Newspaper Article

Great Expectations in the Mall

Meehan, Peter

2006

Overview

There will be other customers, some who haven't been able to score a reservation upstairs, at Mr. [Thomas Keller]'s restaurant Per Se, or who don't have the wherewithal to foot the bill for a meal there. They will go to Bouchon Bakery hoping to brush up against Mr. Keller's vestments, to experience a toned-down approximation of the storied greatness that lies beyond a copper-tiled hallway up the escalators. Bouchon Bakery does not fulfill what some may take to be the implied promise of an affordable franchise of the Thomas Keller experience. The capable and gracious staff does what it can to make you feel as if you are in a restaurant, but there is no escaping the fact that you are dining under a gigantic Samsung sign in the hallway of a mall (with a good view, so long as you're facing Central Park instead of the escalators). Am I setting the bar higher than I usually would because of Bouchon Bakery's association with Mr. Keller? Yes, but he is why many will go there. Is Bouchon Bakery good for the Time Warner Center, an exceptional bakery and a viable choice for lunch in the neighborhood? Yes. But it is just that.

• Publisher: New York Times Company
• Subject: Bouchon Bakery-New York City NY / Restaurants