In the New York restaurant universe of endless choice - the robotic server recitation of every ingredient used to create even the most basic dishes - countless add-ons designed to increase the size of one's final tab - Le Relais de Venise is different -
Imported from France - where lines outside the restaurant often grow in length to hundreds of customers waiting to get a table - the Le Relais is simplicity that the clientele is appears anxious to accept -
The menu is -
- Salad (pre-tossed with mustard vinaigrette dressing topped with walnuts) -
- Sliced Steak (served with Secret Sauce) -
- French Fries -
- French Baguette (pre-cut - no butter - no olive oil)
That's it - period - no chicken - no fish - no substitutions -
Our server asks what temperature we would like our steak -
- JS - I'd like mine medium rare -
- Server - The Chef recommends medium if you'd like medium rare -
- JS - Is medium "red" or "pink" ? -
- Server - We recommend medium if you want medium rare -
- HBH - How about medium well -
- Server - We only have rare - medium - or - well done -
- JS - Is rare "bloody" ? -
- Server - ..............
- HBH - If it not done enough - can be send it back ? -
- Server - No -
The server was a German in a French restaurant - she didn't give an inch - one medium - one well done - this is what it was going to be -
We sampled the house red and what they call "55 Blend" - (they only have seven - four reds - one white - one rose - one champagne) -
Instantly proffered in tiny stemmed tasting glasses - the "55 Blend" was a pleasant generic French table wine (Bordeaux) - the sample of house red was "corked" - brought to the server's attention - they quickly offered a new sample from a different bottle - OK but we went for second glass of "55" -
Seconds later - our Salads (pretty good) were before us - plus the bread plate -
Asking for butter - it was suggested that I mop up the little bit of dressing that remained on the salad plate after the greens were consumed -
Salad cleaned - it was replaced with a 7" plate containing half-a-dozen small slices of Trimmed Entrecote Steak 'Porte Mallot" - covered in the "famous" secret sauce (heavy butter - herbs - spices) - the rest of the plate heaped with crisp shoestring french fries (I'd give them a 7.5 or 8) - when we finished these small portions - our server reappeared with a second helping of steak - sauce - more french fries - JS and I could have comfortably split a third portion -
Listening to the NY TImes review - we passed on dessert -
Got the check - $34 pp (including wine & tax) plus tip
Bottom line -
- Good not great -
- Too much sauce -
- Too little steak -
- Too many french fries -
- Right price -
But everyone who comes in - buys in - it was fun & enjoyable - yes - would do it again - particularly with a larger group -
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