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Dining in the salon at Per Se.

post #1 of 13
5/9/10 at 3:08pm
Thread Starter 
My wife and I are going to be in New York in June for only a couple of nights for a charity event. We've done The French Laundry and two of the Bouchons, but we haven't done Per Se. It's too late to get a reservation for a tasting menu at Per Se (and I don't think we'd necessarily want to drop four hours and a thousand dollars during this trip), but we're considering dining in the salon. Has anybody done this and if so how was the experience? Are reservations required? If not, what time do you need to show up in order to not wait for hours? Anything else I should know?

Thanks, H_S.
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post #2 of 13
5/9/10 at 10:46pm
Only that the tasting menu was worth the 4 hours and 1000 bucks, and you will spend your night peering in the main room wondering what could have been. I thought the salon was too "open".
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post #3 of 13
5/9/10 at 10:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpooPoker View Post
Only that the tasting menu was worth the 4 hours and 1000 bucks, and you will spend your night peering in the main room wondering what could have been. I thought the salon was too "open".
+1. IMO, the tasting menu is worth the cost. I couldn't go there unless it was for the tasting menu; if I couldn't or didn't want to do that, then I'd choose another restaurant.
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post #4 of 13
5/9/10 at 11:16pm
If you are able to get out to Tarrytown, consider Blue Hill at Stone Barns as an alternative. The cuisine is not as fancy and complex as FL but it is the modern American version of the experience. For less than 1/2 price of FL, it is pretty good bang for the buck. You should note that Dan Barber won the 2009 James Beard award for outstanding chef. Don't bother with the Blue Hill in the village.
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post #5 of 13
5/10/10 at 10:56am
Blue Hill at Stone Barns is a great alternative, however, keep in mind that it is a 30-40 min drive out of the city and you may not want to take such a trip if you will only be in NYC for a couple of days. I have dined in both the salon and the main room at Per Se multiple times and I enjoyed both experiences. They are definitely different, as they should be, but enjoyable nonetheless. If you do go to the salon, request the table that looks out onto Central Park. It is an amazing view and a nice way to experience the restaurant without making the full commitment. Also, if dining after memorial day, be sure to have a gin and tonic. Per Se makes their own tonic water and to this day, it is the best gin and tonic I have ever had.
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post #6 of 13
5/10/10 at 1:09pm
just call them a day or two ahead and see if any tables have opened up. It isn't unusual to secure one this way, but you might have to settle with on odd day and an odd time.
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post #7 of 13
5/10/10 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gomestar View Post
just call them a day or two ahead and see if any tables have opened up. It isn't unusual to secure one this way, but you might have to settle with on odd day and an odd time.

+1. Best luck, actually, would be a couple hours before service, asking for that night. But it's kind of unrealistic in that you can't make other plans and then just cancel them.
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post #8 of 13
5/10/10 at 2:40pm
Arguably too similar to FL food except slightly weaker produce (local produce in NYC is weaker than what's avail in SF)

Would consider LeBernardin, often more interesting cuisine than stuff at FL/PS (which hasn't been innovative in recent yrs)

Also consider Daniel's lounge for a more organized setting than PS' salon and prob a more interesting crowd of regulars (esp in lounge itself) esp on wkdays...prob less interesting, though excellent, food vs Bernies...but far more interesting cocktail list and often deeper wine list
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post #9 of 13
5/10/10 at 6:12pm
i love the french laundry ... probably my favorite restaurant in the us. ate at per se for my 50th ... great meal, but i just didn't have the same reaction. it's much more manhattan, very stylish and a little chilly. great people watching (we had robert deniro and bono (???!) at the next table). the food is very similar to the french laundry and the level of service is as well ... it's just a touch more urbane. which isn't to say that i wouldn't jump at the chance to eat there again.
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post #10 of 13
5/11/10 at 12:47pm
or the blue hill in nyc

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lizard23 View Post
Blue Hill at Stone Barns is a great alternative, however, keep in mind that it is a 30-40 min drive out of the city and you may not want to take such a trip if you will only be in NYC for a couple of days.

I have dined in both the salon and the main room at Per Se multiple times and I enjoyed both experiences. They are definitely different, as they should be, but enjoyable nonetheless. If you do go to the salon, request the table that looks out onto Central Park. It is an amazing view and a nice way to experience the restaurant without making the full commitment.

Also, if dining after memorial day, be sure to have a gin and tonic. Per Se makes their own tonic water and to this day, it is the best gin and tonic I have ever had.
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post #11 of 13
5/11/10 at 10:18pm
Perhaps if you're lucky, there will be foie gras protesters, like at Bouchon and The French Laundry this past weekend.
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post #12 of 13
5/11/10 at 10:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roikins View Post
Perhaps if you're lucky, there will be foie gras protesters, like at Bouchon and The French Laundry this past weekend.
Jesus Christ, what a bunch of twats.
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post #13 of 13
5/12/10 at 12:06am
I protest the lack of foie gras in my daily selection. Need to have more.
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