DEPARTURES MAGAZINE OCT. 2001
jarnac
Once in a great
while I find a restaurant I consider not writing about, anxious to keep it for
myself. Jarnac, in Greenwich Village,
is a perfect case in point. Named for a
town in the French Cognac region, this tiny corner bistro exudes the snug
intimacy one hopes for in the Village. Maryann Terillo, the chef, has been
missed since she closed her popular Café de la Gare. Now her richly flavored cookery is back, with partner Tony Powe
hospitably running the glowing dining room.
From satiny duck Rillettes to grilled sardines astringent
with preserved lemon, from house-cured Gravlax with red beet and onion salad to
gently garlicked frogs’ legs, I have never had an appetizer here I did not
love. The same goes for walnut-buttered roasted baby chicken, braised lamb
shank, various stews with richly flavored grains, Moroccan specials, and with
luck, a sumptuous sirloin steak spiced with the exotic mix, zatar,
nestled beside golden, turmeric-mellowed potatoes. I also like the famed house
Cassoulet, with its pork and duck Confit, although I am probably alone in
wishing that the sausage were coarser and fatter. I find no fault with the fruit tarts, the German chocolate cake,
or the careful cheese assortment. $80. 328 West 12th St., New York,
NY 10014; 212.924-3413.