Cafe des Artistes
1 West 67th Street
Manhattan, NY 10023
212-877-3500
Review
This might be the most original date idea yet: Next Monday night, January 12, Cafe des Artistes, the beloved Upper West Side restaurant, will recreate the menu featured in the 1987 Danish Film Babette’s Feast. If you haven’t seen the film, here’s the description from IMDB:
In 19th century Denmark, two adult sisters live in an isolated village with their father, who is the honored pastor of a small Protestant church that is almost a sect unto itself. Although they each are presented with a real opportunity to leave the village, the sisters choose to stay with their father, to serve to him and their church. After some years, a French woman refugee, Babette, arrives at their door, begs them to take her in, and commits herself to work for them as maid/housekeeper/cook. Sometime after their father dies, the sisters decide to hold a dinner to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Babette experiences unexpected good fortune and implores the sisters to allow her to take charge of the preparation of the meal. Although they are secretly concerned about what Babette, a Catholic and a foreigner, might do, the sisters allow her to go ahead. Babette then prepares the feast of a lifetime for the members of the tiny church and an important gentleman related to one of them…
The menu at Cafe des Artistes will feature such olde fare as tortoise soup, caviar with blinis, quails in pastry cases, cheeses, and a rum baba with raisins and figs, accompanied by Amontillado sherry, Veuve Cliquot champagne, Clos de Vougeot burgundy, port with the cheese and coffee with the rum baba. You also get a copy of the DVD to take home. What a perfect date!
The pre-fixe menu ain’t cheap at $160 per person, but if you’re looking for a special night out next week, don’t pass over this unique one-time event.
Jenifer Lang, managing director at Cafe des Artistes, informs us that there are a few tables remaining, and the restaurant has teamed up with DateSpaces to offer you an added incentive. When you book your reservation, mention DateSpaces.com and you and your date will receive a complimentary glass of brandy at meal’s end.
Do we hook you up or what?
Date-ability Breakdown
Original? Yes
Low-Key? Yes
Collaborative? Yes
Good for Conversation? Yes
Romantic? Yes
