New York City Restaurants

SAUL restaurant

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SAUL restaurant Review

Owner Saul Bolton, who logged time in the kitchens of Le Bernardin and Bouley, and was one of the first to include seasonal local ingredients on his plates. More than a decade later, this Smith Street restaurant is still a favorite eating destination for the culinary cognoscenti. Saul is particularly good at mixing surf and turf, in dishes like caramelized scallops paired with chorizo and grilled octopus with slow-roasted pork belly—the resulting delights are well-executed without being overly precious.

    Restaurant Details

  • Credit cards accepted.
  • No lunch.

Fodorite Reviews

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    Saul Review

    So they say Michelin is not what it was. In Saul's case, we really didn't understand the 1 star it's been awarded.

    What we had: Foie Gras, Octopus, Bass, and Rabbit. (The food was unmemorable to the extent that I had to pull up their menu online to remember what we ordered.) I liked foie gras - but that's not hard.

    The service: the bartender was charming. Other wait staff seemed a little tired from standing, though it was only 10pm on a Friday night. When I asked our server about the 'doneness' that the rabbit would come in - he made me repeat the question 3 times (???) before turning to my companion, as if needing a translator. And then he said, well people don't ask about doneness of rabbit (oh well stupid customer me) and if I want it well done he could ask the kitchen. All I wanted was for him to tell me how the chef prepares it. To me it was weird - why not handle it smoothly, i.e. "the chef usually does it med-rare - *smile* - but we can try to get it however you'd like". Why he decided I'd want it well-done was strange. Why not assume I wanted it rare? Aren't kitchens usually more at risk of overcooking meat? (Even meat-centric places, e.g. Manzo, one would have to emphasize rare, and stuff would come out med-rare still.)

    The scene: the place was full of hipster wannabes that looked like they were on a rare outing, and delighted to be "insiders" at a "hidden gem". Not to take that away from them...but I'm weary of places that see more than a few young girls playing "dress-up" in prom-store sequin dresses and "date" clutches. Restaurateurs know the kind of people that know food.

    by downer, 1/10/11

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