Regate
Address:
198 Orchard St (Stanton & Houston)
City:
New York, NY
Zip:
10002
Phone:
(212) 228-8555
Fax:
(212) 228-8559
Hours:
Lunch
Monday - Friday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Brunch
Saturday - Sunday: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Dinner
Monday - Sunday: 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Site:
Visit the restaurant site
Map:
Map
Chef:
Marc Jehan
Cuisine:
French
2nd Cuisine:
French (Bistro)
Area:
Lower East Side
Entree Price:
$15-20
Review:
While I consider myself a major Francophile, I have to admit I had never heard of the French island of Re until I was invited to Regate, an 18-month-old Lower East Side bistro inspired by this charming spot. Owner Marc Jehan – the chef – and brother Jocelyn have recreated the look of one of the island’s cottage and the 34-seat eatery is an absolute oasis of calm in Manhattan’s stormy seas.
Not surprisingly, the menu’s emphasis is on seafood, and Jehan shows a remarkably sure hand with a variety of underwater creatures. Beautifully grilled slices of calamari are nicely tender, and well accented by a sprightly cucumber salad in a bracing vinaigrette. Admittedly straying from his roots, Jehan stuffs crabmeat into a delicate spring roll served alongside a very tasty corn and tomato salad, and getting an added kick from a chipotle-based sauce. Slightly heartier, bay scallops retain their flavor and texture when gently seared, served with buttery mashed potatoes.
But Jehan’s piece de resistance is unquestionably his bourride retaise a la lotte, an irresistibly lighter take on bouillabaisse, in which divine poached monkfish, plus shrimp, mussels, clams, new potatoes and leeks are bathed in a fabulous, herb-flecked white wine sauce. (Ask for an extra basket of the excellent French bread to soak it all up!)
Rest assured, if you’re not a seafood fancier, you have plenty of options, from starters such as a wedge of warm goat cheese set atop a sweet beet salad to sautéed sweetbreads, and such entrees as a classic croque monsieur, steak tartare, and even a vegetarian risotto.
Because Jehan is a trained pastry chef, it shouldn’t be surprising that the small variety of desserts are worth saving room for, notably one of the city’s better renditions of a molten chocolate cake.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton