Did You KNow Le San Souci in Astoria closed down?

[bebe]

I went there for lunch today only to find them closing up and cleaning out. The manager/owner said she lost the cook who opened a restaurant in Port Washington. She said they tried several cooks since this happened in October but they were not any good. They sold the restaurant and are closing. I was not a huge customer, but I did like the place. The atmosphere was good and relaxing and the food was usually tasty. It is sad to see this happen.

bebe

[Tink464]

I,too, was sorry to see San Souci close up. I absolutely loved their french toast. Does anyone know where I can get French toast locally like they made. It has an orange flavor to it.

[Linda]

oh wow - it sounds interesting. thanks for the info, i look forward to checking it out.

[Linda]

around where le sans souci used to be, there's some sort of cafe/restaurant called "time" - can anyone report on this place? what kind of food and do you like it?

[hatless]

Brand new cafe/bar, loungey but well-lit. bookcases with garage-sale books on one wall.. I was told the food is coming soon. The kitchen wasn't ready to go when it opened a week ago.

[jelly]

Took the opportunity to head out east and try the Bistro du Village this past weekend; I am glad that I did and I HIGHLY suggest that you take the trip as well.

At the outset, it's worth mentioning that I was a great fan of Le Sans Souci (for a while) and quite a regular customer. With that said, it was an unfortunate truth that when the restaurant lost their chef the only constant became dissapoint, on many levels.

However, I am happy to report that everything wonderful about Le Sans Souci, (ambiance, the food, authenticity, reasonable price) is realized in Port Washington. Another fun fact is that (if you recall) the "creatively quaffed" waiter has remained with the chef and was a welcome surprise to see him serving customers.

The meal itself was wonderful.......(it is currently BYO but there is a wine store next door) and I was able to sample numerous selections from the menu, everything was great. Go, BUT MAKE A RESERVATION FIRST, they were doing a very brisk business.

[ladymurasaki]

My god. This is horrible. I LOVED the French toast, though you could always tell when the main chef was making it and when not.

Where did the cook go?

I agree. This is tragic.

[bebe]

The woman who apparently owned the place who told me about the closing said the cook opened a restaurant in port washington upstate new york. I really miss this place.

bebe

[Dave_G]

Port Washington is out on Long Island (close to Great Neck and North Hempstead). I really enjoyed the place too, so I did some checking on the net and found him (Eric Le Dily): (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=172+Main+Street,+port+washington,+ny&ie=UTF8&z=15&om=1&iwloc=addr

)

Bistro du Village
172 Main Street
Port Washington, NY
[phone]

There's actually a recent times article:
http://events.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/...

It's a bit far, but I could always stop by on my way back from Long Island strawberry picking.

[aebusam]

To be honest, I think this is just tragic. My boyfriend and I loved this place! In any case, anyone who liked Sans Souci should try Stove on 28th Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets. Half a block from my apartment, neighborhoodly, and a great alternative.

[pimpsama]

It is sad. As far as I know it was the only pure french restaurant in Astoria. The food was very good, the service was alright if it wasn't too busy. Now we'll just to twidle our thumbs until a new french place opens up.

[babar ganesh]

Maybe something avec a little souci?

[mjones222]

I second this recommendation, the food at Stove is absolutely divine, and is a great cozy little place for a romantic dinner

[slynnkiino]

Really? Too bad. They weren't without their problems, notably in the service department, but overall a really charming neighborhood place. Oh well. Maybe an even better place will open in their space . . .

--Sarah
http://www.avenuefood.com

[Linda]

i think brick cafe is a decent alternative also. i liked the food better at le sans souci, but brick is ok, too.

[Astoria Lurker]

They were a nice addition to the neighborhood, I am sad to see it go. I guess this leaves Tournesol as the only reliable French place in Astoria/LIC.

[jeangrand]

There is also Cafe Henri across the street for great French crepes and coffee.

[Linda]

oh, thanks for the heads up. i was planning on stopping by sometime before the end of the year... it wasn't showstopping, but still... a nice addition to the area.

[Helen F]

It's a shame, I'm sad to hear it. We didn't go that often either, but we always enjoyed it, for the same reasons you mentioned. It was good to have a place like that nearby.