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| Brasserie Persil 2825 Long Beach Rd. Oceanside, NY 516-992-1742 |
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Another Winner From Island Team By JOANNE STARKEY Published: October 23, 2008 BRASSERIE PERSIL'S success story began in 2003, when Julio Velasquez and Peter Oktas met at Bistro Cassis in Huntington; Mr. Velasquez was executive chef, Mr. Oktas a waiter. Mr. Velasquez went on to manage two other restaurants with the same ownership: Bistro Citron in Roslyn and Mac's Steakhouse in Huntington. In June of 2006 the two men left their positions and a month later opened Sage Bistro in Bellmore, with food and ambience modeled after Bistro Cassis. Last January they opened a second restaurant, Brasserie Persil in Oceanside. As at Sage Bistro, Mr. Velasquez is the chef, and Mr. Oktas runs the dining room. Brasserie Persil is larger and more elegant than Sage Bistro, with striped brocade banquettes, lots of dark wood and vaguely French paintings. Large, framed mirrors have dishes and prices written on them. The service is excellent, with waiters giving prices when including specials, for instance. (A printed sheet is also given to diners as a memory aid.) Busboys should be commended: Bread plates always held a fresh hunk of baguette; water glasses were constantly being topped off. The food, moderately priced, is the usual bistro-brasserie fare, but there were a few surprises, like an ostrich special one night and a menu item of a pounded and breaded pork chop topped with caramelized onions and a Waldorf salad of greens, apple, celery and walnuts. Almost everything we tried was knowingly turned out. Only two dishes came up short: a burger that was medium rare as ordered but still a tad dry, and mussels marini�re. The mussels were in a flavor-packed white wine broth loaded with garlic, but they were tiny, not the plump ones we had hoped for. Soups were topnotch. The French onion soup on the menu had rich beefy flavor and was not overly salty, as it sometimes can be. Two soups du jour also hit all the right notes: a creamy lobster bisque with chunks of shellfish and croutons; and a rich mushroom velout� crowned with a tiny goat-cheese cream puff. Salads were good starters, too. The octopus salad had tender nubbins of seafood tossed with baby arugula, cucumber, red onion and tomato. The creamy lobster bisque with chunks of shellfish and croutons; and a rich mushroom velout� crowned with a tiny goat-cheese cream puff. Salads were good starters, too. The octopus salad had tender nubbins of seafood tossed with baby arugula, cucumber, red onion and tomato. The Persil salad was a simple pleasure of baby arugula, large parsley leaves, white beans and slabs of ricotta salata in a lemon-herb vinaigrette. Two salads on the list of specials also delighted: the classic fris�e with crisp lardons of bacon and a poached egg on top, and a memorable fig salad. The latter consisted of three very large figs, served warm, stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in crispy pancetta, under a topknot of microgreens. Entrees to consider include exemplary steak frites (tender strip steak and wonderfully crunchy fries); a pairing of juicy duck leg confit with perfectly cooked duck breast in a morel mushroom sauce; five seared scallops surrounding a mound of leeks and cubed butternut squash, all resting on a truffled cream sauce; and a fillet of sole baked in parchment paper with lemons, capers, olives and basil. It can be tough to decide. Dessert presented more difficult choices. The apple tart � la mode and the warm banana tart were two hits. Chocolate lovers have three worthy picks: chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and berries; a rich molten-center chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream; and profiteroles topped with a deep, dark hot chocolate sauce. Kudos, too, to the silken cr�me br�l�e and to the warm upside-down caramel cheesecake. And kudos to Brasserie Persil. VERY GOOD THE SPACE Attractive, upscale French brasserie. Not wheelchair accessible. THE CROWD Animated couples and small groups, with lots of neighbors greeting neighbors. Few children. THE BAR Small bar with five stools at the back of the restaurant. Wine list of 77 bottles ($26 to $150) and 19 wines by the glass ($7 to $8). In keeping with the classic brasserie emphasis, there is also a beer list with 14 selections ($5 to $17). THE BILL Lunch entrees, $8 to $10. Dinner entrees, $9 to $27. American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover are accepted. WHAT WE LIKE Onion soup, lobster bisque, mushroom velout�, fris�e salad, fig salad, octopus salad, Persil salad; steak frites, pork chop, duck, scallops, fillet of sole; all desserts. IF YOU GO Lunch: Monday to Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Dinner: Monday to Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m. Reservations accepted for parties of six or more. Reviewed on Oct. 26, 2008 |
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Julio Velasquez came to this country from El Salvador; Peter Oktas emigrated from Turkey. Two years ago, the multinational team opened Sage Bistro, a French dining spot in Bellmore. Now, they've launched a second place in Oceanside, Brasserie Persil. As executive chef, Velasquez works with chef de cuisine Jose Velasquez (no relation) to turn out a roster of Gallic (and not-so-Gallic) dishes with élan and efficiency - no small feat, considering the crowds that pack the place nightly.
Cuisine Brasserie Persil |
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