Aureole

Of course for New York's Restaurant Week I just had to check out Aureole. Charlie Palmer's second attempt at Aureole had received mixed reviews from publications such as the New York Times & New York Magazine, I decided I should try it for restaurant week just to test it out instead of spending $84 on their pre-fixe menu and being disappointed afterwards. After relocating from a charming townhouse on 61st street to a much larger "over the top" location on 42nd St. Aureole is set up like Le Cirque with a bar room in the front and the dining room in the back. The dining room is more elegant and intimate while the bar room was more modern and extravagant. The bar room has a a la carte lunch menu while the dining room has a 3 course pre-fixe lunch menu ($34) in addition to the a la carte menu. For dinner there are two separate menus for the for the bar room and the dining room. For restaurant week I had the $24.07, 3 course pre-fixe menu. I had the Potato Leek Ravioli for an appetizer, the Braised Pork Belly as an entree and the Chocolate Ganache as a dessert. The Potato Leek Ravioli was a pretty solid dish over all. The ravioli was cooked al dente, just to my liking, and the dish just worked together as a whole. The Braised Pork Belly was an excellent dish. The skin on the pork was crispy and glazed perfectly and the pork was very moist and cooked well. I also very much enjoyed the Chocolate Ganache and it sort of reminded me of the Chocolate Kufli from the Spice Market. The service is makes sure everything is taken care of especially food allergies. My experience at Aureole was fantastic and I'd most certainly return, perhaps for the $34 pre-fixe lunch in the dining room!