Les Sans Culottes

Les Sans Culottes
1085 2nd Ave

New York, NY 10022-2004
(212) 838-6660
Food 2
Ambiance 6
Service 4
Overall 12
Good for spending your money on some of the worst food the city has to offer

Although I ate there only this past Monday, writing this review makes me feel like I am a tragedy survivor.
There is just a singular word to describe my experiance at this french cuisine travesty: disgusting. The word is neither original or memorable. But it is just. There are few things worse than bad food and bad wine. Les Sans Culottes is  a master in both.
Let me back track by saying I had walked by this genteel looking french establishment many times. It always had a good amount of patrons and showcased 3 separate prix fixe meals starting at their basic $25. The menu has  many French bistro staples so I figured it was a safe bet. Midtown east and french. Usually a good pairing.
We made a reservation for Monday at 8:30 and arrived slightly early.
Two other tables were there but otherwise the place was deserted. The place has the feel of ghosts. A place whose better days are long past but noone has told them yet they are off the most wanted list. Dingy and dusty. A forgotten attic of treasures. The ambiance must have been charming some years ago I think. The wallpaper and posters. Bright red and black. Small tables nestled closely together. The place was dark and silent. I remarked on entering it felt like we were no longer in NY. At the time, I thought this could be a good thing. By the end of my meal, I wanted my visa burned and revoked.
We settled for the 25 dollar prix fixe.
This started with a appetizer of crudites, terrine and sausages. The terrine was old and crumbly although not horrific in taste, served with  cornichons and an off tasting mustard based sauce. 3 types of massive sausages were brought to the table hanging from a 6 inch contraption. We were to take each and slice at will. The sausages were neither french nor good. Some poor deli version of salami. The piece de resistance was their wild crudite platter. Whole vegetable and fruit, not cut or prepared, just tossed into a large basket. The whole thing had the feel of those bad movies showcasing barbarian lords eating big boned meat with their bare hands. I paused fearing my main course would require me to depluck a chicken.
We had ordered wine with our meal. A chardonnay for myself and a cabernet for my husband. My husband took 2 sips of his vinegared wine and stopped, seeking refuge in the stale bread served. My chardonnay was unmemorable but drinkable.
I ordered the trout meuniere. A filet of trout came out, fresh but  pan dehydrated beyond compare,served with a lemon acid congealed sauce coating , insipid grey potatoe mash and a tablespoon of fresh vegetables. Looking at the meal, it did not inspire confidance of any tasty revelations. It tasted worse than it looked or smell. After 4 bites I was done and thankful we had feasted elsewhere on a plentiful bar appetizer 1 hour before.  My husbands entree was another altitude of problematic. He ordered the chicken cordon bleu, which was served with the same sad sides as my trout. His was also laced with some off white congealed sauce. Both also had been served with an additional side of fries and rice. My husband attempted to eat a third of his chicken and I fancied a taste. What happened next is almost too disturbing to write let alone remember. I reflexively spit it out. The taste was so nauseatingly awful, a strange unfresh melange of chicken,ham and cheese that had gone terribly wrong. Thankfully, my reflexes were good enough to have the offending food hit the plate and not the diners next to me. After recovering from the shock of what had just happened, I wanted to leave. I figured the desserts would be as awful as everything else. My husband reminded me that since I was planning on reviewing this place, I should sample it all. So we continued our feeding torture with chocalate mousse and creme caramel. More revelations of badness.
As I left the restaurant dazed and appalled, I wondered how does a place at this magnitude of  incompetance at these prices on the Eastside manage to stay in business. Can it really only be tourists who dine here or uninformed NY customers? Writing this review I was shocked to see so many positive reviews ,recent as well, on menupages and tripadvisor about this place.  Sometimes a place can have a bad night and be off its game. But the complete lack of anything approaching decent for all three courses leaves me convinced that nothing good can come out of this place. Maybe a new owner and a facelift can reinvent the place and bring it back into its hey day. Until then, book your trip to France with another restaurant.
The Quest continues..................