La Lunchonette
130 10th Ave.
(at W. 18th St.)
212-675-0342
You would have to have been in a spider hole for the past few years not to have noticed the stunning transformation underway in West Chelsea between Ninth Avenue and the West Side Highway. From my perch on a high, south-facing floor of London Terrace, the skyline has exploded in a profusion of shiny new condos and office towers. When I moved in three years ago, I had an impressive river view. Now, not so much.
The area’s sweeping makeover has also had a big impact on the neighborhood’s culinary scene. Once a relatively sleepy stretch of diners and a family restaurant or two, Tenth Avenue north of West 14th Street finds itself on the front lines of change. The past 18 months have witnessed the arrival of ultra-high-end fancy-food behemoths like Del Posto and Morimoto. Even new restaurants with homier ambitions, like Cookshop and Tia Pol, wear a slightly intimidating sheen.
Thankfully, a few relics of the area’s humbler days have survived (so far), most notably La Lunchonette, a casual bistro on the northeast corner of Tenth Avenue and West 18th Street. Sandwiched precariously between the new Frank Gehry-designed IAC headquarters and an angular condo contraption called “The Modern,” La Lunchonette has been serving authentic, affordable French fare for more than 20 years.
I dropped by La Lunchonette with a friend on a cold evening in late February. Unlike the avenue’s glitzier new arrivals, La Lunchonette announces its presence in an understated way. What would have been a logical entrance to the restaurant—a door facing Tenth Avenue—instead has a wooden arrow tacked to it that directs patrons to an obscure entrance around the corner. Inside, the atmosphere achieves just the right balance of elegance and informality. Dim light, flickering red wax votives and red walls establish a romantic mood. Parisian street signs and other curios on the walls add touches of whimsy. The staff, a quirky assortment of locals who both serve and bus, make you feel immediately at home.
The menu at La Lunchonette includes an extensive selection of French staples sure to evoke your student days in Paris (or the ones you wish you had): escargot au cognac, trout amandine, steak bordelaise. The food as a whole is simply prepared, without pretense, each dish relying on a natural harmony of familiar and distinctive flavors. Seasonal specialties are artfully scrawled on blackboards.
After a chat with our waitress about the state of the neighborhood (she reported that La Lunchonette still has favorable lease terms, so far) my friend and I started with the lobster bisque and a leek and lentil salad. Each had its imperfections—the bisque undersalted, the lentils undercooked—but there was an honesty in their presentation that has become rare in this age of overly ambitious kitchens. The salad was especially satisfying: a bed of crisp lettuce, lentils scattered on top, and two perfectly buttered and crisped leeks that melted into my tongue with each bite.
For our main courses, my friend chose the duck breast and I selected the skate wing with lemon butter and capers. The duck was rich and tender, not too fatty, with a crispy crust that provided just the right textural balance. And the skate was a revelation. Beautifully splayed in a semicircle across the top of the plate, the filet flaked under the slightest pressure, falling away in even, impossibly smooth and creamy segments, each with a kiss of lemon. As with all of the entrees, both came with sides of potato gratin and green beans.
La Lunchonette has a generous selection of desserts, including an outstanding torte au chocolat, and an inexpensive selection of French wines by the bottle or glass. At the end of the evening, warmed by a glass of cabernet, I surveyed the dining room. Tables had filled with young couples and retirees, families and friends. In a table at back, a group of gallery types buzzed about the latest in contemporary art. In a pocket of Manhattan increasingly consumed by youth, pretense and wealth (at the new Equinox gym next door, cashmere seems to be a workout fabric), it was refreshing to be in such a cozy and unassuming environment, surrounded by this relaxed, sophisticated and multigenerational crowd.
130 10th Ave.
(at W. 18th St.)
212-675-0342
You would have to have been in a spider hole for the past few years not to have noticed the stunning transformation underway in West Chelsea between Ninth Avenue and the West Side Highway. From my perch on a high, south-facing floor of London Terrace, the skyline has exploded in a profusion of shiny new condos and office towers. When I moved in three years ago, I had an impressive river view. Now, not so much.
The area’s sweeping makeover has also had a big impact on the neighborhood’s culinary scene. Once a relatively sleepy stretch of diners and a family restaurant or two, Tenth Avenue north of West 14th Street finds itself on the front lines of change. The past 18 months have witnessed the arrival of ultra-high-end fancy-food behemoths like Del Posto and Morimoto. Even new restaurants with homier ambitions, like Cookshop and Tia Pol, wear a slightly intimidating sheen.
Thankfully, a few relics of the area’s humbler days have survived (so far), most notably La Lunchonette, a casual bistro on the northeast corner of Tenth Avenue and West 18th Street. Sandwiched precariously between the new Frank Gehry-designed IAC headquarters and an angular condo contraption called “The Modern,” La Lunchonette has been serving authentic, affordable French fare for more than 20 years.
I dropped by La Lunchonette with a friend on a cold evening in late February. Unlike the avenue’s glitzier new arrivals, La Lunchonette announces its presence in an understated way. What would have been a logical entrance to the restaurant—a door facing Tenth Avenue—instead has a wooden arrow tacked to it that directs patrons to an obscure entrance around the corner. Inside, the atmosphere achieves just the right balance of elegance and informality. Dim light, flickering red wax votives and red walls establish a romantic mood. Parisian street signs and other curios on the walls add touches of whimsy. The staff, a quirky assortment of locals who both serve and bus, make you feel immediately at home.
The menu at La Lunchonette includes an extensive selection of French staples sure to evoke your student days in Paris (or the ones you wish you had): escargot au cognac, trout amandine, steak bordelaise. The food as a whole is simply prepared, without pretense, each dish relying on a natural harmony of familiar and distinctive flavors. Seasonal specialties are artfully scrawled on blackboards.
After a chat with our waitress about the state of the neighborhood (she reported that La Lunchonette still has favorable lease terms, so far) my friend and I started with the lobster bisque and a leek and lentil salad. Each had its imperfections—the bisque undersalted, the lentils undercooked—but there was an honesty in their presentation that has become rare in this age of overly ambitious kitchens. The salad was especially satisfying: a bed of crisp lettuce, lentils scattered on top, and two perfectly buttered and crisped leeks that melted into my tongue with each bite.
For our main courses, my friend chose the duck breast and I selected the skate wing with lemon butter and capers. The duck was rich and tender, not too fatty, with a crispy crust that provided just the right textural balance. And the skate was a revelation. Beautifully splayed in a semicircle across the top of the plate, the filet flaked under the slightest pressure, falling away in even, impossibly smooth and creamy segments, each with a kiss of lemon. As with all of the entrees, both came with sides of potato gratin and green beans.
La Lunchonette has a generous selection of desserts, including an outstanding torte au chocolat, and an inexpensive selection of French wines by the bottle or glass. At the end of the evening, warmed by a glass of cabernet, I surveyed the dining room. Tables had filled with young couples and retirees, families and friends. In a table at back, a group of gallery types buzzed about the latest in contemporary art. In a pocket of Manhattan increasingly consumed by youth, pretense and wealth (at the new Equinox gym next door, cashmere seems to be a workout fabric), it was refreshing to be in such a cozy and unassuming environment, surrounded by this relaxed, sophisticated and multigenerational crowd.
