Photos: Cititour.com
On a Friday evening when the crowds were thinning at Rockefeller Center, the party was just beginning at Le Rock, the restaurant from the team behind Frenchette. As we entered the room was buzzing with the boisterous crowd almost overpowering the music. The A-class crowd ranging from hipsters to date nights and high-end tourists filling up the space.
While reservations are a must if you wish to secure a table at this buzzy French spot, we did manage to score a couple of seats at the bar unannounced for some flavorful bites and cocktails. The bar is quite spectacular with wine and liquor bottles set against floor-to-ceiling frosted glass panels. In fact, it might just be the best seat in the house.
From the bar comes cocktails like the Bouquet Garni with rhum, genepy, lime, and fresh herbs; Sirocco with tequila, lime, and harissa salt; and the Bijou Blanc with navy strength gin, gentian, green chartreuse, and white vermouth. There are also martinis served three ways: Super Sec, Au Poivre and L’Alaska. There is also a lengthy wine list.
With cocktails in hand, guests can expect dishes like Boudin Noir Frisée Aux Lardons, a salad of frisée with crunchy pieces of pork belly over a layer of blood sausage perfect for smearing on a chunk of crispy French baguette. Dive into some agnolotti, buttery pockets of goodness served with spring ramps, and Crépinette, a French sausage wrapped in caul fat surrounded by chunks of lobster, morels and greens. You could just as easily make a meal from creatures of the sea including oyster, peekytoe crab, razors clams, scallops and grilled shrimp.
And what better way to finish a fine French meal than with profiterole served tableside will scoops of caramel ice cream with chocolate syrup poured from above. Add in first-class service and friendly workers, you really can't go wrong for a special night on the town. Bien joué!
