Soho just does not have that many great places to eat dinner (I do love Shorty’s 32 but how often can I go there?). Maybe I just cannot find them. Maybe I don’t hang out there that often. Yes, you have Blue Ribbon Brasserie and a couple of joints near the Soho Grand (most of which are loud and cheesy…you know the kinds of places Investment Bankers think are cool), but I don’t have a go-to spot down there. Well, I should say I “didn’t” have a go-to spot until this weekend. Raoul’s is a low key, French joint with solid food, cool decor and a great jazzy vibe. The place is low lit, with a Parisian-antiquey (that is definitely not a word) style. The walls are covered with numerous nude paintings and photos, in all shapes and sizes (the pictures and the nude subjects), with all sorts of mix-matched frames. Me likey.
The food started off well. The Frisee Salad with egg was good, and would have been better if not for a tad too much dressing. I also sampled the asparagus salad, which was light and fresh. Then the main courses came. I ate a little of the Risotto (I think it was Butternut Squash) and it was light and creamy, the kind of Risotto that did not sit like a lead weight in my stomach after two bites. However, everything that I ate paled in comparison to Raoul’s heavyweight champion, the Steak Au Poivre. It was perfectly cooked, perfectly peppery and perfectly delicious. The waiter informed us that it was their signature dish and it did not disappoint. The pommes frites were no slouch either, but the steak stole the show. Whoever Raoul is, he knows how to make a Steak Au Poivre. Oh, yea, they also have a tarot card reader who can read your cards on the way out. Werd.
