DINING NYC / Park Avenue Bistro
BY LINDA PERNEY | Special to Newsday
February 1, 2008
There are reasons the Park Avenue Bistro has been around forever - or at least the past 20 years, which amounts to about the same thing in Manhattan. The food is classic, the atmosphere is welcoming, the price is right. All that, and there's a spiffy new space - across the street from where the old one used to be.
About the food: The menu stays pretty close to the traditional: coq au vin, steak frites, grilled salmon. With the same crew in the kitchen for the past seven years, the restaurant counts on an amazing level of consistency, and those comfort foods are cooked to a very high order, which is something of a relief. If the classics rule here, that's fine with me.
On two recent visits, nobody had anything to complain about: An onion soup was pronounced by one diner as the best in the city - the onions meltingly soft, the broth appropriately hearty, the cheese plenty cheesy. Another night the petatou - a cheesy combination of potatoes and olives - delighted a first-time visitor. The special goat cheese and potato Napoleon was ravishing with its fine play of textures: The cheese, soft and tangy, sandwiched with the thinnest, crispiest potato slices - a sophisticated take on chip and dip.
Mains were equally good: Long Island scallops were done to a turn, nicely caramelized and cooked just beyond the point of opacity; the cauliflower puree was an unctuous contrast and the roasted asparagus added a little crunch. Bouillabaisse, chock-full of shrimp and mussels, featured a tasty, garlicky broth. The tender steak with peppercorn sauce pleased a meat eater. And the gravlax ordered as a main course arrived as a small mountain of silky cured fish paired with a smoked trout mousse.
The cheese plate - a fine selection of textures and contrasts - is, for my money, the best way to end a meal here. Otherwise, desserts fall a little short of the kitchen's high standards:
Chocolate mousse was nothing more than acceptable, and the flourless chocolate cake was undistinguished.
As someone who liked - and I mean reallyliked - the old place, I was a little unsure about the new digs: a long, sleek room with a comfortable bar upfront and a romantic-looking balcony at the back; on the walls, there's an ever-changing exhibit of young artists. Fortunately, the service is as friendly and efficient as ever; at one point, the busboy poured water into a glass of vodka, and within minutes, it had been replaced with a fresh drink, gratis.
This, of course, is the way things are supposed to work, but often don't.
PARK AVENUE BISTRO377 Park Ave. S. (Between 26th and 27th streets), Manhattan; 212-689-1360
CUISINE: French bistro
CHECK: Appetizers, $11-$18; mains, $22-$32.
HOURS: Lunch and dinner, Monday-Friday; dinner on Saturday.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Accessible.
Thanks Linda
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/friday/partii/ny-d5557908feb01,0,242655.story
Come Join Marie Antoinette at Park Avenue Bistro on Monday July 14th for Lunch or Dinner.
3 Courses & a aperitif of Lillet $ 35
Maries prop cake will be crafted by the woderful wedding cake designer April Reed.
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We will be closed on Easter Sunday
Will you be Celebrating the International Day of Francophonie?
Another return to Paris in the middle of Park Ave. South. A neighborhood favorite that`s cozy to say the least, but if it`s Foie Gras or truffles you want, you can find them here at moderate prices and service with a smile. Attracts an eclectic bunch of diners who love the "very French" atmosphere and don`t seem to mind being cramped. Visit Park Bistro and you`ll get a place that offers guests a French cuisine. Expect the average entrée to cost between $20 and $30, and you can dress any way you choose -- within reason.
On MARCH 24 2008
The address may be different, but the elegance remains the same: After hightailing it two blocks south, this Park Avenue standby settles into its new digs with the same classic charm. Step into Park Bistro and be transported to a restaurant on the Champs-Elysees, sans any trace of French snobbery. The staff is attentive and welcoming, though they can't help but be proud of their consistent reputation after nearly 20 years on Park Avenue, regardless of which block they're on.
If you've got to go bistro, then don't hold back. Bring out the leather banquettes, the petulant waiters who smile only when you've conceded that they know what's best for you, and a kitchen that doesn't screw around with the classics. It's a rare bistro that respects dishes like warm potato salad with goat cheese and mussels in white wine with shallots for what they are instead of trying to give them superficial makeovers. Park Bistro is seventeen years old, but it recalls a time even further back when one of the functions of dining out was to put yourself in someone else's sure hands. Oh, and the waiter smiles when he says "brûlée." You will too, if you know what's good for you. — Hal Rubenstein
Did any one see us on 
Our mission at Park Avenue Bistro is to pair the expression of our food with fresh artists of today. With the help of the Agora Gallery*, we are introducing new artists in residence every three months. 
