New in NYC: Bar Breton

Photo: Francis Dzikowski / ESTO

By Laren Spirer

Chef Cyril Renaud of Fleur de Sel has opened up a more casual venue, Bar Breton - a tribute to his native Brittany. Thin buckwheat crepes, knowns as galettes, are offered at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Renaud serves them with a range of savory and sweet fillings, from traditional to contemporary. The remainder of the menu is brasserie comfort food, Breton-style.

Breakfast offerings include Eggs Over Easy with Fingerling Potato Apple Glaze & Bacon or a version of eggs Benedict with grilled ham and black trumpet mushroom, while lunch and dinner options include a main dish of Bone Marrow Crusted New York Strip Steak with Shallot Confit and Red Wine Sauce or a Berkshire Pork Chop with Roasted Beets. Renaud's small plates, or niacs, including Salt Baked Potatoes with Petit Gris and Oxtail and Parmesan Chips, and Suckling Pig and Fois Gras Terrine, are a perfect complement to both the French and local ciders he serves in addition to the full bar and wine list.

Pastry Chef Yvan Lemoine brings a touch of Renaud's childhood to the table with his grandmother's recipe for Foutimassons, a fried pastry along the lines of beignets. The "new rustic" décor is also a mix of old and new, with a communal table, pictures of Renaud's ancestors, and hand-crafted bar stools.

For an extra special touch, much needed in these turbulent financial times, Bar Breton has committed to donate five percent of its annual profits to charity. Citymeals-on-Wheels is the inaugural beneficiary, but the recipient will change each year.

Chef Pedigree:

• Served as the Chef de Cuisine at Bouley restaurant.
• In 1996 he became the Executive Chef of La Caravelle, where he received a three star review from the New York Times in 1998.
• Nominated for the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year award in 1998.
• Opened Fleur de Sel (watch our video) in 2000, where he serves as Executive Chef, and has earned a Michelin star.

Location: 254 Fifth Avenue between 28th and 29th Streets.

Hours: Bar Breton serves breakfast, Monday-Friday, 7-11:30 AM; lunch, Monday-Friday, 11:30 AM-4 PM; dinner, Sunday-Thursday, 4-11 PM and Friday-Saturday 4 PM-midnight; and brunch, Saturday-Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM. Takeout is available at all times.

Reservations: Call 212-213-4999 or book on OpenTable.

A Brief Chat with Chef Renaud

How did you come up with the name for the restaurant?
We spent a lot of time thinking about the name. It was influenced by the space itself, which has a bar upfront, plus the casual concept I was envisioning. I also liked the alliteration of Bar Breton and the way the back-to-back double "B" logo looked when we were considering it.

Has it been challenging to open a new place while running Fleur de Sel?
Yes, it's been an adjustment splitting my time between the two restaurants, but I have an excellent staff that's helped make the transition as smooth as possible.

What's your favorite ingredient to cook with?
Right now, I'd say buckwheat, which goes into our galettes.
 
If you could collaborate with any chef, alive or dead, who would it be?
Paul Bocuse.

What food-related book or cookbook would you recommend to a young aspiring chef or adventurous home cook?
Jacques Pepin's "Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook."

When you're not in the kitchen what do you do to blow off steam?
I paint and sculpt (some of my pieces are in Fleur de Sel) and like to fish when I have a long stretch of free time, which is not often.

View the Bar Breton listing on Savory Cities

Photo: Francis Dzikowski / ESTO