170 Waverly Place (at Grove)
(646) 429-8383
Rating: Addictive
Cuisine: French
Entree Price: $20-$30
Meals: Now open for lunch and dinner every day.
Most addictive dish: Steak au poivre
Review
Experienced marketers know that great products almost always begin with great consumer insights. Gabe Stulman may not be a professional marketer, but he gets this idea instinctually. He understands what New Yorkers (especially West Village foodies) want in a restaurant, and that’s why Joseph Leonard works so well.
There are no reservations here, which means that tourists from Ohio planning their trip to NY can’t book a month in advance. It also means that, for the most part, you’re going to see locals and restaurant addicts frequenting here. The space has a casual feel and focuses a lot on the large, curved bar that seats almost half of the restaurant’s guests. The two-tiered interior, tin ceiling and wooden bookcase round out the comfortable feel.
With the relaxed atmosphere, the fully stocked bar, and the unpretentious staff, you might expect Joseph Leonard to be a local haunt for great bar food. Luckily, it is so much more. The sumptuous, composed French fare put out by Jim McDuffee completes the equation for an addictive restaurant. The steak au poivre has flavors that just continue to hit you with gentle waves of pleasure. It’s sensational. The frisee with lardons is an exercise in pairing flavors perfectly – the yolk, lardons, frisee and that lightly fruity dressing all combine to create a simple, yet perfect combination of flavors that are greater than the sum of their parts, and the skate is one of the best in the city. A friend urged me to try the duck rillette, and I must warn you about this one. The first bite is good. Then you take another bite, and it somehow tastes better. Then another bite. Even better. And another. And another. Suddenly, it’s gone, 2 minutes have passed, and you’re wondering how long it will take for another order to be brought out.
For those who aren’t aware, Gabe was an owner of The Little Owl, and he knows how to attract the real foodies; so move quickly and stake your claim to a regular bar stool at this truly authentic New York restaurant.