We went with high expectations- and some were met, others were not. First, the room is beautiful and the servers excellent. No one was uptight or snooty. Next- the wine list was very well chosen and had great options at all price points. All too often places like this really don’t care about anything other than the hugely high ticket bottles. Not here. We had two great bottles and the somm was nice and knowledgeable. But here is the rub. Some of the dishes ( we had the tasting menu) were simply floating in butter. I know this is a Michael White’s French spot, but in 2019 they don’t do that even in France. Order wisely. The crab appetizer, for example, was perfect. The tagliatelle was most certainly not.

First coming across Michael White’s cuisine during a fortuitous meal at Alto in 2009, and since visiting nearly every New York restaurant from Altamarea Group, it was on the word of a Las Vegas Chef that early-Dinner was booked at Vaucluse on the Upper East Side, the upscale Provencal Brasserie from one of America’s most noteworthy Italian Chefs proving to be inspiring in terms of the food, though the clientele leaves a lot to be desired.

Now heading up eight restaurants including one in London, several fumbled concepts including a Bar and Steakhouse lost along the way, Vaucluse sees White and his team re-interpreting the food of Southern France with a focus on fine dining spun New York, the room both beautiful and light with a Bar featuring live Jazz clearly popular amongst the rich and powerful as Friday came to a close while the dining room slowly filled thereafter with Septuagenarians, many of them with very specific dining demands.

White washed and elegant, the majority of the patrons suited or luxuriously jeweled and thus giving the room a rather grand feel as servers worked in terms of formality with great poise even as an elderly regular berated three Wines plus the Rack of Lamb, those choosing to dine at Vaucluse will quickly realize that they are not just dining at a Michelin Starred Restaurant from a Famous Chef, but in the rarified air of people to whom this does not even register, a woman to the right later frustrated by the fact that a fish featured on the winter menu was no longer offered in early June.

Tapping Remy Forgues as Chef de Cusine, the Frenchman’s time at Paris’ L'Ami Jean and subsequent work at Café Boulud clearly evident in his ability to progress from bold Terrines and Pâté en Croûte to Marea-quality Pastas followed by big Steaks and sides, it was with a meal at Ai Fiori in mind that the menu was perused before composing a five-course experience including three savories plus two sweets, a tiny Gougere filled with liquid Black Truffle Mornay both creamy and Fragrant followed up by three Breads and good Butterr, the Olive Rye both sweet and salty while the others were pretty standard.

Impressed by Foie Gras every time it has been offered at a Michael White restaurant, this particular version bringing in a truly superior product from Canada that is densely packed, lightly glazed and offered with housemade seasonal Jam and Toasted Brioche for spreading, those looking for something equally rich but a bit lighter are encouraged to request Vaucluse’s signature “Epaulettes,” the ten Rabbit and Reblochon Cheese Ravioli dressed in a buttery pan Sauce laced in Black Truffle shavings.

Requesting the appetizer portion of the pasta, a larger entrée available for $37, savories would wrap with the daily special of Confit Duck atop slowly cooked Farro finished in Asparagus Tips and poached Rhubarb, the bold smack of acid doing a fine job of balancing out a surprisingly ample piece of Protein offered for just $24, the single-layer “Mille Feuille” from Altamarea executive Pastry Chef Robert Truitt unfortunately neither trying nor succeeding in matching the stellar versions of Chanson or Le Coq Rico, though the Paris Brest was as good as any yet found in France, the Pate a Choux airy but crisp and more than capable of standing up to slowly-melting Hazelnut Caramel Ice Cream served amongst Caramelized White Chocolate filling.

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