The original East Village outpost of French bistro Casimir has been replaced with Pardon My French, a contemporary version of the bistro-style restaurant that pulls flavors from France and its influences across the globe. The restaurant—opening tonight on Avenue B—offers both tapas-sized bites in addition to larger format entrees in a quasi-restaurant, quasi-club kind of environment complete with "deep house music." A "speakeasy"-style bar also offers craft cocktails, like a version of the Aviation and a spicy tequila drink with grapefruit called Dirty Tale.
Appetizer options include creole-style cod fritters (Accras de Morue à la Creole, $12) with sweet and spicy peppers and goat cheese-stuffed portobello mushrooms (Champignon de Paris Farçis, $12) with quail eggs. Entrees span hearty classics like L'Epaule d'Agneau Roti ($28), a roasted lamb shoulder flavored with rosemary, to lighter dishes like Fruits de Mer en Cocotte ($22), a ramekin of seafood served with a buckwheat galette.
Bone Marrow
In both the communal bars and the main dining area, diners can sample wines "à la ficelle," whereby the price is calculated by how much of one bottle you consume. During brunch, Bloody Marys and mimosas flow freely with $25 entrees, which include Tunisian Eggs with spicy tomato sauce, feta and capers and traditional styles of Eggs Benedict.
103 Avenue B, 212-358-9683, website. Open nightly for dinner; brunch Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brunch is cash only
