|
By Barbara Penny Angelakis
 Peacock Alley
The Waldorf=Astoria
301 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
1-800-WALDORF
www.waldorfastoria.com
Old World Grand Dame hotels are few and far between even in the US luxury hotel market, where too many landmark hotels have succumbed to modernization, condo-itis, or downright neglect. This makes the Waldorf=Astoria all the more precious because it has been beautifully maintained and renovated in keeping with  the classic art deco style of the original 1931 construction. The hotel’s fabled lobby is a monument to elegant good taste and is as much of a gathering place now as it was at anytime during its glittering history. When you enter the reception gallery with its gilded ceiling, Deco design, imposing nine-foot-high two-ton bronze clock centerpiece dating from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and oh! so comfy leather-covered arm chairs, allow your imagination to transport you back to a time when Fred Astaire - resplendent in tails, top hat and cane - with Ginger Rogers on his arm - stunning in a flowing Marabu-feathered chiffon gown - could sweep through to the strains of “Begin the Béguin” - the popular samba written by Cole Porter in 1930 - accompanied on Porter’s original Steinway piano located close to one of the peacock paintings which gave name to Peacock Alley Restaurant.
After an extensive renovation last year, the legendary restaurant and meeting  place in the main lobby reopened under the stewardship of Chef & Restaurant Director Cedric Tovar, and Sunday brunch was reinstated. During the brunch, the restaurant spills over into a cordoned off section of the lobby where a lavish display of 16 specialized stations is set up. There are more then 180 featured items, including; a raw seafood bar with chilled jumbo peeled shrimp, lobster, King Crab, oysters du jour and Little Neck clams shucked in front of you, smoked fish and American caviar; authentic proscutto and cured meats imported from Europe; ten different types of the Waldorf signature Eggs Benedict along with several hollandaise sauces to choose from; plus all the usual classic egg dishes and accompaniments; cold appetizers;  hot buffet; bouillabaisse station; carving station with a never ending supply of Beef Wellington, roasted leg of lamb and pork loin; dessert stations complete with a flowing hot chocolate fountain and of course the Mimosa and Bloody Mary station, to name a few.
In the past months, I have been writing about a different type of brunch experience where you are seated, handed a menu and given a choice of prix fixe or ala carte items brought to table. In many locals, buffet and brunch are synonymous, but that is clearly not the only way to enjoy a weekend breakfast/lunch combo and many restaurants long ago broke with the buffet tradition to offer a more manageable bill of fare. At Peacock Alley the brunch offered at $75 per adult and $35 for  children under 12, is a full, all you can eat, no holds barred, buffet. The notable difference at Peacock Alley from buffet brunches’ offered at many other restaurants, is the superb quality of the ingredients prepared with traditional French overtones. The one and only disappointment encountered was in the coffee, which I found to be thin and acidic.
Captivated by the gastronomic abundance spread before me and recognizing the impossibility of sampling everything displayed, I planned my course of action before proceeding. For instance, I went for the Bloody Mary instead of the Mimosa and it was made for me exactly as requested. The bartender edged the glass with lemon, dipped it into Chef Tovar’s special blend of salt, pepper and seasonings before plunking ice, vodka and tomato juice into the glass and topping it off with a celery stick (no premix at Peacock Alley). All the servers were friendly and seemed eager to please. The Restaurant Manager/Sommelier Jose Almonte, was  especially charming and explained that he and the staff was proud to be “helping to keep the legend alive” all the while creating new ones, in such a historical and still vibrant establishment.
While caviar was not offered at the seafood bar on the occasion of our visit, I happily substituted freshly shucked silken Bayport oysters and properly chewy Little neck clams, delectable tidbits of smoked salmon and tuna, cold lobster and shrimp, all accompanied by different delicious dipping sauces made fresh daily. From the salad bar several appetizers were notable; the candied yellow and red baby beets with a generous helping of goat cheese, where the texture and color of the beets set off by the creamy white cheese was awesome; rondelles of creamy rose-colored foie gras in aspic on toast with a dollop of plum jelly, again texture and color as point and counterpoint; and of course the famous Waldorf Salad.
It was a difficult decision between traditional Eggs Benedict, given that the dish  was created at the Waldorf by famed Oscar Tschirky during his rein over the kitchen at the turn of the century, or the many mouthwatering hot dishes, but in the end I went for the carving station and the Beef Wellington. It turned out to be a glorious choice as it was the best I had ever tasted. The prime filet was tender, flavorful and roasted to perfection. The meat was covered all around with a puréed mushroom mélange instead of the traditional foie gras topping, which made for a more succulent and complimentary accent. It was then wrapped in a ¼ inch flaky crust that maintained its integrity even when cut. After the meat carver sliced a portion, he added a pinch of Chef‘s famous salt/pepper seasoning and a dipper of au juice into which I promptly dropped a spoonful of the creamiest whipped potatoes ever. Chef Tovar’s popular Wild Pepper Crusted Pork Loin was not being served but he graciously supplied the recipe, which you can read in Cook’s Corner.
 My resolve to pace myself was almost melted by my visit to the dessert station with its groaning-board array of mini French pastries, fresh fruit for dunking into the chocolate fountain and all manner of cakes, pies, puddings, tarts and cookies. All around me, I could hear overwhelmingly favorable comments and saw glassy-eyed diners with big smiles overcome by the abundance of the selection set before them. I happily joined my voice in praise of such a dazzling display but I was not done yet because just behind me was the crepe station. After some consultation with the accommodating server, it was decided that a fresh fruit crepe flamed with Grand Marnier would be a perfect end to such a wonderful meal… and he was right. Light, fruity not too sweet and bursting with flavor… but still, those chocolate winged pastries…
© February 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
