By Stephen Dawson
Le District New York Review
Located inside the burgeoning Brookfield Place in Battery Park City, Le District brands itself as an authentic French marketplace with a New York edge. Similar to the ever popular Eataly, Le District’s footprint is broken up by a variety of vendors offering breads, crepes, desserts, coffee, wine, cheese, meats, groceries, all in addition to full-service restaurants. As this was my first time at Le District my first inclination was to try one of everything. Snapping back into reality I targeted my efforts on exploring the cafe district which focused on to-go foods that could be enjoyed outdoors overlooking the marina.
First up was a visit to the Creperie, where the main choice boils down to savory or sweet. Savory options include La Champignon (which is filled with protobello mushrooms, thyme, garlic, and truffle oil) and Chicken Ratatouille (chicken, cheese, tomato, arugula, and olive oil). On the sweet side diners can choose from La Sucre (sugar, farm butter, and lemon), La Belge (belgian chocolate mousse, and speculoos cookies) or a classic Nutella. I opted for savory and settled on La Classique which was complete with ham, gruyere cheese and a homemade dijon mustard. A croque monsieur in crepe form, La Classique was light and the real star was the homemade dijon mustard. An optional add on to the dish, the tangy dijon mustard highlights the classic combination of ham and cheese while providing a needed sauce to the crepe.
Dessert afforded many more options to chose from. La Patisserie offered macarons, gelato, eclairs, cheesecakes, and tarts amongst countless other offerings. My eyes were immediately drawn to the eclairs and more specifically the coffee eclair. A rich dessert on every level, the pastry portion was moist while the cream filling carried both coffee and chocolate notes. Adorned with a coffee/chocolate topping, the coffee eclair is not a delicate desert by any means but proved to a be a perfect followup to the light crepe.
Perhaps the biggest draw to dining at Le District is the abundance and quality of outdoor seating available. Overlooking the marina harbor, Le District’s outdoor seating feels decidedly European (save for the occasional passing behemoth cruise ship). Enjoy a cool water breeze on a steamy summer afternoon while savoring all the treats from the marketplace. Le District definitely rewards multiple visits as I anxiously look forward to returning and working my way through all the foods they have to offer (and more importantly the wine).
