Cercle Rouge

Description
This by-the-book bistro—aged mirrors, French movie posters and laissez-faire waiters—does a roaring trade in red wine and steak frites, particularly come dusk when Wall Streeters in loosened ties swarm the bar. The chef, who hails from Toulouse, turns out classics that would make his compatriotes proud – beef tripe stew steaming in a clay pot, foie gras resting on a caramelized bed of honeydew marmalade—while also accommodating the American palate, with buffalo chicken wings dunked into a crème fraîche–whipped blue cheese sauce.