“Table Talk” with Jeremy Wayne: The more things change, the more Le Poisson remains excellent

It’s a case of plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose – “the more things change, the more they stay the same” – at the former La Crémaillère in the Banksville section of Bedford, now Le Poisson. Despite a name change, a rebrand and a new menu direction from executive chef and managing partner Thomas Burke, the restaurant remains “in essentials very much what (it) ever was,” to borrow from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”  

Thanks to an update of the lounge and bar, with French antiques incorporated into a design and palette (blue and white, blue and yellow) that pays homage to France’s maritime regions – from Normandy to Provence – the area now has a more easygoing, yet still elegant, atmosphere. Le Poisson is accepting walk-ins, so it’s the perfect spot for an upscale light lunch, bites and after-work cocktails.  

Beyond it, though, the idiosyncratic décor with its prominent murals remains a social, anthropological romp through the various departments of France. Also unchanged are properly-dressed tables and the restaurant’s fondness – which regular readers will know I share – for the much-derided doily. An amuse-bouche of vichyssoise in a little beaker with croutons arrived on a decorative paper doily, as did a silver dish of good butter, complete with butter knife. It brought to mind the old dictum that a gentleman always uses a butter knife, even when dining alone. I made sure to use mine. 

With no Parker House roll in sight, I spread the butter on a glazed bun with raisins, a sweet start to transition from breakfast to lunch. And though I’m no smoker, an anachronistic branded matchbox on the table brought back memories of the time when smoking was the norm in restaurants. Well, a box of matches is always handy. I was pleased to pocket it. 

But my recent Sunday brunch at Le Poisson really got going with a glass of Lombard Extra Brut, a wonderfully dry Champagne (and a new one to me) with its heightened chalkiness and a great match for many of the fish dishes on the restaurant’s menu, including the grilled oysters and caviar you can now enjoy at the revamped bar.  

Following the amuse came hamachi tartare with tobiko, cucumber slices at the base cut as perfect disks, with military precision. 

Departing temporarily from the piscine, I treated myself to a simply (and correctly) presented slab of foie gras with just a few dressed leaves and some sliced strawberries for a garnish. (My rule with foie gras is never to order it, but if it’s presented as a fait accompli as it were, I will guiltily partake. I guiltily partook, reminding myself of the fleeting pleasure of sin.) 

Scallop with bacon, mushrooms and Swiss chard in a curry emulsion struck me as a brilliant treatment. It went well with a Domaine de la Garenne 2022 Sancerre.  

Maine Lobster omelet, the coral draped across it, with fines-herbes and some frisée, was brought to the table under a silver cloche, the sweet lobster meat in a just-set omelet Julia Child would undoubtedly have been proud to serve. A cloche always makes me smile as I imagine removing it and sticking it on my head to shock the waitstaff. I refrained – but this terrific dish certainly had me smiling regardless. 

Many other factors, or absence of them, contributed to the enjoyment of this brunch – the beautiful, heavy old La Crémaillère engraved silverware, which no contemporary flatware, no matter how chic, can match. Or the music: Ella Fitzgerald warbling “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” and songs from Duo Gadjo’s “Meet Me in Paris” album – you’ll know them. (“This music is perfect for brunch,” enthused the man at a neighboring table to his companion, and he was right.) Or the bliss of not being interrupted every few minutes by a server asking how I was enjoying the food. 

For dessert, a Grand Marnier soufflé with pistachio sauce rose majestically in its white ramekin, while a smooth espresso was presented with a shaving of lemon peel on the saucer – a conceit I haven’t seen for years.  

A trio of petits-fours, chocolate, strawberry, and pistachio, brought brunch to a perfect close and sent me on my way contented, swaying slightly, happy in the knowledge that such an elevated plane of cooking, service and gentle ambiance lives on, on the Westchester/ Fairfield border. 

Le Poisson keeps the flag flying for style of old. With graduation season drawing near, it’s also the perfect spot for a celebration. But don’t limit Le Poisson to that. It’s a gem to enjoy any time. 

For more, visit poissonny.com.