Le French Diner

Restaurants

A Favorite Cozy Neighborhood Boîte for Quality Casual French

Le French Diner Exterior Lower East Side

About Le French Diner

 & why it made the Carpe City list

  • Authentic French with a Neighborhood Feel
  • Le French Diner is one of the spots we would prefer to keep all to ourselves. However, since you are here, reading our questionably witty food writing, we are compelled to give up the goods.
  • If you haven’t noticed by some of our other reviews, a few of us are serious Francophiles, and this uber-cozy gem reminds us of our favorite places in the 10th or 11th Arrondissements in Paris.
  • Its casual, cool vibe and limited menu are all very Français.
  • The great thing about the limited menu is that everything is fresh and fantastic.
  • How they pull it off with a kitchen that is smaller than a baguette box is nothing less than amazing.
  • The staff has been great on all of our visits. They don’t take reservations, but they work hard to accommodate everyone they can with only a few tables and 10 bar seats.
  • Obviously, it’s not a place for groups, but if you’re two, three, and one lucky table for four, you are golden.
  • You’ll savor French bistro classics like scallops and hangar steak, duck, escargot, and rabbit, all depending on the day.
  • The wine list leans towards the natural and biodynamic and can be found with the rest of the menu written on a few hanging chalkboards.

Carpe City Trivia

Escargots, Here Are the Facts:

Escargot might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they should be! French land snails are one of the most exquisite dishes on earth. Here's what you should know about them.

1. Archeologists have found land snail shells in caves, proving that we've been eating them for thousands of years.

2. We eat around one billion snails every year. Slow food must really be trending right now.

3. Don't rush; not all land snails are edible! And even the ones that are edible can carry parasites. Be safe and enjoy only farm-raised snails.

4. Although lots of butter, garlic, and parsley make escargots a delicious bite, you can enjoy them without dealing with their mushy consistency. They are deliciously prepared as fried finger food too! (That's how they like their snails in Greece.)

5. Snails don't only move slowly; they cook slowly. It can take several hours to soften their rubbery meat.

6. Snails have to be "purged" before being eaten. Cornmeal is a common fattening last meal, but you can feed them all kinds of colorful vegetables, including carrots. These will ensure the snails are clean of impurities and other off-putting concerns.

Are you ready to try some snails?

By: Christi Scofield

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