The pre-dawn humidity and grey mist clings to the morning-dew-laden blacktop on Lexington Avenue & 73rd Street. At 5 a.m.—sharp, the gleaming kitchens of Payard get busy at an hour when most people are still under cover of the night and dreaming—if they are fortunate—of a breakfast of brioche, café au lait and fresh raspberry jam.

Payard at 1032 Lex is a New York City institution for freshly baked French pastries and breads. On a recent visit to this Upper East Side Mecca for sugar-glazed manna, I ran across a regular customer who even made the unsolicited claim that, "Payard not only serves the best French baked goods in New York City, but it’s quality is equal to anything you’d find in Paris or Lyon."

I’m not going to dispute these lofty claims; in fact, the pistachio éclair I sampled—green icing, fresh nut-encrusted filling—again, green!—was the best dessert I’ve ever enjoyed in North America. And yet the brilliance of the pastry chef Francois has, perhaps, obscured the fact that Payard is also among the top two or three French restaurants in New York City.

Give a lion’s share of the credit to executive chef Philippe Bertineau, a mainstay in the kitchen since the restaurant opened in August 1997. "My goal is to create a French bistro that can serve up an authentic foie gras terrine or a potato torte, while also having the sophistication of a modern, upscale French restaurant that can compete successfully against any high-end dining room in New York or Paris," said Bertineau, who was executive sous chef at Daniel from 1993-’97.

Payard Chef Philippe Bertineau

Bertineau is a disciple of seasonal menus that reflect the freshest local produce. On my first visit to Payard in August, for instance, the soup of the day was an exquisite sweet corn stock with straight-off-the-cob freshness.

"I’ll search out the local farms in New Jersey in August and look for the sweetest corn I can find," said Bertineau.

On my second visit in October, the fresh choice was a butternut squash soup that was like eating golden velvet with a silver spoon. And with winter coming soon, Bertineau plans to unveil the ultimate cure for cold-weather blues.

"The French have always served an onion soup gratinee so hearty and rich with a wine-infused stock that it’s impossible to get upset with the weather," said Bertineau.

Chicken foie gras and leather pants

The ambience at Payard is well worth the price of a meal. Walk through the bakery in the foyer to sample a Raspberry Napolean or the best fruit tart in NYC (it has a light custard filling that’s not too sweet and buttery crust to kill for), and then head to the back where the lunch and dinner crowd wears the finest in Boss, Gauthier and Armani.

The service staff is excellent. The well-dressed waiters are well versed in the art of food and wine, aware of the nuances of the daily specials, and attentive without being overbearing.

Seated in a back booth, I glance to my left at a leather-clad, attractive single female who bemoans the fact that her lunch date is nowhere to be seen.  On my right, however, is a blissful young couple—adorned in Versace, who order the warm chicken salad plate that, according to Bertineau, is "an entire breast of chicken served over endive, arugula and watercress with tomato and tarragon."  Bertineau informs me that he served 53 warm chicken salad plates on this day so the recipe seems to be working quite well.

My personal favorites include the duck leg confit—Bertineau seasons the duck in salt, pepper and herbs before submerging the duck leg in fat for 90 minutes and crisping the meat to order—and a stuffed roast chicken served with garlic mashed potatoes. "I stuff the chicken with foie gras and veal sweetbreads and adorn the dish with the pan drippings," said Bertineau. "This is a very traditional French dish, and one that’s in keeping with serving the same style of cooking you’d find in the best restaurants in Paris or Lyon."

Expect to pay about $75 per person (including tip and a glass of wine) for lunch and about twice that for dinner, though you can keep the price down by cutting back on the wine. My advice is to treat Payard as a special occasion or a reward for good behavior—and, quite frankly, I don’t see why you can’t rationalize a visit to this excellent restaurant on a weekly basis.

Payard
New York:
1032 Lexington Ave.
(Between 73rd and 74th Sts.),
New York,
NY 10021;
Tel. 212-717-5252, Fax. 212-717-0986
www.payard.com

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