Ok, maybe a few hours a day. Some visitors are surprised to learn that in the city that never sleeps, many, if not most places close at 10pm. That’s close to the time when people in some countries like Spain just start their evening activities. In Andalucia, we noticed most places only open at 8:30. In NYC, 8:30 is approaching the end of peak time (6-9). And in rural America, you may not even find a place open after 8pm.
So why is it called, the city that never sleeps? I think its because we simply cant sleep. Noise, rats, weather, tariffs. There’s always something to worry about. When I have those silent moments while driving with Mrs Z, I can just tell that she’s thinking about worrying about something… “I think you need a new suit”, “We probably need a new door”, “How come Costco milk expires so late. Are we being poisoned”. In the city that never sleeps, we call the police when neighbors dont sleep, and we constantly talk about ways to make us sleep. Warm milk and honey is my latest nightly routine.
L’Express used to be open 24 hours, but now they close for a few hours at night to reset. Is there a better way to gauge demand than the amount of hours an establishment is open during the week, along with its lifespan. Not many places outside of Times Square can beat 30 year old L’Express and their hours. On a recent random Tuesday night the place was packed.
Just like L’Express in Montreal, our L’Express on Park Ave in Gramercy is as classic French bistro as it gets. L’Express is owned by Chef Driven Hospitality Group, but more importantly its at the hands of Chef Amitzur Mor who worked at Gramercy Tavern, Bouley, and Payard among other places. The mission is to make forgotten dishes still relevant. The Katz’s Deli of French food if you will.
A good example of a forgotten dish revived at L’Express is the Duck Cassoulet. A few bites of that sent me straight to… Staten Island. Many years ago, when Ziggy was young, sporty, and without sleeping issues, he would frequent a place near the Staten Island ferry that offered a beautiful rich Cassoulet. At that time Cassoulet used to be my favorite French dish. These days, even in Paris its not so easy to find. I did manage to find a good one in the 5th Arr.
The rest of the items didnt disappoint. You need to ask for bread to mop up all the awesomeness from the Escargot leftover. The Steak Frites featured a decent size strip that was cooked to perfection. Add a small charge to make it Au Poivre and you get a much better value than Raoul’s, and most places. I took the shot under much duress. The Short Rib Bourguignon with potato puree is exactly what you expect from a French Bistro. And the Creme Brulee, absolutely on point.
On the flip side, The P.E.I Moules-Frites were average, and the olive puree didn’t quite compliment the crispy goat cheese well. But I’m just nitpicking here. Overall, I was impressed by the quality from a seemingly simple corner bistro that’s as accessible as a diner. L’Express is aging like a fine Bordeaux. Go!
L’Express
249 Park Ave S (20th)
Recommended Dishes: Duck Cassoulet, Escargot, Steak Frites, Short Rib Bourguignon, Creme Brulee
Eating With Ziggy 