Le Cirque

[jschm27]

We are new to HAL --- what is "Le Cirque" ???? I think it is a special

menu and/or formal night ??

 

HamburgAvonLady

 

Thank you for asing the question! I was wondering the same thing. You know what they say, there is no dumb question.

 

John

[Krazy Kruizers]

This was our experience when Le Cirque first started:

The first Le Cirque on the Nieuw Amsterdam was on Dec 2, 2010.

 

And it was excellent!!

 

The special place settings and decorations had not arrived but the food and service by the Pinnacle staff was great.

 

The meal was $39 per person and you could buy for $20 per person a special wine offering which was 3 glasses selected for the special dinner.

 

Each person was first served an Amuse (just like the regular Pinnacle offers). It was Pate Foi Gras -- goose liver mousse with rhubarb chutney -- very good.

 

The appetizer was Lobster Salad "Le Cirque" -- poached lobster with haricot and citrus (I will post at a later time the recipe foe this)

 

Soup - Sweet Corn Soup -- prepared table side. On the bottom of the soup bowl were ground corn fritters, wood ear mushrooms and some whole kernals of corn. The corn soup -- nice and thick and very tasty with a hint of basil -- was served from a tureen.

 

There were 3 choices for the main menu:

Wild Halibut with leek fondue, Rocca Di Fransinello sauce -- DH had this - very flaky and tasty.

Rack of Lamb - goat cheese panisse, artichokes and arugula -- I had this -- excellent -- very tasty and meaty lamb chops -- got 2 big double ones.

Cote de Boeuf - (aged prime rib steak) - horseradish flan, sweet and sour baby beets for two. Can't comment on this.

 

Side Dishes:

Seasonal vegetables -- DH had them -- a mixture broccoli, summer squash, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, zuccini in a truffle oil -- excellent.

Pommes Dauphine -- I had them -- mashed potatoes made into tiny puffs and quickly fried -- good -- hot and crunchy.

 

Desserts:

Chocolate Souffle -- we passed on this as we had already had a couple of chocolate souffles in the Pinnacle.

Creme Brulee Le Cirque -- we both had it and loved it -- recipe will be posted at a later time.

Assortment of Sorbets - again we did not try them - so - no comment.

 

 

As I mentioned we chose to try the $20 per person selected wine paring.

 

When we sat down we were each served a glass of sparkling wine.

 

For the appetizer and soup we were each served a glass of Ruffino Pinot Grigio, Italy - juicy white peaches and citrus with a flinty-minerality (glass $8; bottle $39)

 

For the entree we were served Villa Florita Barbera D'Asti Superiore, Italy - persistent and intense, yet warm and harmonic (glass $10; bottle $54)

 

If you didn't want to go with that offering you could order anything from the list below -- all prices are for the bottle.

 

White Wine

 

Michel Redde Pouilly Fime, France - highly expressive nose and a mouth-smaking finish - $59

 

Cloudy Bat Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand - herbaceous flavors with hints of citrus fruits - $78

 

Marques de Caceres, Spain - delicious flavors of pears and apples - $29

 

Laboure-Roi Pouilly Fuisse, France - collage of white fruits flavors, lively floral undertones - $54

 

Franciscan Chardonnay, California - lively and lengthy on the palate with a great body - $47

 

Conundrum, California - peach, apricot, green melon and pear - $39

 

Red Wine

 

Meridian Pinot Noir, Italy - bing cherry with hints of strawberry, roses and violets - $37

 

Chateau Ste Michelle, Canon Ridge Merlot, Washington - a medium to full bodied rich, berry flavored long finish wine - $69

 

Perrin Reserve Cotes Du Rhone, France - full bodied, rich fruit with peppery finish - $39

 

Beringer Founders Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, California - bursts with cassis, black fruit and sweet brown spice - $39

 

Arboleda Carmenerem Chile - dark berries with plum, dark cherries and violets - $49

 

Castello Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino, Italy - soft and velvety with licorice, spices and cherry notes - $108

The main Pinnacle is not available on that evening.

[HamburgAvonLady]

Is this the original menu ??? I understand the menu has changed --- opinions, please.

[taxmantoo]

Is this the original menu ??? I understand the menu has changed --- opinions, please.

 

Check out Post Number 5 !!! You are right, the menu has changed and the new one has been posted

[RHefley228]

If you are going to be sailing from New York, Restaurant Week here has been extended through September 5, and you can dine in the real Le Cirque for either $24.07 (lunch) or $35.00 (dinner). Plus wine, of course, which is not included. Now, that's not the whole menu, it's a special one they do for Restaurant Week, but the food is usually incredibly good nevertheless. There are other restaurants offering the same deal, the website is http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek