Brasserie

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
October 28, 2010

WILD BOAR SCHNITZEL
100 53rd St
(Park & Lexington Aves)
New York, NY 10022
212-751-4840

Celia Cheng

It’s the end of October. The leaves are changing colors, and squashes and root vegetables of every type are appearing at the green market. Fall is upon us. And it’s game season, which in this chilly weather equals comfort.

Midtown French restaurant Brasserie has a special game menu, in addition to the regular dinner menu, now through November 14th. Executive Chef Luc Dimnet and Pastry Chef Ken Larsen have put together a short and sweet menu consisting of three choices of appetizer, entrée and dessert. Dishes like the partridge salad, wild boar schnitzel, civet of rabbit, and chestnut tart immediately caught my eye.

This meal is not for the faint of heart. I started with both the buffalo short rib and the partridge salad. A partridge breast and leg are served over bitter greens and pickled figs with a hazelnut vinaigrette. As excited as I was about this dish, the partridge — without much juice or taste — left me indifferent. And while the figs, pickled in white wine vinegar, pink peppercorn sauce, brown sugar, salt, juniper berries and bay leaves, were much more dynamic, their flavor — similar to that of Japanese pickled plum — overpowered the lackluster partridge.

The buffalo short rib on the other hand, served with sage and goat cheese ravioli in périgourdine sauce, was delicious. The meat fell apart as soon as you cut into it. The périgourdine sauce, made from reduced duck jus and black truffles, then emulsified with foie gras au torchon, was irresistible!

Celia Cheng

The buffalo short rib whetted my appetite so that when the entrées arrived, I was even hungrier. The wild boar schnitzel, served with a side of spätzle, is breaded paper-thin and topped with parsley, capers, lardons and candied kumquats dissolved in brown butter and lemon juice. The civet of rabbit was so dark and rich in color, it looked like the buffalo short rib I had just eaten. The rabbit was presented with caramelized parsnips, rutabaga purée, hen of woods mushrooms and quince chutney. Daunted by the large portions, I decided to just taste and see what I liked.

The wild boar schnitzel was fabulous. All elements fused together — tender boar, rich lardons, acidulous capers, sweet kumquats, tart lemon juice and fresh parsley. And let’s not forget one of my favorite starches, spätzle, to create balance. I was so happy with this dish that by the time I started on the rabbit, it was a little cold and tough.

Chestnut is another seasonal favorite, and any dessert with chestnut has my name on it. Brasserie’s chestnut tart was perfect for me because it’s not sweet at all. But if you are looking for a sweet dessert, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Die-hard chestnut fans will be happy to find chunks of the nut in this tart! Served with caramelized poached pears and a dark rum crème fraiche, the flavors are subtle and elegant. After a fairly heavy meal, this was such a warm and delightful send off, and with more fall cheer than the other two dessert options, apple tatin and warm chocolate cake.

I may still be recovering from the substantial meal, but my mouth waters thinking of the buffalo shorts rib, wild boar schnitzel and chestnut tart. If you are embracing the fall season, Brasserie’s game menu is a great way to do it.

Also in Alsatian, French, Meat, Midtown East