Brasserie Ruhlman

Just back from lunch at Brasserie Ruhlmann, part of the Laurent Tourondel empire located on Rockefeller Plaza. Sadly, my whole party was very overwhelmed. First off - our server was absolutely HORRIBLE. When we asked her why the herbed chicken dish was one of the signature dishes, she didn't know. She also described the artichoke vinagrette salad as similar in appearance to bloomin onion. Um, I'm sure Laurent would love to hear that one!

For a starter I shared the tuna tartare which had WAY too much vinegar in the guacamole bed -so much so that you couldn't even taste the tuna. For a main course I had one of the specials, a lobster Cobb salad. I did really like this dish, however they used Caesar dressing on it which to me is a major faux pas for a Cobb and I'm still tasting the overpowering garlic. My fellow diners both had the chicken (despite the conversation with the waitress) which was served with shoestring fries and a roasted tomato stuffed with couscous and pesto. One person liked it, the other didn't. I think this was partially do to the extreme rosemary & thyme aus jus served with it. The herbs in this dish were, as Victoria Beckham would say, "major". In the end I'd have to say I'd pass this one by, unless of course it's a gorgeous Fall day and you'd like to sit outside and watch them get the ice skating rink ready and watch the world go by.