Author: Flavor & The Menu Staff

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff With the Ghost of Bloody Mary, Kent Beardens, Saint Marc’s Senior Director of Operations, and team have “delivered a radically different presentation.” The tomato “juice” is a housemade consommé, made with Roma tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato juice, all puréed into a fine consistency. “We filter this purée through cheesecloth overnight to extract the juice and leave all of the color behind. We’re left with a clean and somewhat clear tomato consommé.” Simple syrup, sea salt, pepper, lemon juice and Ballast Point Habanero Vodka are added, and the drink is rimmed with...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff At his new L’Amico, house-infused chile oil is a pantry staple for Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel. Relying on it for its lingering but subtle heat, he features the oil in his popular fusilli with sausage, pecorino and bitter greens. “The balance of the chile with pecorino provides the perfect amount of heat and flavor,” he says. A smart way to express the restaurant’s terroir, the chile oil is also featured in the Soppressata Picante, with tomatoes, mozzarella and Sicilian oregano. And it’s table-topped at L’Amico, encouraging guests to dip their bread and...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Fig & Olive is known for its use of olive oils, sourcing different varietals ranging from the French Riviera and Spain’s Catalonia to Tuscany. “It’s only natural that we began experimenting with different varietals at our bar. We found that olive oil adds a pleasing depth and silkiness to any drink,” says Beverage Manager Mitchell Malnati. Its signature cocktail, The Fig & Olive, combines organic cucumber vodka, blood orange purée, lime juice, celery, egg white, simple syrup and blood orange-infused olive oil. “With olive oil, you can alter the experience of one...

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff The oh-so-French Choc-O-Pain bakery and café specializes in sourdough breads and flaky pastries, including the Tarte aux Pommes—a traditional apple tart made with Granny Smith apples in a crust, brushed with butter and apricot glaze. Owner Clemence Danko says, “Complementary flavors combine deliciously—you get some tartness from the apples joined by the comforting, sweet, buttery crust of the tart’s shell.” Even with classic French pastries, there’s room for tweaking. The usual accompaniment for an apple tart would be gelato or vanilla ice cream, but Danko chooses to pair it with sour cream....

PHOTO CREDIT: Flavor & The Menu Staff Today’s diners want the chance to sample adventurous flavors in manageable portions—that’s why small plates and dessert flights have taken hold. The same principle applies to the Mini Croque Monsieur Trio, which offers La Madeleine’s guests a sampling of three sandwiches on one plate. Inspired by sliders, but with a French twist, the mini trio is made up of: Smoked Turkey and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Croque Monsieur on Country Wheat Bread; Balsamic Marinated Chicken and Basil Pesto Croque Monsieur on Sourdough Bread; and Classic Ham Dijon and Swiss Croque Monsieur on Seven-Grain...