Best New York City Restaurants - Café d’Alsace

New York restaurateur Simon Oren saw his name at the center of many a fine restaurant review following the opening, three years ago, of his French bistro/brasserie, Nice Matin on Manhattan's upper west side. Now, he has cloned this successful fun and light-hearted design on the upper east side and named it Café d’Alsace.

Despite the almost identical aesthetics, the regional cuisine of choice has been changed from the Riviera to Alsacian. Authentic french chef and partner in this venture, Philippe Roussel (from Brittany) has prepared an authentic Alsacian menu offering hearty dishes from this northwest region that more closely resembles german cuisine than the parisian or provençal style that you will find at most french restaurants. Hearty stews such as Baeckeoffe (lamb, oxtail and bacon braised in white wine) garnished sauerkraut, sausages, roast pork and casseroles simmered in Rieslings.

For those who can find room, well prepared deserts abound. The ambiance is cheerful and the chef is commendable but if there is one stand-alone gimmick that is bringing people to café d'Alsace it's the Beer Sommelier (yes they're serious). With almost 120 brews on hand, Avriam, the restaurants beer sommelier can suggest the perfect choice for each meal, and for each individual's taste. The restaurant has become quite popular and reservations are needed for both lunch and dinner.