Gaby, NYC, NY
I was looking for a French restaurant Midtown and found Gaby, a place attached to the Sofitel Hotel, few steps from Bryant Park. Interesting place with its Art Deco decor, but with still the feel that it is the restaurant of a hotel.
Bar at Gaby, NYC, NY
Dining room at Gaby, NYC, NY
Food wise, I was really surprised. They do have some classic dishes like foie gras au torchon, as well as French onion soup, but they also put some spin on some other dishes as you will see below. To follow the French tradition, they brought us a bread basket, bread being a must have in a French meal. I especially liked the walnut and olive bread that was there.
Bread basket at Gaby, NYC, NY
Olive and walnut bread at Gaby, NYC, NY
To start, I decided to go with the foie gras au torchon as the escargots were not the traditional garlic/butter. The foie gras, marinated in cognac, came with a salad, a ginger marmelade and a country bread. It was very good, the alcohol having a very subtle taste and not being overpowering at all. However, I did not really like the ginger marmelade that was anyway not necessary, the foie gras being delicious on its own.
Foie gras au torchon at Gaby, NYC, NY
Toast at Gaby, NYC, NY
Foie gras au torchon at Gaby, NYC, NY
Ginger marmelade at Gaby, NYC, NY
Next, I ordered the duck breast that was served with red organic rice, baby spinach, carrots and an orange sauce. So, as you may have guessed, this was their take on canard (duck) à l'orange. I loved it, especially the duck that was well cooked, pink in the center, not dry. I loved the fact that it was not drenched in sauce, keeping it being the star of the dish.
Duck breast at Gaby, NYC, NY
Red organic rice and baby spinach at Gaby, NYC, NY
Duck breast at Gaby, NYC, NY
Jodi decided to go with their salade niçoise, but, the lettuce was there replaced with quinoa, and the canned tuna by fresh ahi tuna. This was another successful dish: the tuna was perfectly seared with a nice black pepper and herbs crust.
Salade Nicoise at Gaby, NYC, NY
Salade Nicoise at Gaby, NYC, NY
Tuna and quinoa in Salade Nicoise at Gaby, NYC, NY
Greens from Salade Nicosia at Gaby, NYC, NY
For dessert, we opted for the crème brûlée. This was the only disappointment of the meal: it was slightly over cooked, so it was not as creamy as it should have been.
Creme brûlée at Gaby, NYC, NY
Overall, we had a delicious dinner at Gaby. I wish the atmosphere was not one of a hotel joint, but I can forget that considering the food they serve. So, yes, I would go back and maybe this time try their steak frites...
Enjoy (I did)!
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