DINING AT DIRTY FRENCH
Dear friends and food aficionados, have I got a restaurant for you!
It’s called Dirty French…
and it’s located in the Ludlow Hotel where we stayed during our recent trip to New York City. You can read all about this terrific, lower east side hotel in my recent post by clicking here.
During our short stay in NYC it also happened to be our son Taylor’s birthday. Since he lives in Philadelphia, a 2 hour drive away, he came into the city so we could celebrate with him. When I learned that the restaurant in our hotel was ranked as one of the 10 Best New Restaurants in NYC (in 2014) by The New York Times, we decided that dining at Dirty French made all kinds of sense. And luckily we were not disappointed, as it turned out to be a delicious and memorable celebratory dinner.
The cheeky name, Dirty French, is intended to give reference to the fact that the menu is an amalgamation of culinary influences from both France and some of its former colonial outposts such as Vietnam, Tunisia and Morocco. While the menu features some traditional French bistro classics, many of the signature dishes have been reinvented with the addition of less traditional and more exotic flavors from such ingredients as za’atar and harissa. And not only has the menu been influenced by exoctic French outposts, so has the decor. This column was ornamented with a huge and colorful collection of Moroccan tea glasses which I happen to love. I bought some of my own on a recent visit to Casablanca.
I’m not sure why the restaurant is also decorated with pink hens and roosters, except to say that the restaurant’s signature color seems to be hot pink. It was evident on the waiter’s shirts, on the plates, in the flower arrangements, and in the upholstery and curtains, and somehow it all worked.
Perhaps one of the reasons chickens play a starring role in the restaurant’s decor is because Dirty French’s Chicken & Crepes are clearly a standout on the menu. My husband and I shared this unusual and delicious dish for two, which actually reminded me of the Peking Duck we ate recently in DC. Just before the chicken was served, a glass rooster was brought to the table. It housed an assortment of condiments: pickled red peppers, fresh herbs and thinly sliced radishes. The accompanying sauces included a house made harissa and some kind of a yogurt sauce, all designed to embellish the chicken and crepes to come.
Dirty French has an impressive wine list that is dominated by French varietals. While enjoying our first bottle of a delicious Vacqueyras, a French wine appellation in the southern Rhône wine region of France, our waiter brought to the table the true pièce de ré·sis·tance of the evening: warm & out-of-this-world-delicious flatbread. Served with a smear of herbed sheep’s-milk fromage blanc that had been dusted with North African Za’atar, this bread alone is reason to frequent Dirty French.
For starters, we shared a Roasted Beet Salad dressed with roquefort cheese and candied cashew nuts as well as an order of Lamb Carpaccio.
It wasn’t long before the first portion of our 2-part Chicken & Crepes entree was delivered in an elaborate and impressive presentation. Slow roasted breast meat was artfully displayed in a hot cast iron skillet over a bed of mustard sauce and foie gras fat, sinfully delicious!
Next came the chicken legs, complete with attached feet I might add. They had first been marinated in fish sauce, ginger and lemongrass, then poached in chicken fat and seasoned with kaffir lime leaves. In the final step, the legs were grilled to a crackly, charred, fall-off-the-bone perfection. It was all designed to be dressed in the fixings, (sauces and condiments) and then wrapped up in the accompanying crepes.
Not to be outdone, our son ordered the Duck à l’Orange, made with preserved oranges.
He also ordered this creative take on Pommes Frites as a side dish.
Everyone enjoyed their various menu selections, which also included Tuna Tartare with Indochine Crepes and Côte de Boeuf, also served for 2. By the way, notice the signature hot pink steak knife.
We concluded the evening over a trio of Coconut, Apple Ginger and Mango Sorbets, Beignets served with a Chicory Caramel Sauce and the opening of birthday gifts.
So there you have it: Dining at Dirty French
It is something you should definitely consider next time you are in NYC.
Dirty French, The Ludlow, 180 Ludlow St., NYC, 212-254-3000
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