Last week, we were looking for a French restaurant and ended up at Gentleman Farmer on the Lower East Side. This small 20 seat place is unnoticeable, but, to my surprise, served some delicious food crafted by Chef Karim Nounouh. There, the Chef serves seasonal dishes inspired by French cuisine.
Tiny place even for NYC standards. It felt like a hallway that can about 20 people snuggly. There's a long banquette with chairs on the opposing side then one table for two that's sort of in the aisle. A larger person would likely feel claustrophobic or would have a tough time getting around.
It is an intimate, darkly lit with candle lights though depending on the crowd can be noisy too.
This place excels in the appetizers. Pheasant Pâté toasted brie, truffle oil served when toast ($12). Excellent dish that's flavour in the pate and has the decadent goey Brie on it.
Another hit is the Bison Tartar ($17) béarnaise mousse, capers, quail egg. Fantastic tartar that's tangy and savoury.
The entrees are very reasonably priced relative to those portion size. Though ours were a bit heavy on the salt for both dishes.
Rack of Lamb ($30) chanterelle mushrooms, broccoli tips and mashed potatoes. Four genome sized lamb pieces though a tad tough as it was likely an older lamb.
Smoked Duck Breast ($30) kale, cauliflower, asparagus, gastrique raspberry. Duck was cooked perfectly and paired well with the gastrique.
Our server was an absolute gem. She was great at pairing my meal with a glass of wine and just overall great to chat with.
This LES place is kind of hidden as the signage is not obvious.
A true "find" in the city . A well rounded menu with wonderful flavors . I would definitely Return
40 Rivington St - New York City
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