A Culinary and Cheese Please Experience – Picholine

I haven’t been to NYC for dinner in quite some  time since I’m normally only there after hours partying with my friends; and for those who know… parking before 7pm is annoying.  However, my aunt and uncle from California were visiting the Big Apple for some shopping and theater fun.  Before accompanying them to a wonderful production of Balanchine’s The Nutcracker ( the only ballet I would probably ever see because of Tsaichovsky’s music), we had dinner nearby at Picholine, named after a tender green olive harvested in the

Tuna with Olive Oil Ice Cream?!? It was actually yummy!

Mediterranean.  The subdued atmosphere and windowless rooms of this French-Mediterannean restaurant lacks in decor and ambiance, but it does not stop its patrons from coming back for some champagne and fine hand-crafted cheese.

The menu offered a theater pre-fixe 3-course dinner for $92, a price worthy of Chef Terrance Brennan’s cooking.  With compliments from the Chef, they served a mini butternut squash panna cotta with a toasted parsnip stick.  I started with the Tuna Carpaccio “Napoleon” paired with olive oil ice cream, which brought out its savory taste.  For the main course I had a fresh and flavorful Roasted John Dory with Wild Mushroom Cappuccino and topped off my meal with the most scrumptious Sweet Warm Caramel Apple Brioche with Apple Salad & Salted Caramel Ice Cream.  And of course, being a cheese lover, I had to try the Spain cheese flight of Majorero- a semi-firm and smokey goat’s milk cheese; Roncal- a nutty similarity to Manchego; and Valdeon- a rich, creamy, intensely-flavored cow and goat’s milk blue cheese(my personal favorite!).  It certainly was a delectable meal paired with a fruity and full-bodied 2002 bottle of Trimbach Reisling.

I would definitely recommend Picholine for foodies and theatergoers with a palette for fancy dining.  Although the scenery is nothing exciting, the excellent service, appetizing menu, and cheese flights give this culinary experience a 4 out of 5 stars!