Tocqueville - Still the best restaurant in Union Square

Tonight RRR and I treated ourselves to dinner at Tocqueville. In the early incarnation of this blog, I declared Tocqueville to be one of my top three restaurant choices in the city. Will it still fare as well?

Since that post, Marco Moreria and his wife Jo-Ann Makovitzky, have expanded Tocqueville into the larger space next door and opened a Japanese restaurant, 15 East, in Tocqueville's former home, so this was our first foray into the new digs.

RRR and I were in a celebratory mood so after enjoying our amuse bouche, we decided to treat ourselves to the calorically decadent short rib and Hudson Valley foie gras ravioli appetizer. The ravioli were served with some wilted arugula which gave the pasta a peppery bite and worked in perfect harmony with the richness of the short ribs and foie gras. Pecorino cheese added some saltiness to the plate and we debated the other spice we tasted in the dish. Fennel seed? Cumin? Simply a red wine braise of the short ribs? It was so simple, so rich, mouthwatering and utterly amazing. I could have ended the meal here and been completely satisfied.

While waiting for our entrees, we were treated to some white asparagus, courtesy of the chef. We believe this was mainly due to the extremely long wait between our first and main courses. This seemed to have been a theme in the dining room this evening; since many tables were sat simultaneously and the kitchen became a bit backed up. However, our server kept checking in and the sommelier kept the wine flowing, so all was good in the proverbial hood.

When our mains finally arrived, I was treated to Tocqueville's signature dish, seared diver sea scallops and foie gras. This was the dish that caused me to obsess over Tocqueville in the first place, so it seemed fitting to return to my 'first love'. I was not disappointed. The scallops were perfectly seared and seasoned and the lightness of the fish held up well to the richness of the foie gras.

RRR enjoyed the local wild striped bass poached in asparagus vichyssoise, with rutabaga purée, white and green asparagus. The fish had a great char on the outside and was moist and extremely tasty. The asparagus was thinly sliced and perfectly seasoned. It was such a standout that the asparagus would have worked well on it's own.

By the time we finished with our main courses, we were a bit too sleepy (I think I was in a foie gras induced coma) to enjoy dessert so we decided to call it a night. On the way out, we found Marco sitting at the bar and struck up a conversation (I used to sell Marco potatoes and tomatoes during a stint years ago at the Union Square Greenmarket). Jo-Ann joined the conversation shortly thereafter and the couple were quite charming. I certainly think it added to RRR's "I am dining like a rockstar" experience!