Balthazar (restaurant) explained

Balthazar
Current-Owner:Keith McNally
Food-Type:French brasserie
Dress-Code:Chic[1]
Street-Address:80 Spring Street (between Broadway and Crosby Street) in SoHo in Manhattan
City:New York
County:New York
State:New York
Zip:10012
Country:United States
Coordinates:40.7227°N -73.9982°W
Reservations:Recommended[2]
Other-Locations:Balthazar Boulangerie
8 Russell Street (corner of Wellington Street)
Covent Garden
London WC2B 5HZ [3]

Balthazar is a French brasserie restaurant located at 80 Spring Street (between Broadway and Crosby Street) in SoHo in Manhattan, in New York City.[4] It opened on April 21, 1997, and is owned by British-born restaurateur Keith McNally.[4] [5] [6] [7]

McNally also owns Pastis, Cafe Luxembourg, Lucky Strike, the Russian-themed bar and restaurant Pravda, Odeon in Tribeca, and Schiller's Liquor Bar on the Lower East Side.[8] [9] [10] Balthazar Bakery was later opened at 80 Spring Street.[11] McNally opened Balthazar in the theatre district in Covent Garden in London, in February 2013.[12]

Description

Among its dishes are steak au poivre, steak frites, short ribs, beef stroganoff, duck confit, butternut squash, skate, and French onion soup.[13] [14] [15] Balthazar typically serves around 1,500 guests a day, and its most popular dish is steak frites; the restaurant can sell 200 per day. Out of more than 200 employees, two full-time prep cooks are required just to handle potatoes for frying. It is also known for its raw bar.[16] The head chef is Shane McBride, who was preceded by Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr.[17]

The SoHo building that houses Balthazar used to be occupied by a tannery. Balthazar's design was intended to resemble that of a brasserie, with high-backed red leather banquettes, scarred and peeling brass oversize mirrors, high tin ceiling, scuffed tiled floor, faded saffron yellow walls, large windows, and antique lighting.[1] [2] [15] [18] [16] [19] [20] [21] The restaurant seats 180 people. Balthazar is also known for celebrity-watching; in 2012, Fodor's ranked it # 1 in New York City in that category.[22] [23]

In 2013, Zagat's gave Balthazar a food rating of 24 (out of 30), a decor rating of 24, and ranked it the second best French brasserie restaurant in New York City.[4] That year, the New York Daily News rated its French onion soup the second-best in the city.

Balthazar made headlines in 2022 when comedian and actor James Corden was banned from the restaurant by owner Keith McNally, after reportedly being "abusive" and "extremely nasty" to staff. The ban was later rescinded after Corden apologised to McNally in private and in public, admitting that he had been "ungracious."[24] [25]

In popular culture

Balthazar is featured in the 2009 autobiography Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School, by Katherine Darling (Simon & Schuster),[26] in the 2010 novel The Associate, by John Grisham (Random House),[27] in the 2010 novel Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin (Macmillan),[28] in the 2010 novel 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, by Rebecca Goldstein (Random House),[29] in the 2011 juvenile fiction novel Holiday Spirit, by Zoe Evans (Simon & Schuster),[30] in the 2011 autobiography Innocent Spouse: A Memoir, by Carol Ross Joynt (Random House),[31] and in the 2012 novel The Stolen Chalice, by Kitty Pilgrim (Simon & Schuster).[32] In November 1999, comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld proposed to Jessica Sklar at Balthazar.[33] As the ultimate tribute, shortly after opening it was parodied as the blazing hot über-cool “Balzac” in the fifth episode of the first season of Sex and the City, entitled “The Power of Female Sex.”

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Unofficial Guide to New York City . Eve Zibart . John Wiley & Sons . 2010 . February 4, 2013. 9780470637234 .
  2. Book: Vegetarian New York City: The Essential Dining, Shopping, and Lodging Guide . Suzanne . Gerber . Paul . McCartney . Globe Pequot . 2004 . February 4, 2013 . 9780762728527 .
  3. Web site: Kerstin Kühn . Former Marco Pierre White head chef Robert Reid appointed executive chef of Balthazar . Caterer and Hotelkeeper . January 14, 2013 . February 8, 2013.
  4. Book: Balthazar | Manhattan | Restaurant Menus and Reviews . https://web.archive.org/web/20110226092201/http://www.zagat.com/r/balthazar-manhattan . dead . February 26, 2011 . Zagat . February 4, 2013 .
  5. Book: Access New York City 13e . Richard Saul Wurman . HarperCollins . 2008 . February 6, 2013. 9780061350375 .
  6. A Kiss-Kiss Before Dining . Gael Greene. New York Magazine . May 19, 1997 . February 4, 2013.
  7. Book: The 10 Best of Everything, Second Edition: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers . Nathaniel . Lande . Andrew . Lande . National Geographic Books. 2008. February 4, 2013. 9781426202278 .
  8. News: The Observatory: Bistro of Burden . Frank . DiGiacomo . . May 19, 1997. 9780061959660 . February 6, 2013 .
    in Book: The New York Observer . The New York Observer . The kingdom of New York : knights, knaves, billionaires, and beauties in the city of big shots . 2009 . . 9780061959660 . 133 . 525290598 .
  9. Book: Let's Go New York City; 17th Edition . Let's Go Inc. . Macmillan. 2008. February 6, 2013. 9780312385804 .
  10. travel eastern standard. Richard David Story . Los Angeles Magazine . August 2000 . February 6, 2013.
  11. Book: It Must've Been Something I Ate: The Return of the Man Who Ate Everything . Jeffrey Steingarten . Random House . 2008. February 6, 2013. 9780307486448 .
  12. Web site: Why We Can't Wait For Keith McNally's Balthazar To Open In London . Yumi Matsuo . Guestofaguest.com . September 26, 2012 . February 8, 2013.
  13. News: Best of New York: French Onion Soup . Jacob E. . Osterhout . . January 13, 2013 . February 8, 2013.
  14. Book: My City, My New York: Famous New Yorkers Share Their Favorite Places. registration . 61 . spring street balthazar. . Jeryl Brunner. Globe Pequot . 2011. February 4, 2013. 9780762777167.
  15. Book: New York Eats (More): The Food Shopper's Guide To The Freshest Ingredients, The Best Take-Out & Baked Goods, & The Most Unusual Marketplaces In All Of New York . Ed Levine . Macmillan . 1997. February 4, 2013. 9780312156053 .
  16. Book: New York City . Beth . Greenfield . Robert . Reid . Lonely Planet. 2004 . February 6, 2013. 9781741041231 .
  17. News: Restaurant review: Balthazar . Michael Kaminer. NY Daily News . August 29, 2012 . February 4, 2013.
  18. Book: The Complete Idiot's Guide to New York City . Anita Gates . Penguin . 2008 . February 4, 2013. 9781440653322 .
  19. Book: Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess . Gael Greene . Hachette . 2006 . February 4, 2013. 9780759515338 .
  20. Book: Frommer's Memorable Walks in New York . Reid Bramblett . John Wiley & Sons. 2003 . February 4, 2013. 9780764556418 .
  21. News: 'STRETCHING' THE PARKING; RULES IN SOHO . https://archive.today/20130216161609/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/68492911.html?dids=68492911:68492911&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30,+1999&author=JESSE+ANGELO&pub=New+York+Post&desc='STRETCHING'+THE+PARKING+;+RULES+IN+SOHO&pqatl=google . dead . February 16, 2013 . Jesse Angelo . New York Post . May 30, 1999 . February 4, 2013.
  22. Book: Traveling The Tennis Tour: The Men's Professional Tour . Ben Ammar . August 30, 2004 . February 6, 2013. 9781581125313 .
  23. Book: Fodor's New York City 2012 . Fodor's . Random House . 2011 . February 6, 2013. 9780307928641 .
  24. News: Comedian James Corden apologises after Balthazar restaurant ban . BBC News . October 18, 2022 . 3 November 2022.
  25. News: James Corden tells viewers he was 'rude' to restaurant server . BBC News . October 25, 2022 . 3 November 2022.
  26. Book: Katherine Darling . Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School . . 2009 . 9781416565277 . February 6, 2013.
  27. Book: John Grisham . The Associate: A Novel . Random House . 2010 . 9780307576156 . February 6, 2013.
  28. Book: Emily Giffin . Something Borrowed . Macmillan . 2010 . 9781429904605 . February 6, 2013.
  29. Book: Rebecca Goldstein . 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction . Random House . 2010 . 9780307378903 . February 6, 2013.
  30. Book: Zoe Evans . Holiday Spirit . . 2011 . 9781442433632 . February 6, 2013.
  31. Book: Carol Ross Joynt . Innocent Spouse: A Memoir . Random House . 2011 . 9780307592125 . February 6, 2013.
  32. Book: Kitty Pilgrim . The Stolen Chalice: A Novel . . 2012 . 9781439197288 . February 6, 2013.
  33. Book: Seinfeld: The Making of an American Icon . Jerry Oppenheimer . HarperCollins. 2010. February 6, 2013. 9780062030818 .

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