French Friday is a series for Francophiles and/or anyone with an opinion and good taste by moi, a former almost-Parisienne for nine years, and other almost-or-actual-Frenchies who know their ‘oof’ from their ‘bof.’ The goal? To rate venues outside France on their Frenchness. Plus, an ‘en plus’ section with like-minded recommendations in France itself. On y va!
🥖 = Mais non. (No)
🥖🥖 = Pas mal. (Not bad)
🥖🥖🥖 = Bon. (Good)
🥖🥖🥖🥖 = Trés trés bon. (Very, very good)
🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖 = Parfait. (Perfect)
360 Myrtle Ave, Fort Greene, Mon.-Sat., 5-10p.m.; Sunday, 11am.-3p.m., 5-10p.m.
You know I like a place when I go back, and I went back to Little Falcon, which was called Third Falcon when I first visited in November.
It comes from chef Cali Faulkner — the third Faulkner in her family, hence the restaurant’s name — who worked at the veritable Verjus in Paris. Her French training is evident not just by the quality of her cuisine, but by the type of French fare she serves, which is to say not American French fare and hence making it…legit French. Stick with me.
Roast chicken. Burger on brioche. Seared scallops with leeks. “Greens of the moment.” Strawberries and cream. This is the type of approachable, seasonally-focused food the French do well. It’s what they cook at home without fuss, for guests or themselves, and what they serve at the bistro down the rue.
Cali’s dinner menu now includes the option of a three-course formule (prix-fixe), which is displayed on a chalkboard outside, listing the courses as “entrée, plat and dessert” (+10 points for the French delineation), but you can order à la carte, too.
The first time I went, with a fellow Francophile, we were very impressed with the roast chicken, the greens, and the fall-appropriate tarte tatin for dessert. We also loved the $10 house-made brioche served with Bordier butter (+20 points for this most iconic French butter — and for offering to also bring us radishes to eat with it.)
The second time I went, with another Francophile, we fell hard for the scallops in hollandaise and the seasonal verdure: crispy artichokes served with toasted brioche, dill, and capers.
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