Price: $39       Number of Courses:  3

Cuisine: French (Beaujolais Bistro)            Neighborhood: Tribeca

Jacques' favorite winter ingredient: Pumpkin 

Tucked into the quaint folds of the Tribeca landscape, within the walls of the 1891 Fleming Smith building (which began its life as a spice warehouse), lies the hidden gem known as Capsouto Frères. Since opening in 1980, its cozy red brick walls have welcomed guests with casual elegance in a modern but traditional bistro setting. Capsouto Frères has been praised for its selection and pairings, dubbed "an ambassador of Israeli wines" by The New York Sun, and won the prestigious Best of the Best Beaujolais Bistro award from Sopexa USA in June of 2009. At the helm of the kitchen is Chef Jerome Charpentier, a native of the Champagne region of France, and a champion of mixing traditional and contemporary French cuisine - blending innovation with the simplicity of perfectly cooked and time-honored dishes. The Capsouto brothers (frères means brothers) own the place: Albert, Samuel, and the managing brother Jacques, who can quite often be found in or about the front of the house and makes occasional stops amidst his guests to chat about wine, menu selections, or suggest a post-meal soufflé flavor.

Capsouto's fixed-price menus are simple, and quite reasonable. Tame your winter hunger with a hearty combination of the terrine Provençale, boeuf bourguignon, and an apple and rhubarb crisp - all for $39. Or take a lighter route with an arugula salad (with goat cheese), grilled mahi-mahi (with shrimp-muscat sauce), and a blueberry crepe - also $39. Capsouto also offers a $24 three-course prix-fixe lunch where the experience is similar; choose your own adventure from the offered menu items. The soufflés, while not on the prix-fixe menus, are nearly a must - whether as an appetizer, with the cured bacon and cheese soufflé, or as a second dessert with the decadent chocolate soufflé. Capsouto Frères is well known for its soufflés and for good reason.      

451 Washington Street • 212-966-4900 • capsoutofreres.com 

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