The name Alain Ducasse stirs images of the best food on the planet. Having sampled his fare, I can tell you this: it is the best food on the planet.
With his experience and magnificent skills, you know you can enjoy both his food and trust his recommendations. So now we have Alain Ducasse’s New York: 100 Gourmet Addresses which serves a dual purpose. First, if you have favorite culinary sites of excellence in New York City, your own impeccable judgement will be confirmed here. Blue Ribbon, Fairway, Mast Chocolate and other famous restaurants, stores and specialty shops are all listed here. The famous are here because, well, they are deservedly famous.
But Ducasse has been walking the streets of New York for over 40 years, sniffing, sipping and tasting. So you’ll find the second purpose of the book will bring you hours of satisfaction: here are gems that you probably have not heard about, or had time to visit, but now have real inspiration to sample.
As you might expect, this book is focused on Manhattan and Brooklyn. In Manhattan, there are sections for Downtown, Upper, East Village and Lower East Side, Chelsea, and Midtown. Brooklyn is divided into North and South, very nearly the way locals spend their time, either north or south of the Manhattan Bridge.
Those little gems you may have missed before include:
Bagel Hole: the best in the city and in, where else, Brooklyn
Despana: incomparable Spanish food in East SoHo
Mile End Delicatessen: Montreal style Kosher brought home to Brooklyn
The Smile: a Manhattan Bond Street hideaway for granola, tea and other comfort treasures
One Girl Cookies: worth the trip to Park SlopeSaltie: a North Brooklyn sandwich shop with olive-oil cake, English pastries, and focaccia topped with hard-boiled eggs, feta, olives, capers, and pickled vegetables
Saltie: a North Brooklyn sandwich shop with olive-oil cake, English pastries, and focaccia topped with hard-boiled eggs, feta, olives, capers, and pickled vegetables
Of the 100 establishments in this book, I already knew of 62, which means there are 38 places I need to pay attention to.
Scanning this book, you too will have “oh my gosh” moments where you learn about some spot, just blocks away, that the wonderful Alain Ducasse says is one of the hundred best in the city. What can you do? Rush out, get your copy of this book, put on your walking shoes, and begin a memorable culinary odyssey. This is a book filled with food for thought. And your tummy.