Temptation lives in New York.
The New Yorkers' fascination with France comes from afar. they adore a good croissant (even if they don't know how to recognize it very well) . His favorite meeting place is a cozy and romantic bistro ; or a functional and classic brasserie . they know more Gallic wine than Californian , and fervently celebrate the Macaron Day.
It was a matter of time before a place appeared in the city that brought together all those gastro pleasures of New Yorkers. Open in April in the **renovated Brookfield Plaza shopping center**, already known as the “Eataly French” , Le District is that place where you can understand the New York soft spot for French cuisine . And its culinary director, the Barcelona-Belgian Jordi Vallès , formed with Adria, Arzak, Subijana and in French restaurants, he explains to us why he will drive New Yorkers and tourists crazy:
- French is spoken: “The products on the shelves and that are served in restaurants and bars are francophones , we not only bring them from France, but also of Belgium, former colonies … In addition, they are high-end, but not ultra luxury ”, Valles explains. And they have made an exception with some high-quality products that they have found around the city.
For inveterate francophones (and 'quesophones').
- Oh la, la, the baguette: The shortage of bread as dieu mandates in New York is alarming. Until now you had to resort to the chain Le Pain Quotidien or to the traditional Balthazar to find crusty bread, now Le District offers "40 different types of bread" Valles says. “At three in the morning the team of bakers arrives and we make 1,200 and 1,500 per day , not counting croissants, etc. In a French place, if you don't have good bread or flowers, you're doing very badly”.
- Oh yeah, that: It also has a flower shop in a corner of the market area. Cuckoo, what not?
High-end French wines, but not ultra-luxury.
-Welcome chez nous: L’Appart is the last section to open in Le District, and probably the best. "It's like an apartment with its doorbell and everything" , says Vallès opening the door of the 'house'. “It will be a little bit the place where we can play together with the Chefs of Beaubourg . The place is a bit out of the box. It will be very daring, as if you come to my house to cook , you can improvise whatever you want,” he says. There will only be 28 diners for dinner, in the five nights that they will open (from Tuesday to Saturday) a week and they will enjoy a closed menu , with long and short option, created from what the market offers that day. “ They can plate with us , they can spend a while in the lounge, come back to the table... They take their two or three dishes... It is a mix of playful space, for people who understand and like to enjoy food, but who feel relaxed”.
Le District has several areas, according to your need and appetite of the moment.
-Three other options to eat sitting down:
1)Beaubourg , the traditional brasserie in which they have designed “a menu with recipes that have not been seen in restaurants for a long time ”, immortal classics such as scargots de Bougogne or a Rossini torunedo.
2)“In Le Bar You can also eat, above all, dishes to share: cured cheese boards, with the cold we will serve fondues… And on weekends there is brunch in both places”.
3)The wine bar or Le Comptoir where to accompany a glass of wine with what you buy in the market or what they offer you in their short menu.
A very 'chic' place to fill your pantry.
-Prêt-à-porter: I'll take it . In the Market District there cheese shop, sausage shop, fishmonger, butcher shop plus, rotisserie (rotisserie chicken, and other prepared meats). In the Garden District they have given the classic nyc deli with prepared meals, salad bar and small supermarket … “And we are going to include a platter du jour , a different dish every day for the same price to take away, which will always be what we call spoon cuisine”.
- The sweet hook: the one in which it is impossible not to bite. At Le District they have taken it very seriously. At the north entrance with The Creperie , followed by the patisserie and shelves full of francophone chocolates . At the south entrance, heaven on earth or the Chocolate Mouse Bar: a bar with a variety of between 12 and 15 chocolate mousses.
The Frenchified (but New York) terrace of Le District.
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Can't miss the waffles