Picholine

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Picholine Review

Having undergone a spiffy renovation in recent years, Terrence Brennan's classic French restaurant, done up in tones of eggplant and lavender, still has a dignified atmosphere, but it's now caught up with the times. His kitchen maintains a strong emphasis on contemporary Mediterranean cuisine and relies conspicuously on artisanal farmers and food producers. The menu is divided into four relatively small sections: Preludes, Pastas, Day Boats, and the Land, and you are invited to construct your own tasting by selecting three or four sections. The kitchen's spin on chicken Kiev is particularly brilliant: an heirloom chicken breast is pressed into a fat juicy tube and rolled in crushed cornflakes before it is deep-fried. Slice into the soft cylinder and it spills its luscious "liquid foie gras" filling. Don't miss the famous cheese course, which Brennan practically invented here. There's also a more limited three-course pretheater prix-fixe for $58, one of the best deals in the neighborhood.