I seem to generally stick to my three favorite cuisines – Thai, Mexican and Italian – so I thought it’d be best for me to branch out a little and try a French restaurant. Luckily I had a City Shuffle Diner’s Deck to the small French bistro Mon Petit Cafe on the Upper East Side, so I decided to meet a friend for lunch there a few weeks ago to check it out.
I remembered this spot from my days living at 61st and 2nd, and it was nice to revisit my old neighborhood. The place is adorable from the outside and just as cute inside (and on days with nice weather, it opens up to sidewalk seating). It’s been a few years since I was in Paris, so I can’t quite remember if it accurately portrayed a French café, but I’ll just go with it and say it does.
We ordered from the Brunch menu, and I went with La Crêpe au Suprème de Volaille et Portabello – crepes with chicken and portabello mushrooms in a mornay sauce with a side salad. My friend had the Omelette Espagnole – an omelet with chorizo sausage, peppers, onions and tomatoes.
My crepes were outstanding. The sauce was a nice balance between being rich, but not too rich, the texture was soft and the flavors blended together perfectly. I was very happy with my brunch selection and would definitely try a different variety next time I go. My friend, on the other hand, did enjoy her omelette, but after seeing and trying my meal, she regretted going with the conservative dish. You can get omelettes anywhere, but good, savory crepes are harder to come by.
Each item on the brunch menu was $14 a la carte, but we needed a $30 food minimum to use the card. Our hands were tied, we had to order dessert. However, we couldn’t eat it right then and there, so we took our chocolate cake slice to go (it was delicious!). The $10 certificate cancelled out our dessert and knocked just a few dollars off of our meal, so our total came to about $26, plus tax and tip. Well worth it in my opinion.
The Basics
Name: Mon Petit Cafe
Location: 801 Lexington Avenue
Who to take: Friends, a Date, Self for a cup of coffee
Price: Cheaper than a trip to Paris. $$-$$$
Overall: Put it into the rotation. 4 Stars
