The menu is a treasure trove of French classics and New American; hearty comfort food like your mother and grandmother made, giving one a sense of “home sweet home” or a “home away from home.” It’s also one of the few places in New York that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The place is owned by highly acclaimed Chef Claude Godard, a third-generation Michelin-star-rated chef. Born and raised in Burgundy, France, and decorated with honors, Chef Claude Godard prides himself on serving exquisite, yet simple cuisine.
Chef Claude has been passionate about food and the art of cooking his entire life. Godard was born into a family of prominent chefs, which include his grandfather Gaston and his father Jean-Claude. Godard said he received his formal training at the School of Culinary Arts in Paris, worked with mostly renowned chefs such as Alain Dutournier and Jean-Pierre Vigato, and worked at Lasserre, one of Paris’ most renowned restaurants.
In 1989, Chef Claude ventured to Johannesburg, South Africa, to work in Ile de France and La Bastille. A few years later he returned to Burgundy to work alongside his father in their Michelin-star-rated family restaurant, Restaurant Godard. While in Burgundy, he also worked alongside the distinguished Anne Willan at La Varenne Cooking School.
A great starter is the refreshing and zesty Crab and Avocado Napoleon with lemon grass and cilantro, served between thin, crispy layers of “brick” sheets. Another is the very creative Duck Fois Gras and Mango Terrine that is more complicated to prepare than one would guess. The fois gras must be cooked at the right temperature and for the right amount of time to obtain the perfect texture and light pink color. It is delicate and grand.
