A couple of years ago, my journey to foodie-dom began with a lunch at Thomas Keller’s bistro, Bouchon, at the Venetian hotel and casino in Vegas. I was a goner from the moment I walked in. The restaurant is the embodiment of casual elegance. Tile floors. Polished wood. Spotless stemware. I remember the astounding bread, the briny oysters, and the sense of repose and comfort that I haven’t felt in any other restaurant since then. Bouchon lives in my memory as one of those near-perfect culinary experiences, where place, people, food, and moment combine in a soaring harmony. Yeah, I miss it a lot.
The universe must really like me, because not long afterwards, an outpost of Bouchon Bakery opened up in the Time Warner Center, just blocks from where I work. I go there maybe three times a week as a sanity break. There’s something about the attention to detail, in the products and in the movements of the servers and even in the soothing sage and chocolate of the bakery’s logo. I feel centered. More open to the afternoon’s possibilities. Much, much more civilized and willing to see the good in others.
My favorites there start with the coffee, which is outstanding, best you can get in the Columbus Circle area. The Tuna Nicoise sandwich is a must. Tuna, herbs, and mayo, topped with radish, sliced egg, and a kind of olive relish. There’s also a decadent, delicately marbled wagyu beef brisket and fontina sandwich, which, at $12.75, I tend to reserve for special occasions. There’s a sticky bun that drips with pecans. A “nutter butter” filled with what I can only describe as melt-in-your-mouth, sweet, peanut butter mousse. A best-you’ve-ever-had coffee cake and lemon tart. Go there my friends. See how good it can really be.
