Petrossian Paris

Petrossian Paris
182 West 58th Street - Map
Corner of 7th Avenue
New York, NY
(212) 245-2214
French-influenced Contemporary

Ahh, restaurant week in New York City. For anyone who enjoys dining out as much as I do, and lives on a budget - this is a godsend, especially when you take advantage of the affordable prix fixe lunch and dinner menus at one of New York City's premium restaurants. Although restaurant week "dictates" that prix fixe dinner's are generally $35, Petrossian Paris has an all-year long running "Theater Prix Fixe" for $35 with a slightly different menu.

Upon first approaching the corner entrance of Petrossian, housed in the Alwyn Court Building, you cross the threshold of two massive convex glass doors in a substantial black wrought-iron frame, to alight a small ascension of stairs into the main dining area. As soon as you walk in, the opulence and character of the decor is evident. The bar, directly to the right, is tastefully decorated with pink Finnish granite, lined with fixed, dark gray leather rotating stools set in front of angled art deco style mirrors (which were situated behind the bar).

My friend and I were immediately greeted by the French host, who seemed rather preoccupied and was quick to seat us more to get us out of the way than out of being hospitable. We were ushered near the back, and we chose a table in the corner. There were mirrors that lined the wall, each decorated with a Lalique crystal doe in a fleeing pose which acted as a prop for a glass platform atop which had a different bronze sculpture. In addition, the low-level lighting all melded into a harmoniously inviting environment.

The table was beautifully set with two elegantly long champagne flutes that strongly reminded me of a flower: a long thin conical stem to flare out wide near the rim. There was also a three-inch dark glass cube that housed one stemless white orchid in water and a tea candle within a egg-shaped dark glass cup. I was a little disappointed at the proximity of the various tables to each other, and I would have preferred a greater space if only to improve on the privacy of each table's conversation.

After being seated, we were presented with their regular menu, their prix fixe menu, and a wine list. Of course, we decided on the prix fixe menu, which offered a selection of three different appetizers to choose from, three entrees, and four desserts. Those of you with fickle taste, be forewarned - the prix fixe menu offers NO substitutions or additions - just eliminations. My friend and I both chose the foie gras salad with green apple, walnuts, and truffle oil, and I asked for a glass of their Chateau La Rame, La Chamille 1er Cotes de Bordeaux (2001) wine to accompany my meal (as was one of two wines that were recommended I choose from - the other was a Pinot Noir - but I felt like a Bordeaux would have been nice). The wine was mild, and had a very clean taste. Distinct flavors of apple and berry - not too dry, but perfectly tannic to balance out the creaminess of the foie gras to come.

While waiting for our appetizer to arrive, we were brought a small bowl with cold butter, and we were each given a whole wheat roll baked with poppy seeds in the dough. The bread was lacking in any kind of distinct flavor, but it was toasty and warmed the butter nicely when spread on it.

The foie gras salad was eventually brought to our table. It was beautifully composed on a square mottled-glass plate, with a shallow depth. The bed of the salad was of a light and surprisingly unbitter frisee, mixed with coarsely chopped walnuts, two or three haricot verts, and topped with an ample slice of foie gras. You could immediately smell the distinct earthy truffle scent wafting from the cold dish. We were each brought a few triangle slices of lightly toasted brioche to accompany the foie gras.

I immediately cut off a small piece of the foie gras and spread it on a slice of brioche and savored my first bite of the evening. For a moment, I was simply in heavenly bliss. The foie gras was not overwhelmingly gamey or "raw" tasting like the first time I experienced it at Blue Ribbon Brooklyn. The texture was richly sublime, rivaling some of the most creamiest of cheeses. The flavor was simply unmatched and then the last flavor to hit the taste buds was the truffle oil - a divine cacophony of flavors! The rest of the salad was exceptionally delicious as well, the sheerest whisper of truffle coated every bite with a delightful surprise of sweet green apple at the end. This dish was so rich, I simply couldn't finish it all. The wine here proved to be a perfect pairing to balance out the richness of the dish with it's light and fresh flavors.

For the entree, my friend ordered their Tamarind Glazed Atlantic Salmon which was served atop a bed of Israeli couscous with mint and toasted almonds. I was permitted a taste, and the tamarind glaze added such a heady yet tangy and exotic flavor to the meaty salmon and the al dente couscous. The fish had a beautiful browning around it but was deliciously pink inside which seemed to go so naturally with the rest of the dish.

I decided on the Roast Organic Chicken Breast which came served lying on a gruyere and rosemary polenta with a brandy mushroom sauce. The chicken was cooked to perfection - each bite sinfully moist as the one before, and the skin was crisp and added a deliciously poultry muskiness to every bite. The polenta was creamy and not grainy in the least and proved to be a wonderful counterbalance in lightness to the chicken breast. The brandy mushroom sauce tied all the flavors together, by complimenting the rosemary and gruyere flavors in the polenta with the moist muskiness of the chicken. Superb in its own right. The wine here, also proved to balance the flavors of the dish beautifully so. The cleanness of it helped to clear the palate anew for the next bite of chicken, allowing for a new experience in every bite.

For dessert, we both chose the Carmelized Apple Galette which was served with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce. The plate was delightfully decorated with a small round mound of cooked apples, topped with a scoop of the vanilla ice cream, coated in ribbons of caramel sauce and finished with a light smattering of confectioner's sugar. While the vanilla ice cream seemed to be a part of the dish more for its creamy and cold texture than for its indistinct and largely absent flavor, the warmth of the caramel flavoring in the sauce with a spoonful of the almost tart but lightly sweet apple galette was interestingly good. While the overall flavor was distinctly the caramel, the flavor slowly faded on the palate simultaneously with the coldness of the ice cream to only make way for the apple which followed right after. A beautiful production in the mouth.

In conclusion, the gourmet fare here is utterly sublime. While the wait staff were not as attentive as one might expect from a restaurant of this caliber, which was disappointing - the food more than makes up for it. The ambiance was intimate, if not a little cramped, the decor tasteful without being overly pretentious - but pretentious it definitely was - and the overall experience a very pleasurable one. I highly recommend Petrossian Paris to anyone who appreciates fine dining at its best!