When Rosemary’s and Bobo owner Carlos Suarez went to Provence last fall to research his next restaurant project, he came home with not only menu inspiration but a name for the joint. Claudette is the 91-year-old mother-in-law (and mentor) of Reine Sammut, the chef of La Fenière in Lourmarin, where Suarez and his business partner, Mark Barak, ate a meal so memorable they sent their own chef, Koren Grieveson, to work a stint in Sammut’s kitchen. Later this week, the team opens Claudette in the former Cru space, which has been rusticated, French-farmhouse-style, with hand-painted tiles and 200-year-old barnwood floors by Suarez’s cousin, Guini Suarez of Dekar Design.
Grieveson’s menu unites the varied threads that comprise Provençal cuisine (North African and Middle Eastern among them) in dishes like grilled lamb with za’atar and yogurt vinaigrette, and chicken tagine with bulgur and harissa. She dusts her fries with ras el hanout, flavors an assortment of family-style vegetable and seafood small plates with Provencal herbs, and pairs Tunisian breads with regional spreads like tapenade and pistou. She’s even plucked a couple of recipes straight from the matriarch’s repertoire, like Claudette’s bouillabaisse en croute, served with monkfish and rouille. Here’s a look at the space and some of the food.
Grieveson’s menu unites the varied threads that comprise Provençal cuisine (North African and Middle Eastern among them) in dishes like grilled lamb with za’atar and yogurt vinaigrette, and chicken tagine with bulgur and harissa. She dusts her fries with ras el hanout, flavors an assortment of family-style vegetable and seafood small plates with Provencal herbs, and pairs Tunisian breads with regional spreads like tapenade and pistou. She’s even plucked a couple of recipes straight from the matriarch’s repertoire, like Claudette’s bouillabaisse en croute, served with monkfish and rouille. Here’s a look at the space and some of the food.
Truffle hummus with warm fennel flat bread.Photo: Melissa Hom
Crispy artichoke barigoule, radicchio, dried plum.Photo: Melissa Hom
Whole roasted dorade, burned lemon, algae sea salt.Photo: Melissa Hom
Chicken Tagine: Swiss chard, bulgur, apricot, almond, orange, harissa.Photo: Melissa Hom
A look at the dining room’s hand-painted tiles.Photo: Melissa Hom
24 Fifth Ave., at 9th St.; 212-868-2424
Earlier: Rosemary’s Carlos Suarez to Open Provencal Restaurant Claudette
