La Coquille, a longtime favorite restaurant of mine on busy Northern Boulevard in Manhasset has created a brassiere menu at lower price points than their classic French menu. I always loved the warm, cozy environment and professional old world waiters who consistently make you feel so special. Many restaurants have great food but the added ingredient for me is the attentive care of the staff at this special eatery.
Recently, we were celebrating my son Josh’s birthday with our family and friends. It was Saturday night and many restaurants are noisy and busy and not a great place for a party of 10 people. But La Coquille was perfect because they offered a private room for us that made the party really special.
We ordered from their classic menu and each dish was better than the last. To begin, there was a tasty amuse bouche of goat cheese on top of a tasty noodle. Several of us had the classic French onion soup, rich with abundant onions in a tasty broth overflowing with a creamy cheese topping.
For our main course all the men ordered a sumptuous center cut filet mignon with a bordelaise sauce served with a potato puree. Fortunately for me, my son Josh shared his steak with me and it was as good as any I’ve had at a steak house.
The boneless short ribs were also a hit. They are prepared with a port wine sauce and served with a rich, creamy potato gratin with Gruyere. My favorite was the classic Dover sole sautéed to perfection with a light lemon and white wine sauce.
There are choices for veal and lamb lovers and of course a crispy Long Island duck served in a Grand Marnier sauce with wild rice compote.
The brasserie menu has several dishes from $10 to$22. There’s a main lobster tacos dish, or a chicken Milanese which is an escalope of chicken lightly breaded served with mesclun greens with a balsamic dressing.
A new price fixed autumn harvest menu for $35 offers three courses and is available Sunday through Thursday. Try it, you’ll love it.
La Coquille
1669 Northern Boulevard,
Manhasset
Hours: Open seven days a week beginning at 5 p.m.
Sunday supper beginning at 4 p.m.
Telephone: 516-365-8422
Web site: www.la-coquille-manhasset.com.
Credit Cards: All majors
Parking: Parking lot
Private party room available
