The Enduring Charm Of The Brasserie Is Still Vibrant At New York’s Orsay

Orsay’s decor echoes those of the traditional Montparnasse brasseries of the fin-de-siecle.

Orsay

     The Parisian bistro, which dates back to the end of the Napoleonic wars when, so goes the story, Russian troops entered the city demanding a meal by yelling Bistra! Bistra! (Fast! Fast!) evolved along with brasseries, which were originally Alsatian beer taverns, into a Golden Age at the fin de siècle, when long-lived places like Lipp, Le Dôme, Flo, Balzar, Au Pied du Cochon,  Ma Bougorgne and Aux Deux Magots opened as neighborhood restaurants for everyone. They still are.

A reclaimed pewter bar is requisite in a brasseries like Orsay.

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Christophe Collin
clcollin@icloud.com

The Alsatian model, often with art nouveau décor, flourished and survived two world wars, not just in Paris but everywhere people love the food and ambiance of these largely familial places serving  all the classics of bourgeois cooking. Orsay, on New York’s Upper East Side for 21 years, is as much a template for the genre as any in the U.S. and has been for more than two decades.

As in Parisian antecedents, you’ll find the dark mahogany paneling, mosaic floor tiles and banquettes with frosted glass gratifyingly familiar  within the 225-seat restaurant. Jean Dénoyer, who also owns La Goulue, chose all the antiques and the 24-foot long pewter bar. In good weather there is no lovelier outdoor space to eat in New York than on the terrace here. 

Chef Michael Otsuka has 20 years experience cooking in top restaurants in California and New York .

Orsay

Dénoyer has never much promoted his chefs by name, but right now Orsay has one with a fine background: Michael Otsuka, whose bloodlines include a Viennese-Jewish mother and a Japanese-American father, has worked in well-regarded California and New York restaurants for twenty years, including at Verbena and Patina, now at Orsay for three-and-a half years. 

Named after Napoleonic general Count d’Orsay, the restaurant gets a healthy lunch crowd, brunch is always booked on weekends and dinners are a bustle after six PM. The room can get loud, but the tables against the walls seem a tad lower in noise. Service is very fast paced (as befits a bistro if the story about the Russians is true) and very cordial. Indeed, one gets the feeling everything has become so tried and true that there are few mistakes all around. 

Classic onion soup has the gooey topping of Gruyere cheese gratin.

Orsay

It’s a good idea to check out Orsay’s website, for nearly every dish served is shown with a photo for your delectation. Among the starters there is a classic onion soup ($16), piping hot, sweet with caramelized onions in a rich broth and topped with Gruyère with that wondrously gooey, sloppy texture.  Provençal flavors of tomato and fennel soup enhanced with Parmigiano ($16) is a light way to begin, and tuna tartare ($20) takes on Pacific flavors from tuna and, sesame. There is a classic artichoke vinaigrette ($16), and creamy foie gras torchon with a cherry compote and toasted hazelnuts with brioche ($32). 

Snails are served with plenty of garlic and baked parsley.

John Mariani

Let’s face it, snails on their own have little flavor and less charm, but as prepared at Orsay with abundant garlic, parsley, butter and a dash of Pastis ($18), you see why the dish is a classic, with none better to be found in New York. By the way, the bread at Orsay is first rate and just made for sopping up sauces.

Among the main courses, go for the juicy fillet of sea bass cooked à la plancha, with a robust fennel-fingerling fondue, roasted cherry tomatoes for a tart-sweet element and a ruddy bouillabaisse sauce ($42). Roast chicken “tout simplement” ($14) is exactly what it means: a big portion of perfectly crisp meat succulent inside, served with well-buttered mashed potatoes. Orsay’s boeuf bourguignon ($42) is filled to the rim of the bowl with  red wine-infused, fatty beef, sweet carrots and potatoes that is the epitome of wintry cooking.

Longtime bistrop and brasserie favoriet steak frites is as popular at Orsay as in any Paris spot.

Orsay

Of course a bistro must have steak frites ($57), here made with 12 ounces of grilled Prime sirloin rather than the usual lesser hanger cut, and sided with really terrific French fries. The black pepper sauce, on the night I tried it, was thick but hadn’t much flavor and began to coagulate in the sauce boat.

A generous serving of chocolate mousse is meant for sharing at the end of the meal at Orsay.

Orsay

Never, ever skip dessert in a bistro, for they have all been brought to the level of irresistible goodness, and Orsay does right by a caramelized tarte Tatin with vanilla ice cream ($14), a big scoop of  almond-coated île flottante in a rich crème anglaise ($14); a happily old-fashioned mousse au chocolat with crème anglaise ($14); and a seasonal fruit tart ($16), at the moment glazed strawberries with white chocolate cream and pistachio crust  with lemon zest. 

Fashion has nothing to do with such food but everything to do with good taste, and in a world driven by culinary fads and follies, Orsay stays true to itself and to the revered traditions of bistros and brasseries now 200 years old. 

    

ORSAY

1057 Lexington Avenue

212-517-6400

      

Orsay is open for lunch and dinner daily.