By Gus Saltonstall
Boucherie opened Friday on the Upper West Side in the former home of the Milling Room on Columbus Avenue, between West 81st and 82nd streets. The night before, I was lucky enough to get an early look and taste at the neighborhood’s newest French restaurant.
Questions of journalistic integrity entered my mind from the moment I awoke that morning.
What type of piece could or should I pen when presented with a special invitation from a restaurant?
In the end, I was confident that readers would be interested in a detailed picture of an already popular restaurant such as Boucherie opening on the Upper West Side, and that I would commit to never-before-seen levels of the noble creed that is journalistic objectivity.
With that wordy windup behind us…
The dining room at the newly opened Boucherie is singular on the Upper West Side. It is spectacular. There is no direct comparison that comes to mind with other neighborhood restaurants.
The space, a former hotel, was also impressive as the dining room for the Milling Room, but it has been transformed into that of a Parisian club in the 1920s.
The room is adorned with wood panels, Tiffany lamps, French posters, cylindrical sconces, and upward-reaching plants. The light is dim but not dark. A seemingly endless number of waiters in white shirts and red aprons flit around the room, which is filled with red chairs and red booths.
A twinge of embarrassment hit me when I walked into the room wearing an unbuttoned shirt as a group of fabulous French men and women also entered with Vespa helmets in hand and hats I wouldn’t have the courage to wear in the outside world. Social media influencers snapped photos at one table.
I felt a touch sheepish at the idea of saying, “Hi, I’m Gus Saltonstall from West Side Rag,” but that moment never arrived.
The food did, though.
First there was the Blue Crab Salad ($33), which the waiter also described as jumbo lump crab.
The dish was understated and refreshing. For the best bite, squeeze the lemon onto the plate and then use the lettuce to create a wrap of the crab. Jumbo lump crab meat is made of two large and unbroken muscle pieces connected to the legs of a crab. It is typically the highest grade of crab meat and most commonly connected to Blue Crab.
The other first course was Artichoke Au Gratin ($23).
The richer bites presented a nice pairing with the crab salad. The artichoke hearts came with creamed spinach, blue cheese, and a showering of garlic breadcrumbs.
We then moved on to the mains, which were 10-ounce Prime Steak Frites ($56) and Salmon, which I could not find the pricing for.
The steak was the star of the show. The bites were beautiful. I think I’d like anything with garlic butter, but there is maybe no greater companion than a well-cooked steak. The French fries were generous in their portion and had the right type of crunch.
The salmon was also tasty. The skin side was crisped nicely, and it was served with leeks and a Champagne sauce that is typically made with sparkling wine, shallots, and heavy cream. The sauce also had a small portion of caviar in it as a special touch.
For me, no French meal is complete without a Crème Brûlée ($16).
Boucherie’s Crème Brûlée delivered on the most important aspect of the dessert. A thin, crackling layer of sugar on top that you can thwack your spoon against in beautifully satisfying fashion. You then find the creamy custard underneath and mix in the bites of fruit.
Boucherie also has a bar at the front of a restaurant, and has taken over the old Starbucks space to its south that will be used as a dining space for private events.
And that was the meal.
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