Dominique Ansel is well known for creating the Cronut, which went viral. I heard him speak at the Fancy Food Show last year and he impressed me with his modest nature, his simpler words and his belief that even he cannot rest on his laurels—instead always needing to create and innovate. Based on this, I was very keen to try his new bakery-restaurant, taking the place of the Landbrot bread bakery on Seventh Avenue South, just below Charles and called Dominique Ansel Kitchen. His bakery on Spring Street in Soho is named Dominique Ansel Bakery.
On my first visit, my impression was that food tasted quite good and sitting outside looked pleasant, but no seats were available. Sitting indoors on a stepped platform was awkward and, in addition, there is very little in the way of a display case because many of the products are finished to order, a technique called à la minute. Instead, a range of baked goods and savory lighter meals are pictured on signs hanging near the register. This innovation is the point and makes what he is doing in the “kitchen” different.
Speaking with my neighbor at Chelsea Market, Sarabeth Levine, the subject of Dominique Ansel came up. She too was very curious about the place and excited that Dominique, who she holds in very high regard, is keeping everybody on their toes and doing something new. She had a similar impression upon visiting, and I proposed that we get a bunch of items and taste them together. Her lead baker Marcello Gonazalez, George Capsis, and a few comrades from Chelsea Market Baskets joined us. The following is our impressions tasting the products, some made to order, about thirty minutes after they were made and picked up to go.
The pickup by one of my associates was efficient at about 11 AM. We divided the tasting into savory and sweet. Top scoring was Chorizo Corn Succotash Toast ($10.75) on toasted brioche. The vegetables had a vibrancy, the chorizo tasted right and the fact that it sat for a bit before being eaten—soaking the toast with the vegetable and sausage juices—added to the overall flavor. The Spring Vegetable en Papillote with Farro ($10.50) which is served warm with a soft egg, worked well as a healthier savory meal option. Also the Prosciutto & Boursin Croissant ($7.00) satisfied everybody.
People were less excited about the The Egg-clipse ($7.50), two confit (runny) egg yolks on mashed potatoes on top of squid ink brioche that included a mushroom béchamel. I found this had a pleasant taste with the squid ink flavor coming out a bit from the brioche, but—for as wild as it sounded—there was not too much combustion, and it may have suffered a bit from the transit time. The Sumac Chicken Salad Toast ($10.75) disappointed people in that it was dark meat, which I like better, but others were less taken with. The tabbouleh top and sumac did not transport it to something more than chicken salad on toast.
Dominique’s sweets stole the show. His classic Cannele de Bordeaux ($3.00), and his Extra Fluff Mille Feuille ($7.75) both elicited an “Oh Yes” excitement from Sarabeth, who pronounced both—as well as his Dark Chocolate Flourless Cookie—as very near perfection. She initially was not as excited by the look for the Mille Feuille or Napoleon without the traditional icing as it was a bit lopsided. The pastry cream and puff pastry is “constructed to order” and has a “rustic” look, yet it gives you that important textural experience that could be lost if it were made several hours before or on a previous day. Pain au Chocolate 2.0 looked impressive with chads of standing well-tempered Valrhona chocolate, but did not meddle together properly, so did not improve on the original.
In the upcoming summer months, the outside seating at the Kitchen works for a casual daytime meal. Beyond that, as a year-round destination to enjoy the craft of this celebrated baker, it appears challenged. The concept of “not seeing it in the window,” and the à la minute preparation, along with not having an easy place to enjoy it if outside seating is not available is what makes this place different—but will also make it more difficult to manage and grow. The Kitchen is just about a month old and needs time to establish a rhythm. It will be interesting to see how this not overly practical innovation matures.
Dominique Ansel Kitchen 137 Seventh Ave. South, between Charles and West 10th 212-242-5111
DominiqueAnselKitchen.com
