01.03.09
Review of Tree, Tuesday December 2008
190 1st Ave. & 12th St., 212-358-7171
Great for: simple French food, al fresco dining even in winter
My best friend E wanted to have dinner somewhere in the East Village one freezing night. Tree had been high on my list for some time and wasn’t terribly pricey, so it was an obvious choice. The three of us – the Boyfriend came along too – got to sit in the cute window seat.
I went with the prix fixe for $25. The French onion soup was a perfect balance of spices and creamy cheese. Somehow the bread was still crispy after ten minutes, to my delight. B’s split pea soup, the special app, was simply delicious. We liked its very fine consistency.
After the waitress told us about the bacon cassoulet E had to get it. A carnivore’s dream, it has pork sausage, veal, duck confit, tomatoes and white beans. It was, naturally, very rich. The bacon was the best meat though. I didn’t expect very much from stew meat so I think I liked it better than she did. My roast salmon with a fennel crust on spicy lentils and shallot confit was simple and satisfying. I didn’t find the lentils spicy – a bit bland, in fact - though they had a nice texture. The salmon was very crispy on top and rosy pink inside. It could have been slightly less cooked but overall I quite liked it.
My included crème brûlée (on a freakishly hot plate) was a lovely finish to the meal. E and B had red wine that they enjoyed and E and I tried a good rosé champagne too. Our waitress was really nice. I liked the window seat, and next time I want to sit in the back garden, which is as big as the front and covered so you can enjoy it in the winter as well.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $115 (1 app & entrée, 1 prix fixe meal, 4 glasses wine/champagne)
Noise level: wavering sound system turned up too loud
Chance of walking in: not too bad. Ask for the pretty back garden.
