Our Dinner at the new La Crémaillère 

Our Dinner at the new La Crémaillère 

As long-time patrons of La Crémaillère we carried an assortment of emotions with us to our first meal there under its new owners and new Chef Thomas Burke. Of course, we were hoping for a great meal. But the subtext of the evening was nothing less than does it measure up to the legendary French Country classic that was a perennial Top Ten Restaurant in Westchester/Hudson Valley (Zagats), was named one of America’s Most Beloved Restaurants by Town & Country, and was voted one of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America by OpenTable diners in 2017.

Adding intrigue to the evening was the new kitchen’s suggestion that they are taking the restaurant in a “more fine dining” direction. Which suggested they were shooting somehow to eclipse a legend. Certainly Chef Burke has the pedigree to do just that considering he became the Chef de Cuisine at Purdy’s Farmer and the Fish at the age of 20, and went on to work in the world renowned Michelin starred restaurants Le Bernardin under Eric Ripert and The French Laundry under Thomas Keller. But how would we react if it was better, considering our long history with the former owners? Would it be fair to compare one meal with decades of excellence? And how does one compare the plate in front of you with a memory?

We Share a Sobering Thought with Chef Burke

At the end of our meal, I found myself telling Chef Burke, “It was hard to admit at the time, but I felt the fatigue setting in at La Crem during its final years.” Sort of like when your favorite band seems to be running through their hits rather than running news riffs into every song. Only time will tell what new legends Chef Burke and the new La Crémaillère can create but for one night, they measured up in execution of every element of the meal to the original at their finest. And demonstrated the ability to re-energize this classic eating spot in Banksville with new ideas.

Starting off with their highly recommended Billi Bi, a Mussel Soup with saffron cream, carrots and fine herbs. It was the proverbial game changer for us. A total umami bomb. And somewhat painfully, it is now the greatest of all time soup in my library of personal dining experiences. I say painfully, because prior to Chef Burke’s Billi Bi, my best soup memory was a fish soup (that I had three nights in a row) on my five week European trip after my sophomore year in college. A classic soup-telling story that involves my best friend from college, a California blonde and a Frenchman who joined us at our table all three nights with an unlimited supply of marijuana. That he rolled and we smoked at the table to the appreciation of the sun tanned patrons who surrounded us. It’s just not going to be the same to start that story with, “the second best soup I ever had…”

Playing the “I Guess They Didn’t Think We Would Notice” Game

A big frustration in our lives as restaurant goers, is following up a meal with the “I guess they didn’t think we would notice” discussion. Which goes something like, the chicken was moist, the jus flavorful but “I guess they didn’t think we would notice that the skin wasn’t crispy.” Sadly this is the norm. There are really very few restaurants that are trying on every play as they say on the gridiron. Chef Burke was making the effort and showing creativity even on the “away plays.” Beginning with his Escargot with trumpet pasta, parsley cream and garlic crumb. The Escargot with Angel Hair Pasta at the former La Crem was one of our favorite dishes and we were happy to see the new Chef pay homage to its legacy. And still change things up a bit. We knew he had to at least match La Crem’s classic dish or leave it off the menu so we weren’t surprised when every element, the escargot, the pasta and the sauce were all very good. It was, however, the extra effort on the garlic crumb that put it over the top. Chef Burke swung big for texture and delivered the flavor in every detail of this dish.

The same could be said for my perfectly cooked (with a hint of pink) Veal Chop in a lovely Bordelaise sauce. But there was something going on in the carrots on the side of the dish that demonstrated the Chef’s ambition. Same with our Long Island Duck Breast L’orange with duck jus and a celery root puree. Accompanied by orange infused celery root coins to mimic the duck preparation – it was all my wife talked about on the way home. Perhaps for the best, he didn’t change a thing on the Pommes Frites. Because you can’t beat perfection. That demonstrated to me that Chef Burke is a maverick with humility and that he respects the kitchen that built the legend. Humility, after creativity, being the second most important trait a chef can have.

We finished up with the Strawberries & Cream Mille-Feuille and the Paris-Brest A Noisette Et Amandes (pâte choux, slice almonds & praline mousseline) and drove home making plans to order the highly recommended, Pate de Campagne and Hudson Valley Sautéed Foie Gras, strawberry coulis, rhubarb puree, brioche and herbs de provence next time.

La Crémaillère is located at 46 Bedford-Banksville Rd., Bedford, 914.234.9647; larcemny.com)

It is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Reservations can be made at resy.com.