New York is my hometown, and I’m a food writer. You’d think I’d have more spots to recommend here, but the truth is, when I’m not eating Mama Jean’s home cooking, I’m generally retracing my steps, visiting my old favorites: John’s Pizza, Barney Greengrass, J.G. Melon, Serafina. I don’t try that many new restaurants in New York… at least, not on my own.
Luckily, two of my three siblings still live in the city, and since we’re all foodies, we’ve developed a bit of a tradition of tasting new and exciting restaurants whenever I’m in town. That’s how Little Sister and I managed to enjoy a lovely dinner at Claudette – a Mediterranean restaurant inspired by Tunisian and Provençal flavors.
While often pegged as a French restaurant, I saw far more of the North African influences on the plate. The French ambiance, however, was palpable: our French waiter seated us on the lovely sidewalk terrace so similar to those I see every day back in Paris. There, Little Sister and I dug into an assortment of dishes, like this lovely charred octopus with white beans, tomatoes, and arugula.
We both loved this crispy artichoke appetizer, served with chermoula and a generous sprinkling of sliced chiles.
This sweet potato falafel with house-made harissa was my favorite dish of the night, with its rich, spiced-but-not-overly-spicy sauce.
Claudette has a few brochettes on its menu. We went for the vegetarian option: haloumi with za’atar, pistachio, and strawberry chutney: tangy and moreish.
Dessert was perfectly in my wheelhouse: a preserved lemon tart topped with black and white sesame seeds.
With a drizzle of olive oil over the top, it perfectly walked the line between savory and sweet.
Claudette –24 5th Ave, New York, NY 10011