My dream vacation, no question, is a bicycle tour around France in July. During the day, hours upon hours of riding, and watching the mountain stages of the Tour de France firsthand; at night, ducking into local brasseries to dine on cheese, wine and rustic French cuisine.
The brasseries I’m picturing? They’d look a lot like Buffet de la Gare.
My friend Ron summed up Buffet de la Gare best in a text message:
“Isn’t it amazing how a restaurant can transport to another time and place?”
He nailed it. Buffet de la Gare is an anachronism in this age of loud, trendy, often impersonal restaurants. The intimate atmosphere, the dark wood bar, the light strains of music in the background, the French waiter, owner/chef Gwenael Goulet coming out from the kitchen to greet us… I almost forgot where I was and felt someplace else. Someplace like, well, France.
Before going any further, I should apologize for taking so few pictures, but I was at Buffet de la Gare with longtime family friends, and blogging wasn’t a priority.
I do though have pics of what I ate, starting with the vol-au-vent — a puff pastry stacked with succulent lobster tail, plated with white and green asparagus. Beautiful presentation, isn’t it?
I snagged a bite of garlicky, buttery escargot before moving on to a veal chop served with fingerling potatoes, pears and mushrooms (chanterelles?).
What a dish. The veal, seared and crusty on the outside, was meltingly tender inside. And I just lapped up the earthy veggies and the rich jus.
Dessert — a warm apple tart with a dollop of whipped cream and caramel sauce.
That was some meal.
And I was transported. My mind drifted away to long rides, small towns deep in the French Alps, and thoughts of searching out more dining spots like Buffet de la Gare.
Where’s my bike?
Buffet de la Gare
155 Southside Ave.
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
914-478-1671
The French Connection: Buffet de la Gare
My dream vacation, no question, is a bicycle tour around France in July. During the day, hours upon hours of riding, and watching the mountain stages of the Tour de France firsthand; at night, ducking into local brasseries to dine on cheese, wine and rustic French cuisine.
The brasseries I’m picturing? They’d look a lot like Buffet de la Gare.
My friend Ron summed up Buffet de la Gare best in a text message:
“Isn’t it amazing how a restaurant can transport to another time and place?”
He nailed it. Buffet de la Gare is an anachronism in this age of loud, trendy, often impersonal restaurants. The intimate atmosphere, the dark wood bar, the light strains of music in the background, the French waiter, owner/chef Gwenael Goulet coming out from the kitchen to greet us… I almost forgot where I was and felt someplace else. Someplace like, well, France.
Before going any further, I should apologize for taking so few pictures, but I was at Buffet de la Gare with longtime family friends, and blogging wasn’t a priority.
I do though have pics of what I ate, starting with the vol-au-vent — a puff pastry stacked with succulent lobster tail, plated with white and green asparagus. Beautiful presentation, isn’t it?
I snagged a bite of garlicky, buttery escargot before moving on to a veal chop served with fingerling potatoes, pears and mushrooms (chanterelles?).
What a dish. The veal, seared and crusty on the outside, was meltingly tender inside. And I just lapped up the earthy veggies and the rich jus.
Dessert — a warm apple tart with a dollop of whipped cream and caramel sauce.
That was some meal.
And I was transported. My mind drifted away to long rides, small towns deep in the French Alps, and thoughts of searching out more dining spots like Buffet de la Gare.
Where’s my bike?
Buffet de la Gare
155 Southside Ave.
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
914-478-1671