BLOOMBERG.COM
FOOD BUZZ
Drew Nieporent Remains King of Tribeca with Corton
Review by Ryan Sutton
November 4, 2008
Two years ago, at the height of Manhattan's second
Gilded Age, Drew Nieporent closed Montrachet, a fancy French restaurant
whose name refers to an expensive Burgundy wine. Last month, amid an
impending recession, he reopened the space as Corton, a fancy French
restaurant whose name refers to another expensive Burgundy wine.
Corton's stemware is Riedel; the forks, Christofle; the steak knives,
Laguiole. Leave it to Nieporent to flash some bling. When he opened
Montrachet in 1985, he made Tribeca a dining destination. Then he gave us
Nobu. And Nobu Next Door. And Centrico. And others.
You can spend a lot at Nieporent's restaurants. But Corton is the only one where you have to spend a lot: $76
for three courses, $110 for eight. Want a bottle of Corton? Minimum $90.
The chef is Paul Liebrandt, whose avant-garde mannerisms probably resulted in his short tenure at midtown's
Gilt. So there's reason to be suspicious. Then you order the salad. And you declare that Corton could soon be a
four-star restaurant.
The vegetables are warm. Soft, marble-size potatoes. A cabbage ball stuffed with butter-cooked onions. A gash
of black garlic puree. A quenelle of cilantro-spiked eggplant. A bite of squash here, a turnip there. A slice of
Asian pear. And a ``couscous'' of dehydrated tomatoes. The sweet-salty-spicy- buttery-crunchy-soft
combination would make a chef like Thomas Keller curious.
Culinary Crowd
Actually, Keller's already dined here, I'm told, and so have David Chang (Momofuku) and Wylie Dufresne (wd-
50). Over three visits I saw Danny Meyer (Union Square Cafe), Terrance Brennan (Picholine), Tim Zagat
(handing out his guides) and Michael Psilakis (Anthos).
It's common to encounter chefs at affordable after-hours hangouts like the Spotted Pig; but when they come in
swarms to fancy-shmancy places like Corton, there must be a reason.
Here are two: oysters in a gelee of their own briny juices, offset by the crunch of buckwheat -- a contrast of
earth and sea. That amuse began our meal. Ending the repast were chocolate petits fours flavored with more
robust buckwheat.
Another bonus: compelling side dishes. Crispy, moist chicken gets a croquette filled with confit. Juicy roast
partridge gets a side of more partridge, braised. It's chewy, heady, almost livery. Butter-poached lobster (silky
as sashimi) gets a side of orzo-like pasta: slippery, al dente and redolent of the ocean. Skip the ho-hum scallops
with uni cream.
What's in My Soup?
Liebrandt has toned down his esoteric ways in favor of modern French. His ``food-as-science'' techniques are
invisible. You marvel at how a pearl of burrata bursts like an egg yolk; no one tells you it's bound by alginate.
White tablecloths are the perfect setting for the precise food. White walls are the perfect offset for the
fashionable crowd. Men sport cufflinks and ties with full Windsor knots. My chic companion wore Phillip Lim.
The small room grows loud when full. And the harried wait staff can forget to announce exactly what you're
eating -- a significant omission since this is fussy, complicated fare with multiple elements.
The squab is rare, wrapped in bacon, with a squab leg on the side. And tender pork belly. And chestnut cream
(studded with black truffles). And a foamy spiced milk. The strong flavors keep pace with the energy of the
room. But I couldn't even hear what my server was saying as he poured a sauce (coconut, I later learned) over
my flaky turbot.
Pastry chef Robert Truitt (El Bulli) has also traded in his chemistry books for something more classical. Sort of.
Coconut powder covers delicate chocolate hazelnut cakes like a dusting of snow. It's a gourmet Almond Joy.
Bite into an olive-oil macaroon and sigh.
Rating: ***
The Bloomberg Questions
Cost? $76 for three courses; $110 for eight.
Sound level? Noisy, but you should be eating, not talking.
Date place? Yes.
Inside tip? Sommelier Elizabeth Harcourt decanted a $55 syrah for me when I asked for something under $85.
That's value.
Special feature? A stellar root-beer bourbon cocktail
Private room? No.
Will I be back? Yes.
Corton is at 239 W. Broadway between White and Walker streets. Information: +1-212-219-2777; http://www.cortonnyc.com.
What the Stars Mean:
**** Incomparable food, service, ambience.
*** First-class of its kind.
** Good, reliable.
* Fair
No stars Poor.
(Ryan Sutton writes about New York City restaurants for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his
own.)