After reading an article about Tartinery, a NYC bread-themed restaurant, I decided to go have a look. What intrigued me within the article was the owner's bemoaning of difficulties procuring Poilainé bread, as well as his search for a local replacement. Given his sophisticated sentiments around bread, I was curious as to what he would do with an entire space dedicated to the French version of open-faced sandwiches. 

Located in Manhattan's downtown hipster neighborhood of Noho, Tartinery sports a sleek interior and bar, along with handwritten slate menus featuring a variety of soups, salads and, of course, tartines. Being my visit came on a cold, snowy day, I started with what struck me as cozy, comfort food, a French onion soup and a Corsican artisanal ale. The ale was fantastic, but the soup – or rather its makers – proved too cozy. Almost asleep. It was as if they fell asleep before adding onions. It made me think of limp water with cheese. Bad. 

For my tartine, I had roast beef with mayo. Lovely to look at and lovely to eat. That said, Tartinery's real star is its delicious little tarte Tatin. Mmmmmm. A serious treat. So in summary, between the ale and the desert and the nice atmosphere, I enjoyed my visit. I just hope Tartinery's kitchen wakes up for its soups as otherwise, it's a worthwhile place for a meal.