Chronicle Critic Finds Elevated Picnic Fare at the New Épicerie

Chronicle critic Jessi Devenyns reviewed the second location of French cafe Épicerie at the Laguna Gloria museum this week, and found plates that were both beautiful and well-executed. The original Rosedale restaurant from chef/owner Sarah McIntosh expanded with this limited location within the Contemporary’s alfresco sculpture park in Tarrytown this past spring.

Devenyns’s first bite was a cured salmon bagel, which arrived with “bright colors and textures.” and used a Rosen’s sesame bagel that Devenyns loved. She also tried a sweet potato farro salad which she declared “so artful it pained me to destroy the composition” and filling enough to be a full meal. She found the harmony of her “endlessly creamy” side of macaroni and cheese was slightly thrown off by the addition of broccoli, but still enjoyed the dish.

The highlight of Devenyns’s visit was the avocado toast, which she called “a work of art.”

The toast itself was a golden chaise which absorbed a delicious dose of butter, and the creaminess of perfectly ripe avocado was amplified by burrata cheese. Things didn’t get out of hand thanks to the frisée, pomegranate seeds, and quinoa granola that added some thoughtfully less caloric crunch.

Though slightly disappointed that the restaurant’s eco-friendly packaging still ended up in garbage cans, Devenyns was overall pleased by this abbreviated version of the Brentwood favorite.

• French Picnic Fare at Épicerie at the Contemporary [Chronicle]
• Epicerie Brings French-Louisiana Fare to the Outdoor Laguna Gloria Museum [EATX]
• All Coverage of Épicerie at the Contemporary [EATX]
• All Coverage of Épicerie [EATX]