The restaurant takes its name and ambiance from France’s beautiful and picturesque Dordogne region. Périguex is its capital. The French refer to the area as “le Périgord,” known for its truffles, pâté de foie gras, and walnuts. My recent visit to this fabulous restaurant is an occasion to remember.
Le Perigord is one of the finest formal French restaurants in New York City. It is located at Sutton Place and fits in perfectly with the neighborhood. The eatery is celebrating its 46th birthday this year under the same ownership.
Proprietor and wine aficionado Georges Briguet and his son Christopher manage the restaurant. Another son, the prominent architect Jean Luc, designed the restaurant and produced a blend of classical and contemporary themes.
The dining room entices with intimate lighting, antique wooden bars on the metal ceiling, and yellow walls showcasing delightful paintings. Many flower arrangements surround the dining area and give a sense of welcome, intimacy, and warmth.
The well-trained, friendly, and efficient staff are ready to pamper guests. Gentlemen: Remember to wear a jacket and tie. Just like in the old days, when elegance and good manners were an integral part of society.
The menu offers a selection of timeless, classic French dishes: treasures such as La bisque de homard (lobster), traditional beef “Bourguignon,” a variety of foie gras, such as Foie gras chaud aux fruits de Saison, warm foie gras with seasonal fruits, or the Salade de ris de veau panés à l’harissa (sweetbreads dusted with harissa), and émulsion aux poivrons doux (sweet red bell pepper emulsion).
These classic preparations should not come as a surprise since the kitchen is run and managed by renowned executive chef Joel Benjamin of Breton, France, an area known for its exceptionally fine cuisine.
Benjamin graduated from the Culinary Institute in France and worked in the best restaurants around the world. Their owners were his mentors. While in France, he demonstrated his skills as sous chef at La Cote Basque. In New York he worked in Tavern on the Green, in Mortimers, in the Ritz Carlton, and at Lutece. While at Lutece, he worked under immensely talented and well-respected owner and chef Andre Soltner from Alsace. Energetic chef Benjamin said he loved to work there. “Soltner is a great mentor who takes care of his staff and his diners. To be successful in this business is to be honest,” said Benjamin.
Benjamin’s delicately crafted menu maintains the integrity of traditional French food. Every dish that came to the table was one pleasant surprise after another. The food is a reflection of the chef’s philosophy and belief in the “cuisine de terroire” and in matching wines.
He is an avid user of natural, local ingredients and feels “we are getting closer to home,” since the trend is to serve locally grown food. His attitude toward food is similar to that in Brittany, where he grew up and where food is cooked as simply and naturally as possible.
He is very interested in fish dishes and takes it as a challenge to make fish preparations as tasty as possible.
We were served a tasting menu of offerings packed with wonderful flavors.
