The death of master chef-entrepreneur Joël Robuchon (left) three months ago threw into frantic question what would happen, both in image and quality, to his 28 restaurants around the world, from Hong Kong to London, from Macao to Las Vegas.  In particular, it was feared that Robuchon, as the recipient of 32 Michelin stars—more than any other chef—might lose those coveted stars, as used to be the policy of that draconian Guide when a chef died or left his restaurant.
    Publication dates made it too late for Michelin to change the star ratings of existing restaurants in editions coming out this fall, but in New York, where one of Robuchon’s many L’Atelier concepts debuted less than a year ago (thereby missing last year’s edition), everyone wondered if chef Christophe Bellanca (right) would “get the call” from Michelin to alert him that a star rating was imminent.  He got the call: Two stars, which in Michelinese means “worth a detour.” (Incidentally, an earlier New York incarnation of L’Atelier had a disappointing run at The Four Seasons Hotel in midtown and closed a few years ago.)
    Now, whatever one thinks of the Michelin Guide ratings and the tire company’s secretive processes, there is no doubt that a two- or three-star rating is given only to an outstanding restaurant.  And, by any measure, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon New York is well out of the ordinary and further evidence that fine dining at a very high level is alive and very well—even if it takes place at a swank counter in Chelsea. But, what a counter it is!
     All the L’Ateliers have them. Paris was the first, where I recall being dazzled by a menu that stretched from Spanish jamon and tapas to grilled langoustine and Robuchon’s decadent, heavily butter-whipped potatoes.
     In a restaurant like L’Atelier you can pretty quickly tell just how splendidly the night will go when the bread basket is filled with made-in-house baguettes, cheese-filled buns and rolls so delicious that, if you go the à la carte route, you might polish them all off in favor of another course. I am no fan of long tasting menus, but our $230 ten-course extravaganza came with dishes so well proportioned, and at such a sensible pace, that, although sated by the time we got to the meat courses, we did not want to miss anything that followed.
      We began with an item that made my wife swoon and me smile broadly—foie gras royale with parmesan foam and an emulsion of “old vines” Maury, a sweet wine from Roussillon (left). This was one of several dishes with the initial “JR” next to them, meaning it’s a Robuchon classic. As chef Bellanca explained, since the master’s death he will always keep those dishes on his menus, while creating new ones definitively in the Robuchon style.
    The next dish was crab in a light cauliflower velouté, then hamachi with cilantro-flecked guacamole and yuzu dressing (à la carte, $26), reflecting  a French version of global cuisine (right).  There also was a sweet, lush puree of eggplant splashed with white balsamic vinegar and dots of vegetable curry ($26). A roasted sea scallop with a sunchoke puree, parsley and mushroom emulsion ($36) followed, then pumpkin-flavored Parisian gnocchi with white truffle shavings and mimolette tuile ($38)—a good dish, although the white truffles really hadn’t much flavor. (I’m glad that there was no supplement.) Much finer was lobster poached in lemongrass oil and served with romanesco cauliflower and potato ($38).
    The only dish that made little impression was Icelandic cod topped with caviar, baby leeks and a Champagne sauce ($42). Grilled wagyu beef with black garlic, plump matsutakes and eggplant compote ($89) was rich without being cloying, as wagyu so often is. There was a generous degree of lagniappe in duck breast as spiced and served with poached pear and celeriac ($32). Then came pink, fatted quail (left) that had been caramelized and stuffed with foie gras ($32) and accompanied by Robuchon’s famous, devastatingly good potato puree, which my wife calls “butter with potato added.”
    Not that we needed a cheese course after all this, but I might have expected it of a French menu. Instead, we enjoyed poached cranberries and green apple sorbet with kalamansi foam, and La Noire Fôret (right)—a take on black forest cake—that was a creamy chocolate mousse with Kirsch-marinated cherries and Chantilly cream.
    Beverage director John McKenna stocks what is one of the most exceptional wine lists in the city, pricey but with a number of more affordable bottles of good provenance.
    L’Atelier is proof, once again, that haute cuisine requires a creativity that always bolsters what the land and sea provide—-and what a great chef can add, so that there is no confusion on the plate, only amazement and pleasure. If its cost means it’s a special occasion place, I can think only that Le Bernardin, Günther Seeger and Gabriel Kreuther in New York are the match of L’Atelier. We’ll see what Michelin says next year.

 Open for dinner Mon.-Sat.

    When people ask me, “What’s your favorite wine?” I generally answer that it depends on what I’m eating and where I am. If pressed further, I tell them that, if I died and went to  heaven, I’d want to go with a bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild (left) in one hand and a bottle of Château d’Yquem (below) in the other. So, when a recent opportunity to taste multiple vintages of these wines, as well as some other great Bordeaux, came up, I readily accepted. The event, held at Manhattan’s New Museum, was sponsored by the importer of the wines, Wine Book, a division of Maison Marques & Domaines.
  As expected, the Moutons and the Yquems were the stars of the show, but there were a number of bottles with less lofty prices that could hold their own with the best and are ready for drinking now.
    First a few words about the big name celebrity bottles, then some of my favorites among the lesser luminaries.
   Not surprisingly, the 2010 Mouton ($1,045),  made of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and only 6% Merlot, was a powerful wine with a strong bouquet and robust flavor of cassis and chocolate and notes of cedar with a slightly tannic finish. It’s meant to be consumed at least 10 years from now, and after a few hours of decanting. On the other hand, the 2014  ($515)—only 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc—seemed less powerful, but perhaps more elegant, than the 2010, with a fragrant bouquet and concentrated taste of ripe cherries and raspberries with notes of vanilla in its finish. Expect this wine to develop more layers of flavor over the next 10-20 years.
    Both Yquems sampled—the 2016 ($350) and the 2005 ($418)—showed honey and spice and undertones of gingerbread and marzipan with vibrant acidity in their finish. The 2005 was more viscous and showing more exotic spice than the 2016.  Either wine could be consumed now, especially with foie gras or blue-veined cheeses, but should continue to develop layer upon layer of flavor and viscosity and lose much sweetness over the next 10-20 years.
    Now for the “so called” lesser lights from Left Bank (on a map, the left side of the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers). The 2012 Château d’Armailhac ($52), from the producer of Mouton Rothschild, was made of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (54%), Merlot (29%), Cabernet Franc (14%) and Petite Verdot (3%). It has a bouquet and flavor of cassis and raspberries with hints of vanilla in its long, smooth finish. This is an elegant wine, perfect with prime rib, duck or turkey.  Also from the producer of Mouton, a less well-known 2009 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon ($52) is an excellent choice to mate with steak or prime rib. Made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (36%), Cabernet Franc (11%), Petit Verdot (2%) and Carmenere (1%), this wine has a distinctive bouquet and taste of black currants and anise with hints of mint in its finish. It requires about an hour or so of decanting, or some vigorous swirling in a large glass, to bring out its full flavors and add a bit of cherry to the finish.
    And while the 2010 Château Pichon Longueville ($230) will take at least another 10 years to reach its aesthetic peak, the 2011 Réserve de la Comtesse ($47), from the same producer—a blend of predominantly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot—is ready to drink now, with a bouquet and flavors of plums and chocolate and notes of herbs with a smooth long finish, perfect to marry with roasted chicken or even beef stew.  Similarly, while the 2015 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou ($200) will take years to reach maturity, the 2010 Croix de Beaucaillou ($68), from the same producer, is at its peak, with mellow flavors of cassis, blueberries and herbs, perfect to accompany roasted game birds, salmon and rather bland cheeses like Brie, Brillat Savarin and Münster.
    As to wines from the Right Bank, with a far longer history of winemaking than those on the Left, the 2009 Château de Sales ($42), from the largest estate in Pomerol, is a notable bargain. As is typical of the wines from the area, it contains predominantly Merlot (70%) and about 15% of Cabernet Franc, and an equal amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, showing ripe, easy-drinking flavors of black currants and cherries, with a long, smooth finish. And, while I usually prefer a white wine or Burgundy with seafare, I would readily mate this bottle with flavorful fish, like tuna or swordfish, as well as chicken and game birds.
    Also from Pomerol and containing about 80% Merlot grown in gravelly soil, a 2008 Château Lafleur-Gazin  ($42) shows a rich bouquet and taste of cassis and chocolate with notes of anise in its finish. A more complex wine than the de Sales, this bottle makes great accompaniment to grilled lamb or veal as well as heady cheeses like Stilton and Époisses du Bourgogne.
    Albeit a bit pricey, another wine worthy of seeking out is the 2014 Château Hosanna ($124), from a vineyard in Pomerol facing the illustrious Château Pétrus and planted with 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. It has flavors of cassis, herbs and a bit of tannin in its finish. It’s fine to consume now with hearty fare like pork belly or short ribs as well as mild cheeses like Brie and Münster. Expect this wine to mature over the next 10-20 years, developing additional levels of flavor and a smoother finish.