Fleur de Sel or Annisa

[JoLi]

Been to Fleur a couple of times, and love it.

If it was your choice, which would you pick?

[dkstar1]

This is actually kind of funny for me. I didn't like either experience I had at these restaurants. That being said, I'd go back to Annisa before I ever go back to Fleur de Sel simply for the fact that the management is whacked at FdS (see history of their hiring/firing of certain staff, for example). It's also slighlty more interesting food.

[rifbat]

Fleur de Sel has amazing food and the appearance of the restaurant has improved over the years. We've always found the service to be exceptionally gracious. Our only criticism is the wine list, which, while outstanding, has a very high mark-up and is weighted toward the high end.
The parsnip bisque with chestnut ravioli, the poussin with foie gras and the apple crepe are worthy of a last meal!

[RGR]

I, too, adore Fleur de Sel. We have been there many times, both for lunch and dinner. The food is never less than superb and, while desserts have always been quite fine, the new pastry chef has been turning out some of the most sublime, to-die-for creations!

In response to dkstar1's comment regarding the management, in my view, nobody but those directly involved, i.e., the owner and the employees, can know the true reasons for firing f.o.h. staff. Thus, I feel this should have no bearing on whether one patronizes a restaurant unless one finds it having an adverse effect on the quality of the service. In our case, service has always been very cordial and professional.

We've not yet been to Annisa, but it's on my "go to" list. My daughter and her fiance have had dinner there and had very positive things to say about the experience.

[MMRuth]

And I've *still* not made it to Fleur de Sel, but very much like Annisa, though there are others on this board who've had negative experiences there.

[crinkle11]

Also haven't been to Fleur de Sel, but had very good and memorable dinner at Annisa. Since you haven't been yet, I'd say try that!

[JoLi]

Thanks for all your inputs!

Even though I've been to Fleur quite a few times, it still remains one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Annisa has been on my "to-try" list for a while, but their menu online looks so uninteresting!

[MMRuth]

Others have commented that Annisa's food is no longer innovative in the sense that it once was, at that the menu isn't seasonal. That said, I've always enjoyed the foie gras soup dumpling, the sable dish (both her "signature" dishes), as well as the brook trout. My husband loves the chicken with truffles and pigs' feet.

[RGR]

Seems to me that for a first-timer (as JoLi and I would be), it doesn't much matter whether the menu changes regularly since everything on the menu will be new. I think ordering any signature dishes is a good way to go. We did just that when we had dinner for the first time in October at Jean Georges. The tasting menu of Jean-George's signature dishes gave us an excellent introduction to his style of cuisine (and left us eager to go back and try dishes from the regular menu). If Anita Lo does not vary the menu much, one could probably still dine there a few times before running out of things to order. But then, it could get boring.

[a_and_w]

I like both places. If you haven't been to Annisa, give it a try. As others have noted, the food at Annisa tends to be more creative than Fleur de Sel, but neither is what I'd call cutting edge. Both restaurants, moreover, seem to have their fans and detractors on chowhound.