Bar Boulud redux

We went back to Bar Boulud the other night after giving the restaurant a few weeks to settle. Since we had mostly charcuterie items for our last meal, we were excited to hit some of the main course items. I was pleasantly surprised to obtain an 8pm reservation for four on Thursday night through opentable.com. Little did I know how different a reservation and a walk-in would seem to be.

We arrived just before 8pm and one of our party was slightly later. We were told our table was being prepared. After ordering a glass of wine, we checked in at 8:15 and again, our table was being prepared. We were finally seated at around 8:40 after I hovered around the hostess for 10 minutes. I understand that the restaurant is busy and they do get a lot of walk-in's. However, I was getting a vibe that the head hostess (there were 3 hostesses) was very much a "shmoozer". People who knew her seemed to be seated quickly. I guess it's that way everywhere but a 40 minute wait for a reserved table? That's seemed insane. And it did put a damper to the start of our meal.

We shared 2 starters: the Lyon specialty sausage with pistachio and black truffle in brioche and the escargots with garlic and parsley croquettes. Both were hits although I would have liked to have tasted a little more truffle in the sausage. The portions were generous and allowed us to share without feeling like we'd only had a bite.

For our entrees, we had the steak frites, the lamb stew, the roast chicken, and the linguine with cuttlefish and lobster in tomato sauce. I'll say that none of these were particularly good but not particularly bad either. All solid choices with nothing to make them stand out.

Bar Boulud is a great addition to our neighborhood. Just the charcuterie and wines would make us regulars. The prices, while not cheap, are also not out of bounds for the area. However, I don't think I'd want to frequent the place if I have to wait 40 minutes even with a reservation. It's too bad because I'd love to be able to just stop over regularly for some small plates and a glass of wine. Unfortunately, it's become a destination place but I suppose they don't need my business.