First look at rebrand of iconic Westchester restaurant
There's a lot that's the same, and a lot that's different, at Le Poisson, the new seafood-focused restaurant that had formerly been La Crémaillère in Bedford. The restaurant, long a Grande Dame of French cuisine, has been completely rebranded with a new bar/lounge, a refreshed dining room and a new menu that for the first time is a la carte as opposed to prix fixe.
It opens at 5 p.m., March 15, and is already taking reservations.
What's different?
The biggest wow factor is the bar, which previously had only two stools in the corner (that no one really used) and now has seven seats. The other wow is the lounge area, with blue sofas, chairs and a handful of high top tables. Petite Salon at Le Poisson, as its formally known, has its own branding, its own Instagram (separate from the restaurant) and its own menu. Food is also now allowed — and encouraged — at the bar (it was never offered before).
The whole space, which can accommodate up to 20, is much more open thanks to a wall that was taken down immediately to the right when you walk in. The place also feels brighter and cozier thanks to a blue color scheme, meant to evoke the ocean.
Adding to the lighter ambiance: a mirrored wall which, according to executive chef/managing partner Thomas Burke, was the original glass backdrop to the bar in the '70s (the bar at one point was moved). Burke, in fact, was the force behind the design, selecting everything from the silverware (there are special fish forks) to the plates, pillows (imprinted with a "PS"), artwork, carpeting, light fixtures and porcelain candle holders which, when lit, showcase either cherry blossoms or Paris.
He has meticulously thought of every detail in an effort to both preserve the past but also bring a new energy to the iconic space.
"Working with Charlie Palmer [a chef known for his his signature “Progressive American” cuisine and string of restaurants] really instilled in me to be more than a chef and be more of a restaurateur," said Burke of the decorating process. "That experience really geared me up for this."
Burke, it should be noted, worked in the kitchens of several Michelin-starred restaurants including Le Bernardin and Aureole in New York City. He also worked as an Executive Chef for the Charlie Palmer Collective.
Still, opening with a new menu, new decor and a new name in an almost 100-year-old restaurant that was once regarded by many in the industry to be the crème de la crème of the fine dining scene— is definitely a little nerve wracking. Especially when it's your first venture as a Managing Partner.
That said, the Hastings native, whose cooking attracted a Michelin nod the past two years as a "recommended restaurant" for its "clear reverence for ingredients" and "delicious balance," said he's up for the challenge.
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What can we expect at the bar?
Expect a raw bar menu featuring items like oysters, shrimp cocktail, seafood tower, fish crudo, chilled Maine lobster, Jonah crab claws, Pommes frites and a beet and endive salad. There's also an array of new cocktails such as a lavender gin martini (the signature Petite Salon cocktail), the French 75 (champagne, gin, lemon and sugar) and the Boulevardier (bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth).
La Crem never had a bar business, so the Petite Salon concept is meant to remedy that: "It makes the restaurant more approachable," said Burke. No reservations are needed to dine here and the loungey vibe makes for a place you want to come midweek and not just save for weekends.
"We want people to be comfortable and hang out," he said.
Story continues after gallery.
What about the dining room?
For those who've been longtime fans — La Crem opened in 1947 after all — the iconic murals, which were painted in 1962 and represent different regions of France, are still here. So there's that. But the room, like the bar, is now much lighter and brighter with new paint (sky blue), new carpeting (navy), blue upholstered chairs and banquettes and Bernardaud Limoges porcelain plates.
The blue from the murals were a big driver in the restaurant's rebranded decor. Blue also happens to be Burke's favorite color.
More inspiration came from the Brittany and Normandy murals as they represent the two coastal regions of France (and hence, where fish come from).
The space also feels larger thanks to the reorganization of the room. What used to accommodate 90 now has room for 77.
The biggest difference, however, are the menu choices. What used to be a prix fixe menu is now a la carte. A chef's tasting menu will also be available.
What's the same?
The emphasis is still on fine dining with a hospitality forward mentality. And while there are certainly a hefty portion of new menu items, a few old time favorites remain like the Duck a l'Orange, escargot, Dover sole and hamachi tartare.
Why fish? What's unique to the Le Poisson menu
"Fish is a little lighter, a little healthier and I have a passion for cooking seafood," said Burke. "I also think it gives us more of an identity. Rather than being a classic French restaurant, now we're a French seafood restaurant."
Burke is also excited about bringing items that are not normally on a lot of Westchester menus to the area. That means, for example, turbot, John Dory, langoustines and Arctic Char. He's also proud to source his fish from Browne Trading Market in Maine who also supply Manhattan restaurants Daniel and Le Bernardin.
Other menu items include tuna carpaccio, Hudson Valley foie gras, red snapper crudo, Colorado lamb chops, Miyazaki Japanese Wagyu beef, North Atlantic halibut and local black bass.
Plus Sunday brunch is coming!
Starting March 24, the restaurant will serve a three course $85 prix fixe Sunday brunch featuring Faroe Island salmon, Dover sole, lobster omelete, prime filet mignon steak and eggs and Crab Benedict. There's also an option to add on raw bar items like Little Neck clams, chilled King crab and others normally found on the Petite Salon menu. Brunch will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.
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Save room for dessert!
Crème brûlée, Grand Marnier soufflé and Mille Feuille (puff pastry) are among the options. All are made in house by Salvado Mallma who had been the pastry chef for 22 years at yet another French Westchester icon, the since closed La Panetière in Rye.
If you go
Address: 46 Bedford-Banksville Road, Bedford, 914-234-9647, poissonny.com
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday; from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for Sunday brunch and from 5 to 9 p.m. for Sunday dinner. Petite Salon at Le Poisson hours are 5 to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday.
Good to Know: An upstairs private room accommodates 30 and also has its own name: La Crem Privé. This room is a tribute to La Crémaillère with burgundy carpet, lots of mementos and a more classic vibe.
Fun find: The decorative roosters Le Crem was always famous for can be found in the entryway in the restaurant's "Le Jardin" area which is also filled with flowers.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Le Poisson opens March 15 in Bedford, NY: Here's your first look
