Epicerie Boulud 12-27-2012

Location: 1900 Broadway

Time: 12pm

Feelings: I finally found time to stop at the new Century 21 in Lincoln Center, formerly occupied by Barnes and Noble. I was sad to see Barnes and Noble close since I used to be a regular when I lived in the area. The new Century 21 ended up being a bit of disappointment since they did not stock nearly as much as the downtown location. (But I managed to leave with a pair of leopard print boots, of course.) After the madness of Century 21, where should an exhausted, shopped out girl eat? Epicerie Boulud, of course.

Mr. Daniel Boulud opened two spots near Lincoln Center back in May: Boulud Sud, a Mediterranean fine dining restaurant for the savvy Century 21 customers--and Epicerie Boulud, a cafe and bakery with takeout for ladies who bought too many pair of Choos.

There is no seating here--just some communal counters, so it is more take out friendly. There are breads, sandwiches, salads, soups, cheeses, meats and pastries, and their oyster and wine bar opens at 4pm. The ordering system was rather bizarre, and there were a lot of customers who seemed to be as confused as I was. From what I learned, you line up to place an order by the glass case, and wait in a new line at the register to pay or order desserts and drinks. I ordered the "Vegetable du Jour" salad ($7.50) with butternut squash. It was a very small dish, about 1/3 size of the standard New York salad bowl, but it was a meticulously created salad with powerful flavors and textures. So much so that if this was a big salad, it might be too overwhelming.

Since the salad was so petite, I also picked up my favorite French pastry, canele ($3). I prefer the outer layer to be crispier, but it was quite dense, chewy and scrumptious nonetheless.

Overall, the concept of Epicerie Boulud is similar to Bouchon Bakery. I feel Bouchon has more approachable look and simpler menu that would attract a wider clientele. The next time I am near Lincoln Center, which is rare indeed, I will make sure to go back to Epicerie Boulud for more delicious pastries.