This review originally ran in the March 4, 2008 edition of the New York Daily News.
In recent years, New York has been the thorn in Alain Ducasse's side. An exalted French chef, Ducasse has amassed an empire of Michelin-starred institutions, including Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo and his eponymous restaurant at Plaza Athénée in Paris. While Ducasse has conquered much of the globe, his first two Manhattan ventures resulted in defeat and subsequently closed (Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, Mix).
Yet he seems more determined than ever to win our affections at Adour, his newest restaurant set in the landmark St. Regis Hotel. What was formerly Lespinasse has been transformed into an elegant showcase for haute French cuisine and an exquisite wine selection. The David Rockwell-designed space is flourished with wine armoires, plush burgundy banquettes, and a glass veil that frames the main dining room.
There is an interesting marriage of an old and new world order of dining with the installment of an interactive wine bar and private wine vault where diners can electronically scroll through the 600-bottle wine list. Sensational choices are an Alsatian Pinot Gris and a full-bodied Roussillon, both refreshingly affordable and available by the glass for $13.
But don't be misled. Dining at Adour is an extravagantly pampered affair. Purses get their own pedestals and the service is so flawless it feels like there's a server for every guest. The food gets the same regal treatment as the patrons. Luscious sautéed foie gras is perfectly modulated by a peppery duck jus and al dente lentils. Though Ducasse is famous for his French cooking, his ricotta gnocchi are on a par with some of the finest Italian restaurants in the city. These exuberantly fresh nibbles melt into a sharp arrangement of dried prosciutto, sautéed lettuce and a bright splash of vinegar.
But no dish surpassed a breathtaking entree of creamy diver scallops, embellished with tender slivers of black truffles, shellfish jus and spinach leaves. It was an exemplary composition that achieved more succulent depth than a relentlessly tough pork tenderloin served with a cranberry-stuffed apple, which tasted like a holiday ham gone terribly awry. For every dish that dazzled, there was another that utterly disappointed. On one visit, an unusually juicy beef tenderloin was presented alongside a mushy sea bass draped with manila and razor clams, devoid of their characteristic brininess.
Pale shades of flavor too often emerged from the pedigreed kitchen, helmed by chef Tony Esnault. Foie gras tapioca ravioli deserved a richer broth than its timid sunchoke consommé. And lobster was an altogether weak point on the menu. Both an overworked lobster thermidor and an unrewarding appetizer of chilled Maine lobster seemed to have lost their nerve.
Desserts ran a similar turbulent course of highs and lows. The "thin chocolate leaf layers" - albeit beautiful - were stacked with dull praline mousse. Instead, opt for a fabulous crème brulée smothered in a raspberry sauce, or a "Contemporary Exotic Vacherin" with a zesty layering of lime gelée, mango marmalade and foamy passionfruit emulsion.
Though some may dispute we're no longer up for fussy French affairs in this decidedly casual dining era, New Yorkers will never tire of talent wherever they can find it. But with a world-renowned chef like Ducasse, more dishes should lodge themselves in our memories than they do at Adour.
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