Bliss Bistro

Bliss Bistro
4520 Skillman Avenue

Sunnyside, NY 11104-2117
(718) 729-0778
Food 8
Ambiance 7
Service 7
Overall 22
Good for romantic couples dinner and for upscale small group dining for bargain prices- Orgasmic potential alert!
Now when I started this blog, I swore to myself that I was only reviewing places I had never been to before the blog. My husband thought this was unfair as some of my favorites would not recieve their just due. And while I am still sticking to the policy, I will revise it to add that if one of my true blue places delivers an orgasmic meal than I shall have to review it. And this is why I am reviewing Bliss. Since I started going to Bliss the last several years, it has become one of  our neighborhood stars for consistently tasty well priced French food in a romantic atmosphere. The owner Maruf always goes out of his way to greet us and we are always  promptly seated. The waitstaff is generally very attentive and food service uniformally speedy. Food quality is generally very good. On occasion spectacular, but on average just really good with good sized portions. .During the week , they have an unbeatable 20 or 25 dollar prix fixe. The atmosphere is elegant cozy chic. Its a fairly spacious dining room that can seat about 50 diners. White walls with cream  curtains and historic pictures of Sunnyside in the 19 th century . Comfortable cream well padded banquets throughout.
So we decided to go to Bliss for Valentines Day this year.
The menu for Valentine's Day offered multiple specials not seen on their regular menu.
The standard menu price at Bliss is ultra-reasonable. Appetizers $6-8, Mains $13-21 and Desserts $7. The wine list is also reasonable with a focus on well priced French wines.
We started with cocktails. My husband had a glass of whiskey and I had a signature champagne cocktail.Initiailly I found it too sweet so I asked them to add some lime, which still made it unpalatable. After a few sips I gave up. Although I did not complain or return it, they removed the drink price off our final bill.
We ordered a bottle of  $40 Pomeral Bordeux Red which was a medium bodied earthy red.
I started my meal with a $15  appetizer of sauteed fois gras with roast pear and my husband had a  $5 mesclun salad.
Now the fois gras and its perfection is the principle reason I am writing this review. Now in case you haven't figured this out yet, my primary reason for eating is taste. While I certainly care about healthiness, supporting local farmers ,having pesticide free food, and being humane to animals,if all of those things also didn't translate into supremely better tasting meals, honestly I really wouldn't bother. So for those who care about the pain the duck suffers being forcefed to produce their premium liver, I say, my first duty is to satisfy my tongue, by whatever means necessary. If a duck must be stuffed to accomplish this, so be it. So in my opinion, one of the best ways to have fois gras is when it is perfectly seared, slightly seasoned and served with a lightly sweetened accompaniment. Just enough accompaniment to highlight that delicate sweetness and creaminess of the fois gras itself. You really don't need to do much to the fois gras. If it is high quality, you want to barely caress it with seasoning, heat and sides so it is the true star of the show. And this is what Bliss did perfectly. The fois gras was lightly salted and peppered and so perfectly barely cooked. Even now the memory makes me infinitely sad it is not on the regular menu. It melted in my mouth, gliding into a creamy slice of perfect luxury. Bliss was not skimpy with the portion either , giving a good 3 inch portion of the fois gras. It was served with a 1/4 of a sliced roast pear and a balsamic reduction with a few sprigs of salad and a few toast points. The pear and balsamic reduction provided the needed undertone of sweet and tart to balance the fois gras. Truly one of the best fois gras appetizers I have ever had. My husband's salad was a simple refreshing salad lightly dressed. The Valentines menu was somewhat pricer than Bliss' typical menu.
For mains, I had the  $29 special rack of lamb with couscous and vegetables, cooked rare. My husband had the  $27 filet mignon with gratin potatoes,cooked medium rare. My lamb arrived perfectly cooked, well seasoned with a tasty side of couscous and small portion of fresh vegetables. My husband's filet was well seasoned and perfectly cooked and his potatoes were a well balanced mix of  creaminess. Overall the mains were the standard consistent tastiness we have come to expect from Bliss. Nothing extraordinary like the fois gras. We finished with an apple tart, which was a light refreshing puff pastry base with sliced apples served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Overall, Bliss is a true New York treasure. I am always amazed it is not packed with more people, as it truly delivers in taste for the price point. If only I could have the fois gras monthly.......life would be divine
So though the Quest continues I am so happy to report my first food orgasm since starting this blog........