Parisian Jubilee in Sutton Place NYC

Restaurant Critique
Jubilee
948 1st Avenue New York, NY
Pamela Goldman
Photos: Gerald Feldman
Patch.com

The highly creative french restaurant, Jubilee, has become a neighborhood
favorite. We wanted to experience this culinary mecca of Sutton Place,
to understand the magic that makes this place so special.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Master Chef Luc Holie
and his wife Ilda who both made us feel the warmth of their realm.
It is even laid out like a home with several rooms in which to dine….
original art works, antique books and collectibles on shelves
and soft drapery between rooms. The space in which we dined had
carpeting which absorbed much of the sound so having a quiet conversation
was not a hardship. Music played softly in the background and the tables
were spaced far enough away so you felt complete privacy. Maybe this
and the exquisite food to follow is why France’s President Macron can be
found eating here on his trips to New York.

Although the atmosphere is casual and relaxed, the food is
nothing short of pure elegance. For appetizers, my partner
ordered the fish soup. This was served with croutons, a side of grated Gruyere
cheese and a dip of saffron Roille. The flavor of the soup was well developed.
A bowl of tastiness from the sea was pureed with tomatoes and other vegetables.
It seemed to have a great tradition behind it as though it was a recipe
handed down through generations. I ordered the salmon and tuna tartar
which was a french twist on sushi. It had a ginger and sesame seaweed
salad on top and a wasabi mayonnaise decorating the place for dipping.

Just like the large houndstooth fabric covering the banquets we were sitting on,
every morsel of food we experienced had a very visceral confidence behind it.
For our main course, my partner ordered the Grass Fed 14 ounce Rib-Eye steak
with fresh-cut french fries. The steak came with two sides of sauces, one a
Bearnaise sauce and the other a green peppercorn au jus. Both turned out to be
great with the perfectly charred beef. It was so tender and although not being aged,
the sourcing of the beef was most exceptional. I could even sense my partner’s
thrill as he ate with total focus on the depth of flavor he was encountering.
The culinary Gods were smiling down on him before my very eyes. I ordered the
oven-roasted rack of lamb for my main course. This was also an excellent choice.
The dish consisted of 3 chops artfully presented with a complex sauce having notes
of wine, rosemary and even some cumin, each added to the meat’s juices then reduced.
Both dishes were succulent and the rapture of their flavors pleased us tremendously.

After each course, Ilda, the chef’s wife visited our table like a hostess at a party
in their own home. She just wanted us to be happy in such an authentic way.
We ended our adventure with a dessert called Paris Brest and the charming
story that goes with it. In France, there was a famous bike race from Paris

to a town called Brest in the Brittany region

The dessert celebrated the race and was designed in the shape of a bicycle

wheel , a circular shell of pastry stuffed with very rich hazelnut cream.

Jubilee, the home of this perfectly executed dinner, is a gem, pleasing people
who have high NYC standards and I salute the magnificent couple behind it
who treat people with the passion and talent of their country of origin’s cuisine.
If you haven’t made your way there, it should be on the very top of your list for a
cozy night out this winter. You will walk away having had one of your best
dinners in NYC.