Sequel Saturday Night

Sequel Saturday Night

Inspired by Vettel's review on Wednesday, and further fueled by d4v3's recent comments about cassoulet (http://tinyurl.com/2te76m), The Wife and I are headed to Sequel tomorrow night (even though the bean casserole is not available...yet).

We liked Bistro Banlieue since the days it was run by Emilio Gervaise, and I had a very good meal there in late 2005, so I'm optimistic. I have read the menu at their site, but would be interested in any first-hand info (what you liked, what you drank, etc.).

Thanks LTH,

Hammond

I have not been to Sequel, but the Chicken Fried Foie Gras appetizer has LTHForum written all over it (although it is pretty pricey).

d4v3 wrote:I have not been to Sequel, but the Chicken Fried Foie Gras appetizer has LTHForum written all over it (although it is pretty pricey).

Yes, I saw that very amusing conjunction of the high and low culinary styles. If I try it, I will definitely post about it.

d4v3 wrote:I have not been to Sequel, but the Chicken Fried Foie Gras appetizer has LTHForum written all over it (although it is pretty pricey).

An absurd offering, as it turns out. The fried breading successfully obliterates the delicacy of the foie gras, and it was not served with the advertised creme Anglaise. Just a stupid dish that I feel stupid for ordering -- $17.00 is too much for this little bit of liver that is, in many ways, just a joke.

Overall, my impressions of Sequel were not good; service was abysmal, prices were high, and several dishes we ordered arrived without components specified on the menu. Though I grant that the traffic was heavy post-Vettel review, and thus the staff was undoubtedly over-taxed, I would not recommend this place.

I have this lingerning sense that Vettel may have felt pressure to be positive for fear he'd run into the chef/owners on the soccer field (his review references the fact that his kids play soccer with the chef's -- that seems a conflict that should have been avoided by not covering the place in the first place).

Hammond

David,

First off, let me thank you for taking one for the team. I would have eventually ended up checking out Sequel, so I owe you. Like you, I had some very good meals at Bistro Banlieue. I am disappointed that Sequel does not live up to its ancestry, especially as the prices seem to be much higher (and they did away with the small entrees). For that kind of money, I would expect my dining experience to be close to perfect, even downtown. I understand the owner and the chef found the previous format to be creatively restrictive, but maybe there is a culinary Peter Principle at work. Too bad, I was seriously considering making the trip for some Cassoulet in a couple of weeks (maybe it is time to give Vie a try).

Secondly, I sincerely apologize if I influenced you into buying an overpriced and underflavored appetizer. This is clearly a case of something that is much better in concept than in execution, and looks much better on the menu than on the plate. There is probably a good reason why nobody else serves Chicken-Fried Foie Gras. Anyhow, I'll bet nobody orders it a second time. Thanks to you, I will not order it a first time. Although I do think the price tag would have scared me away, that does seem like a pretty average price for a Foie Gras app these days. Still, at $17 you would at least expect a decent portion, but I guess that is (as you say) part of the joke. Again, this is a disappointment, since Bistro Banlieue had a very tasty Duck Liver Pate at less than half that price. I guess I will have to stick to Chicken Fried bacon.

dave

dv43, gosh, no apology necessary. I would not think of blaming you in any way. I do, however, blame Vettel.

In college, I had a drama teacher who told us that you can learn more from a bad play than a good play. Though the law of diminishing returns definitely applies to this principle, there’s no denying that experiencing something poorly done helps highlight what it takes to do something very well.

I'm inspired now to make my own cassoulet (which may perhaps give me an opportunity to once again apply my drama teacher's instructive principle... ).

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:In college, I had a drama teacher who told us that you can learn more from a bad play than a good play. Though the law of diminishing returns definitely applies to this principle, there’s no denying that experiencing something poorly done helps highlight what it takes to do something very well.

Are you referring to the meal or Vettel's glowing review?

David Hammond wrote:I'm inspired now to make my own cassoulet (which may perhaps give me an opportunity to once again apply my drama teacher's instructive principle... ).

One of the reasons I am willing to make a special trip and pay dearly for a decent Cassoulet, is that it is something I could probably not make at home (although it would be fun to try). If you want to give it a go, Sequel's website still has Banlieue's Cassoulet recipe posted, and you could use Bill/SFNM's excellent posts on the subject as a guide. You begin by baking Duck Confit for 12-14 hours.

David Hammond wrote:Overall, my impressions of Sequel were not good; service was abysmal, prices were high, and several dishes we ordered arrived without components specified on the menu. Though I grant that the traffic was heavy post-Vettel review, and thus the staff was undoubtedly over-taxed, I would not recommend this place.

Apart from Phil Vettel's glowing review (at least he admits that he was recognized), your overall negative impression is similar to what I've heard from others about Sequel. As a longtime Bistro Banlieue fan, I was a bit confused by the owners' decision to jettison Bistro Banlieue in favor of this new concept. Unfortunately, from what I've read, I can't say that I'll be in any hurry to try Sequel.

I'm not in the restaurant business, but I think that the saying "if it's not broke, don't fix it", is true in just about any setting. Bistro Banlieue was successful and well-liked...I find it odd that the owners' response to increased competition was to discard the Bistro B concept, replace it with what appears to be an average (perhaps below average, in terms of service) contemporary American restaurant, and charge prices that are as high or higher than those at Bistro B.

Well, my wife and I went to Sequel this past Saturday. In a nutshell, still nice, but not perfect. I think I enjoyed it more than my wife did.

Seated promptly on the raised level, near the window to the back room. There were immediately two issues. First, the tables are oriented like a "diamond" toward the wall, rather than flat against it. They seat you on adjoining sides so you share a "point." My wife and I love each other, but we were just plain knocking knees. We asked to have the table reoriented flat to the wall...they accomodated immediately (sitting across from each other with the original arrangement would have put one of us uncomfortably out in the aisle). Second...the new chairs. They're very attractive, but they have that odd sloping curved shape where the back rest meets the cushion that kind of feels like it's pushing you forward out of the chair, especially if you're not really, er, svelte. I get the same feeling at Egg Harbor. You get used to it, but I was hoping for a little better. But they are nice to look at!

The room's romantic enough, but the vases and murals actually came off as a bit '80s to us! (I'm no design expert, though!)

Service was very congenial, but there was a bit too much delay between appetizer and entree. For the record, we just did single appetizers then entree, rather than "first," "second" and then entree. I don't know if the entree just can't be made any faster and there's just a natural gap there. They also could have been a bit quicker with the coffee at dessert time, especially for refills (had to ask a busperson for the refill). Our waiter was, however, very congenial and knowledgeable.

Food? Split decision, more good than not.

Appetizers: My wife had the grilled diver scallop. Surprisingly, she thought the beet coulis was one of the best things about it (she's never been big on beets). I thought it was good, but it "was what it was." I had the panko-crusted goat cheese and was just blown away. Loved it.

Entrees: My wife had the sauteed lake superior whitefish. She really liked the artichoke bechamel, but wasn't too impressed with the fish itself--thought it was a little overcooked. The pork belly was a nice touch, though. I had the duck breast. The breast itself was very nicely done. But the polenta! I could have just had that and been happy. Went very well with the vanilla-balsamic syrup. The waiter recommended a glass of the Shiraz, Mitolo "Jester," which I enjoyed with the duck.

Dessert: I tried the vanilla rice pudding for dessert, which, while small, was really good comfort food. My wife had the hazelnut sacher tort, which seemed like it had been refrigerated a tad too long...the ganache was a bit hard. The cold may have deadened the flavor a little, too.

So, based on my own meal, I'd give it a definite B+, with service issues keeping them from an "A." My wife probably would have graded them a bit lower. I'd be happy to go again, but she's probably not in such a rush.

A nice touch...when they called to confirm, I let them know the evening was the 15th anniversary of our first date. The desserts were comped--much nicer than just having "Happy Anniversary" scrawled across the top of the plate in chocolate syrup!

--Bill Pardue