I’m not overly familiar with the LES. Up until a few years ago, I had hardly ventured lower than 14th Street and streets with “names” always concerned me. A voyage into the LES, however, so my sister and I could get tattoos as a memorial for my Grandfather left us with a need for dinner.
I asked one of my trusty LES coworkers and he recommended we try Cafe Charbon. He said the brunch was great, but dinner was good too and very casual. We arrived and sat outside. Our waiter was very attentive and we received our food very quickly when we told him we had a bit of a time crunch.
My friend recommended the steak tartare, but I didn’t want to risk my stomach with raw food when I was already filled with butterflies, so I opted for the steak frites. The frites were quite good… crispy yet still tasted like potato. The shallot sauce was great and the steak had great flavor, but was a bit on the tough side.
Mike decided to go with the burger (which was of no surprise… he certainly loves his burgers!) and it was very good. Nice bun with a burger that tasted like burger.
My sister, Stacey, made the winning selection, however. She went with the Poulet Fermier Bio which consisted of roasted organic chicken served with fries and salad. She exchanged the fries for the mashed potatoes (which were delish) but the chicken may have been one of the best roasted chickens I have ever had. Great texture and flavor to the sauce.
While most of the meal was average, this deserved a full extra Nom Point just for the chicken alone.
Total Nom Points: 6.5 out of 10
Tags: cafe charbon, chicken, LES, lower east side, restaurant reviews, restaurants, steak frites
