BOULEY

my chick and i hit up two-star michelin-rated Bouley restaurant for our two-year anniversary. truly sophisticated, fancy-pants fare; an archetype of NYC fine dining -- it was kind of a big deal. at $150/head, this type of culinary luxury would usually fall far beyond my reach, however, the much more affordable $48/head lunch is a GO. sure, i suppose $48 for lunch is a bit dear, but considering the lavish five-course spread that awaits, i'd say it's well worth it.

BOULEY
163 Duane Street
New York, NY 10013
Telephone:(212) 964-2525

like i said, the entire meal was tits, but there were a few stand outs:

a warm welcome -- the apple-scented foyer; decked out in an orchards worth of ripe apples.

the amuse -- a curious concoction of cauliflower foam, tomato coulis, and trout roe, w/ a drizzle of aged balsamic, and vanilla-scented olive oil

porchini flan -- "umami" is the word. a rich, earthy broth, w/ generous chunks of steamed dungeness. a silky, savory 'shroom custard underneath it all. too bad it didn't photo for shit.

the duck -- more interesting than the menu would have you believe. sweet notes of anise, ginger and vanilla. glazed turnips and romanesco always a plus.

petit fours -- gratis, of course.

the goodie bag -- the delightfully spongy lemon tea-cake. not the best, but it's the thought that counts, right?



$48 lunch is offered 11:30a-3:00p, daily -- including weekends

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com/