
obsessed with French fries. However, these were not French fries, rather very
large, thick, and deep fried slices of potato. There was so much salt on it,
which was amazing at first and then you realized you had to drink 3 glasses of
water to counter it. There was also a creamy dipping sauce that paired nicely
with the extremely crispy potatoes.
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| Pommes Frites |
We couldn’t end a birthday meal without dessert, so we
decided to cap off dinner with their most popular dish - beignets. Now, I was
recently in New Orleans enjoying the famous and official Café Du Monde
beignets, so I was worried these might not hold up. However, they were pretty
damn good and served with chicory caramel sauce (which was the biggest selling
point for me). A basket of 3 airy, fluffy, crispy-not-greasy fritters showed
up, and we devoured them while dodging falling powdered sugar left and right.
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| Beignets |
Overall, I was happy to have celebrated my special evening
at Dirty French. Aside from the sound issues and the endive/shrimp salad, we
had a really nice experience. I would recommend it to anyone that can withstand
conversation for 2 hours with a raised voice, or that wants a great meal in a
sceney spot.
