Cafe Cluny

Saturday night I had dinner at the newly opened Cafe Cluny, a French bistro from Lynn Wagenknecht (an owner of Odeon and the former wife of Keith McNally). The menu consisted of about 5 appetizers and 8 entrees. The starters we sampled included the baby beet salad with black mission figs and aged goat cheese ($12.50) which was applauded by Mark & Suz, and the frisee salad aux lardons with poached egg. I had the sea scallops with cauliflower puree and beet jus ($13) which I thought was a bit overcooked and underwhelming. For main courses, the guys had braised short ribs with Hudson Valley foie gras, potato puree and root vegetables ($28), which was enjoyed, but with the comment "it's not as good as the short rib at Extra Virgin". I had the cod with piperina and creamy polenta which was very good - especially the piperina which is kind of like a ragout of peppers. For desert we went for the chocolate pudding (light and yummy) and the profiteroles (top notch!). The space has 2 small dining rooms with a tiny bar separating them. The decor is very cream with lots of French country details.

The only problem with the whole meal was a mishap with the bill. When the waitress split our bill onto 2 credit cards she ended up overcharging us by about $125. I realized once we left and went back and they were very nice about taking care of it. I'm not so sure thougth that the manager knew how to handle the credit card machine so we'll see if we end up being double-charged.

The place was packed dinners (including Elizabeth Berkley) and many were making reservations on their way out to return (I didn't personally think it was THAT good). If you have any interest in trying this place out, I'd book it now before you can't get in. The 411: Café Cluny is located in the WV at 284 West 12th Street, corner of West 4th Street, 212-255-6900.