Little Frog Bistro and Bar

Restaurant Critique
Little Frog Bistro and Bar
322 East 86th Street New York, NY
Pamela Goldman
Patch.com Upper East Side
Photography: Gerald Feldman

Cool evening breezes blew during our end of the summer visit to Little Frog
Bistro and Bar. Greeted by owner Francois Latape, standing strong
and proud in his seersucker jacket and jeans, we felt at once charmed
by his presence.

Recommended by Restaurant Guru for 2019, Francois is well known
in the NYC restaurant industry for his ties to La Goulue, a New York Institution of fine cuisine on Madison Avenue. Having left his partners, he started his own
restaurant, Little Frog, which is catching on like wildfire.

The restaurant beckons you in with it’s classical french doors, vintage tiling
and framed prints of old photographs and advertisements of vintage Peugeots. The comfy blue banquet seating is also part of the savoir-faire design of white-washed brick walls and a vast bouquet of fresh sunflowers in the center of the restaurant. The anything-goes attire of the patrons included men in shorts, sneakers...in other words...no dress code at all!!

We began our culinary adventure with the artichoke vinaigrette. This was
outstanding! The artichoke was huge and we were told that Francois
sources them from California where they are grown and nurtured all
year long in a hot house, organically which is the reason for their size.
The aioli in the center of the artichoke was infused with lemon, paprika and
other secret seasonings. The waiter also mentioned that the artichokes are first pickled in lemon water before they are steamed, adding to their beautiful flavor.

Next we shared their house special vichyssoise. A combination on potato, leeks and crème, the soup was blended into a silky finish kissed by Piment d'espelette, croutons and a raw oyster on top. The presentation was stunning and the soup,velvety smooth, a sizable portion. This was followed by their house Pate en Croute. Another gorgeous display, the thick sliver of pate was surrounded by delicate pastry, cornichons and Dijon mustard...I must say at this point that although the dishes we picked were french classics, the versions that Francois presents at Little Frog were more robust and had a unique spin than those served at most french restaurants,
here in NY and abroad.

The french fries, well caramelized and served in a cup with paper, tres traditional, came with a house sauce Choron made from smoked paprika, egg yolk, butter, vegetable oil and other mysterious seasonings. The restaurant’s home baked bread is a unique addition presented in a paper bag, baked in an unusual shape with olive oil and herbs de Provence.

Finally, we had lemon verbena crème brulee. Like so many of his dishes, the lemon verbena made his dessert a fresh new take on a french classic. I want to point out that James served us and informed us of the unusual ingredients of which he was allowed to speak. He was a delight and very knowledgeable.

Due to the completion of the 2nd Avenue subway, Little Frog is accessible
to all. With refreshing tastes and a high-spirited atmosphere, this is a
restaurant you don’t want to miss. With his unique flair, Francois has made sure that la joie de vivre is alive and well on the Upper East Side thanks to his gem, Little Frog Bistro.