231840 Thu Mar 09 09:56:50 -0800 2006 5 18 Manhattan 0 1230675 Hello, has anyone been to Cafe D'Alsace (2nd ave./88th)yet? If so any recs? Thanks, Kimberly Thu Mar 09 09:56:50 -0800 2006 0 Kimberly 1 1230679 They opened last night - walked by the night before and want to try it. I read somewhere that they have a selection of 150 beers. Menu looked appealing. Thu Mar 09 10:02:35 -0800 2006 1230675 0 MMRuth 2 1230683 I live on 89th/3rd, so I have been eagerly anticipating the opening!I am going to try to go tonight... Thu Mar 09 10:07:49 -0800 2006 1230679 0 Kimberly 1 1231213 My husband and I wandered in on Friday evening, around 6:30. We were seated right away, without reservations. Seemed like a good start. Then we were ignored for about 5 minutes - no water, no menus, no "I'll be right with you." While we were waiting, we realized what a postage stamp the table was, and how uncomfortable - the base was a heavy, wide "H" and there was no room to put my feet directly in front of me without having them actually up on the base. Our waiter, a young woman, finally stopped by and apologized. There were no menus available and she'd be right back as soon as she could find one or two. We asked for water while we were waiting and got that right away. The place wasn't even half-full when we got there. I know that not everyone would need a menu at the same time, but wouldn't you think they'd have at least enough menus for half or 3/4 occupancy? We eventually got a menu to share between us and were quite pleased at the offerings. For starters, I ordered a tarte flambee - an Alsatian onion tart, nicely flavored with thyme and bits of bacon. My husband had a mixed green salad, lightly dressed in vinaigrette. Both were well prepared. Bread was quite good, as well. We each got a glass of pinot noir - nice, full-bodied, couldn't tell you more than that. We had to have our butter dishes and the bread basket removed from the table when our appetizers came to the table because there wasn't room enough. His salad came on a full-size dinner plate and my tarte arrived on a small cutting board, with a smaller plate on which to serve myself. The restaurant filled up rapidly as we occupied ourselves with our first course and they were hard-pressed to handle the crowd. Lots of standing at the bar, which made it a little difficult for the servers to maneuver. Our main courses were both excellent: generous portions of choucroute garnie for my husband and lamb baeckoff (sp?) for me. Both were served in cast iron pots that kept the food good and hot through the entire meal. We shared a chocolate tart for dessert which was just a bit rich for my taste. But there were several other quite appealing offerings. Our waiter kept track of us all through the meal, making sure our water glasses were kept full. The noise level was acceptable - music was present, but subdued, and conversation was possible with our neighbors on both sides and inevitable, considering how closely together we were seated. When our waiter brought our check, she told us were getting 15% off, since they'd just opened on Wednesday. Considering that we had 3 glasses of wine - $30 - the total price was reasonable - $95 before tip. If they can get their act together with the number of menus and possibly replace those darned tiny tables, this will be a go-to spot for the neighborhood. The food was quite good, the service was efficient, the price was right, and it fills a niche. Sun Mar 12 15:48:19 -0800 2006 1230675 0 Deenso 2 1231553 Thanks for posting - we're looking forward to trying the place. Tue Mar 14 11:41:48 -0800 2006 1231213 0 MMRuth 3 1231606 Deenso: I completely agree with your posting! My husband were there on Thursday for an 8:00pm reservation. We only had to wait about 5 minutes at the bar, though the place was bursting! I had a fantastic and perfectly prepared martini, and my husband wanted a glass of Sancerre, they didn't have it, but the bartender recommended another varietal that was yummy, (sorry, the name escapes me). I loved the cooked eggs with salt shaker at the bar! We had the same postage stamp of a table, but we didn't have any issues withthe menus. They were a little busy, and we didn't get any bread (fine with me though). I had the salad and the duck, both were superb! My husband had the tart as well, and his entree was a veal dish that was amazing. We were offered 15% off as well, which I thought was a classy touch. Our neighbors had driven in from Scarsdale to try the place, and they were very impressed. Hope it stays a winner! Tue Mar 14 14:35:18 -0800 2006 1231553 0 Kimberly