"I can teach anybody how to properly grill a steak but cooking an egg properly -- now THAT takes a lot of practice," -- Ben Horgan, chef, restaurant manager & friend
A good egg is indeed hard to come by. It seems like such a simple thing to make and yet my friend Ben is right -- cooking one well is an art form few have mastered. This explains my adoration of the brunch I had at an American bistro in the West Village called The New French.
I ordered 2 sunny-side eggs, potatoes, salad and duck leg. Out came eggs of a gorgeous, vibrant color and remarkable flavor. They were so good in fact that while I remarked on how much I enjoyed the meal to my friends it wasn't until I was on the bus ride home to D.C. that I began to realize just how perfect those eggs were. I'm craving them as I type. Is it nostalgia for a brunch gone by and our delightfully long chat with old and new friends? Or is it both -- good people and delicious eggs -- that I miss?
Either way, I adored The New French, which isn't really a French restaurant at all -- more American bistro or cafe. New York Magazine deemed the ambience and food "a blend of homey welcome and adventurous spirit." Agreed.
PS: The bistro's logo was done in quirky handwriting, which I obviously love (see The District Sleeps' logo). Maria Kalman, the illustrator and writer, lent her handwriting as the font for the menu, logo and paper place mats, giving the place its own unique, but simple look and feel.
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