The restaurant takes its name and ambiance from France’s beautiful and picturesque Dordogne region. Périguex is its capital. The French refer to the area as “le Périgord,” known for its truffles, pâté de foie gras, and walnuts. My recent visit to this fabulous restaurant is an occasion to remember.
Le Perigord is one of the finest formal French restaurants in New York City. It is located at Sutton Place and fits in perfectly with the neighborhood. The eatery is celebrating its 46th birthday this year under the same ownership.
Proprietor and wine aficionado Georges Briguet and his son Christopher manage the restaurant. Another son, the prominent architect Jean Luc, designed the restaurant and produced a blend of classical and contemporary themes.
The dining room entices with intimate lighting, antique wooden bars on the metal ceiling, and yellow walls showcasing delightful paintings. Many flower arrangements surround the dining area and give a sense of welcome, intimacy, and warmth.
The well-trained, friendly, and efficient staff are ready to pamper guests. Gentlemen: Remember to wear a jacket and tie. Just like in the old days, when elegance and good manners were an integral part of society.
The menu offers a selection of timeless, classic French dishes: treasures such as La bisque de homard (lobster), traditional beef “Bourguignon,” a variety of foie gras, such as Foie gras chaud aux fruits de Saison, warm foie gras with seasonal fruits, or the Salade de ris de veau panés à l’harissa (sweetbreads dusted with harissa), and émulsion aux poivrons doux (sweet red bell pepper emulsion).
These classic preparations should not come as a surprise since the kitchen is run and managed by renowned executive chef Joel Benjamin of Breton, France, an area known for its exceptionally fine cuisine.
Benjamin graduated from the Culinary Institute in France and worked in the best restaurants around the world. Their owners were his mentors. While in France, he demonstrated his skills as sous chef at La Cote Basque. In New York he worked in Tavern on the Green, in Mortimers, in the Ritz Carlton, and at Lutece. While at Lutece, he worked under immensely talented and well-respected owner and chef Andre Soltner from Alsace. Energetic chef Benjamin said he loved to work there. “Soltner is a great mentor who takes care of his staff and his diners. To be successful in this business is to be honest,” said Benjamin.
Benjamin’s delicately crafted menu maintains the integrity of traditional French food. Every dish that came to the table was one pleasant surprise after another. The food is a reflection of the chef’s philosophy and belief in the “cuisine de terroire” and in matching wines.
He is an avid user of natural, local ingredients and feels “we are getting closer to home,” since the trend is to serve locally grown food. His attitude toward food is similar to that in Brittany, where he grew up and where food is cooked as simply and naturally as possible.
He is very interested in fish dishes and takes it as a challenge to make fish preparations as tasty as possible.
We were served a tasting menu of offerings packed with wonderful flavors.
Take time to savor the Le Homard a la Nage de Coriander, grilled lobster in coriander broth, which brought back wonderful memories of my friend and her mother.
Her mother would prepare such a meal for us while my friend and I would listen to classical music by the fireplace in their country home and smell the aroma of the food. The dish, although it looks simple, involves laborious, precise preparation.
Lobster can easily be overcooked and become rubbery. Undercooking deprives the diner of the unique flavor of a properly cooked lobster. All ingredients are blended together harmoniously with none overpowering the others. The coriander and a citrusy note gave it a pleasant lingering earthy flavor. As a wine pairing, I enjoyed the Vero Chardonnay Joseph Drouhin 2005.
It is impossible to miss the chef’s unforgettable Atlantic halibut with fingerling potato shavings and country mustard sauce.
The presentation was a beautiful combination green, beige, and shades of white, with basil-infused oil. The celery root puree was white. It looked as if it jumped out of a canvas.
Benjamin said that this dish is hard to find. This dish demonstrates his profound understanding of how to prepare fish. The fish was perfectly cooked, with a tender and buttery sweetness.
I would have preferred the potato skins crunchy. Nevertheless, this unusual combination of delicate ingredients leads to an explosive tingling of the tongue. It surprises with a certain kick of a spice that sneaks in at the end, yet is consistent with the preparation’s delicacy and lightness—simply perfect.
It arrived with spaetzle and wild rice. Duck is a good year-round meal and in demand at Le Perigord. The meat was tender and had a delicate skin, while the sauce was light, citrusy, and with a hint of bitterness, making a perfect, sophisticated combination. Slowly sip a 2005 Cristian Moueix Saint Emilion, which is fantastic: fruity and round, a flexible wine.
For sweet endings, have one of the soufflés. I had the chocolate, while my friends had the Souffle aux Grand Marnier that must be eaten the moment it arrives at table. Otherwise, it will fall and lose its shape.
Private rooms are available with a perfectly coordinated team of attendants that can make your event a memorable one. Diners can also enjoy selections from the amazing predominantly French wine cellar, the vintages handpicked by Georges Briguet. His wine list has won many awards.
Le Perigord is open seven days a week.
Le Perigord is open seven days a week.Lunch: Monday through Friday: 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dinner: Monday through Sunday: 5:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Fixed price lunch for $32
Early dinner
Sunday night special at $45 and a fixed-price dinner for $65
A la carte available for both lunch and dinner
Weekend brunch menu
Reservations recommended
212-755-6244
Location: 405 E. 52nd St. New York, N.Y.
Leperigord.com
Grilled Lobster in Coriander Broth
Chef Joel Benjamin, Le Perigord, New York
4 lobsters
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total weight
Olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 bottle white wine
1 stick unsalted butter
2 lemons
1 leek, white part only, chopped
3 medium carrots, julienne
2 large carrots, for broth
1 bunch of cilantro
1 yellow squash
1 green squash
1 bunch of Inoki mushrooms
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
2 lemons
Separate the lobster heads from the bodies and sauté the heads in 6 tablespoons of olive oil with a tablespoon of shallots, 2 large carrots (chopped), the leek, one bunch of cilantro with stems, until the vegetables are soft.
Cover with white wine to top the vegetables, add same amount of water as wine, add salt and cayenne pepper to taste, cover and cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. (The mixture should reduce by about 1/4.)
Strain through a fine sieve.
Bring the strained liquid to a boil again and reduce by another 1/4, add juice of 1 to 2 lemons to taste, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 stick unsalted butter, and emulsify in a blender or with a hand blender.
Once this point has been reached, the mixture should not be brought to a boil again as it would separate [curdle].
Immerse the lobster tails and claws in boiling water with a little salt for about 5 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside.
Blanch the medium carrots, yellow and green squash cut in 1/2 inch lozenges or sticks and place in a deep dish.
Mount the cooked lobster pieces on top of the vegetables, using the claws to decorate and scatter some of the vegetables about the plate to add color.
Add the hot broth on top and place raw Inoki mushrooms and coarse chopped cilantro, to decorate the plate.
Enjoy!
