pavotbleu's Profile
Charlie Palmer's at Bloomingdales
I feel the need to jump in here on what is, in my opinion, an overly negative thread. I dined at Charlie Palmer's earlier this week and absolutely enjoyed it.
I was dining alone - treating myself after a rough week - and went to CP primarily because I was jonesing for foie gras. The waitstaff was kind and accommodated me as a last-minute, no reservations walk-in. I was seated in a corner in the main dining room. I was reading a book to pass the time and no one seemed to bat an eye at this. To the contrary, one of the staff members even asked if he could bring over a stronger light for me to read by, which I thought was sweet.
But on to the food... the servers brought out an amuse bouche of bruschetta in a shot glass. You ate it with a spoon and it was yummy and crisp and refreshing.
Then I had the beet salad, which was a mixture of pureed and whole roasted beets on a bed of creamy goat cheese. It was wonderful and, for a salad, huge and filling.
Next up, I ordered also from the appetizer menu, and this was the Hudson Valley Foie Gras served on a waffle (a waffle!) with apple butter and cranberry caramel. This was the dish I came for. I adore foie gras and had been craving it and it fulfilled all my hopes and expectations. The foie was warm and velvety and creamy. The waffle was a strong compliment and the apple butter pulled it all together bringing the sweetness. It was a huge size of foie, too.
By this point I was already full, and also trying to not bust the bank. (Remember, this was a lark, a last minute splurge.) I probably should have just called it a night but ventured into the dessert menu anyway.
The dessert was my only disappointment; I ordered the Molten Chocolate. The chocolate was too rich for my tastes, but the espresso ice cream was excellent and tempered the chocolate.
In all, I left the restaurant happy, relaxed and full. I would definitely go back and venture further into the menu.
