L’Ecole Serves Sunday Brunch For Charity
- Details
- Category: Benefits, Galas, Social Events
- Written by Janet Walker
L’Ecole, the restaurant of The French Culinary Institute, recently extended an invitation to enjoy the classic French cuisine prepared under the supervision of internationally renowned master chefs.
The FCI Sunday Brunch is a favorite for locals in the Soho section of Manhattan and a chance for others, tourists and newcomers, to discover the hidden treasure of five star dining offered through the restaurant.
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The prix-fixe two-course brunch includes a wide selection of both unique and classic culinary treats. The restaurant also offers a wine and bar menu, a variety of coffees and a selection of desserts. Having enjoyed the combination of culinary delights created by FCI in the past it was an easy decision to stray from safe choices in brunch planning and pick something unique that combined unusual pairings.
The FCI brunch experience began as the wait staff arrived with an assortment of breads, scones, and sweet breads with butter. The breads, as with all the cuisine, are freshly made on site by the student chefs in the French Culinary Institute program.
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Deciding on an appetizer of Butter Poached Shrimp in Grits with Andonille Sausage, there was a level of curiosity as white grits were expected. The grits were made from sweet cornmeal! It was served with a sprinkling of chive and was very delicious! The combination of the flavors, ground meat sausage seasoned in its own spices with the Butter Poached Shrimp and especially the sweet grits were exquisite.
Deciding on the next choice, the main course, the classic Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce caught my attention. As this is a classic Sunday brunch item, and as a connoisseur of the classic Sunday brunch meal in Manhattan my level of expectation was high. Honestly, they don’t compare to the quality at FCI. The Hollandaise, which makes the Sunday Classic, was full in flavor and not heavy in texture. The Eggs Benedict is served with a crisp fried finger-style potato cake. It was simply delicious.
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This was a nice opportunity to sample a variety of classic brunch bar menu items. The specialty brunch drink at L’Ecole is the Sunday Bloody Mary. It ranges from kickin’ it up a notch wild to a gentler mild spicy flavor. Having seen my Dad drink Bloody Mary’s on Sunday, it was an easy decision. He always seemed to enjoy them. It must be an acquired taste. For me, it was a little too spicy and so to complete the meal, a sweet wine; Sauvignon Blanc from the Bordeaux region of France was my choice. The swirl was good, the wine had legs, and it had a welcoming aroma, a very nice smooth taste and a great finish!
For dessert menu, Profiteroles with Chocolate Glaze! The three small biscuits, sliced in the center, were separated with small scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream. The desserts were sprinkled with powdered confectioners’ sugar and glazed with warm chocolate sauce. They were perfect in size, texture and taste!
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L’Ecole, the restaurant of the French Culinary institute, donated their proceeds from the classic Sunday brunch including waitress tips to American Red Cross Haitian Relief Fund to assist in the Haitian relief effort. The donations were in excess of $7,000.00.
L’Ecole is full service classic French restaurant where student chefs are given the opportunity, under the watchful eye of one of their renowned Masters Chef’s, to prepare elegant classic French cuisine. In addition to the Classic Sunday Brunch offered from 11:30 to 2:30PM; FCI offers, Monday through Saturday, a prix-fixe, three course, lunch from 12:30PM until 2:00PM and a prix-fixe four course dinner from 5:30PM until 7:00PM and a prix-fixe five course dinner nightly from 8:00PM to 9:00PM.
For more information on The French Culinary Institute:www.frenchculinary.com
