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| August 10, 2006 | Time Out New York | By: Time Out | |
| The seasonal menu favors seafood (tasty roasted scallops arrive with grapefruit and asparagus), but the meat dishes really stand out-the ribeye steak with bordelaise sauce was exceptional. Service is precise and knowledgeable, but diners, a mix of suited couples and Chelsea scenesters, are all greeted like old friends. The deftly chosen wine list offers very affordable vintages-a real find in this pricey neighborhood | |||
| August 18, 2005 | City Search | By: Kathleen Squires | |
| Chef Brian Bieler grabs diners at the seasonal amuse: brilliantly sweet heirloom tomatoes and crisp English cucumbers simply drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. Everything else falls into the same spare, fresh fold, quietly showcasing ingredients without the slightest hint of grandstanding. Silky baby leeks gently bring out the buttery edge of meaty sea scallops; white truffle nudges an ordinary asparagus and wild mushroom combo to "wow" territory; and tender duck breast picks up sweetness from golden raisin puree. Desserts like the apple-kissed cinnamon pot de creme are equally engaging, making this neighborhood secret even more sweet. |
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| August 29th, 2006 | Cititour | By: Brian Scott Lipton | |
| It can be all too easy to overlook Fillip’s, the charming, semi-formal and slightly petite French-American eatery nestled on Seventh Avenue among such more casual and bustling eateries as Il Bastardo, Salsa y Salsa, and Regional Thai. But pass by this year-old restaurant, which is far from stuffy, at your own risk – since there’s little better eating to be found anywhere in the area. The credit belongs squarely to young chef Brian Bieler, most recently a veteran of Compass, who uses seasonal ingredients (many from the Union Square Greenmarket) in his beautifully composed dishes. If you want to see and taste the full breadth of Bieler’s talent, order the daily tasting menu, which can be paired with appropriate wines if you so choose. Most of the dishes on our sampling were also on the main menu, where the portions are sometimes (though not always) larger A perfect starter for a humid summer evening was Bieler’s feather-light rendition of Vichysoisse – an evening special. The potato-leek-and-cream cold soup got just the right added oomph from a small smattering of Osetra caviar and just a pinch of nutmeg. That was followed by a perfectly cooked diver scallop accented by a few slices of perfectly fresh citrus fruit. A third starter, equally triumphant, combined warm early summer asparagus with baby arugula, frisee, and slices of piquant Romesco cheese in a lovely sherry vinaigrette. I would never have ordered braised pork belly, since my few previous encounters with the dish were unpleasant. But not only did Bieler get me to eat every last bite with his tender and un-gamy take on the pig, I even downed every last lentil that came with it (another previous non-favorite). What’s Bieler’s secret? Cooking the lentils in chicken stock and adding bits of Granny Smith Apple and bacon. On the other hand, one never has to ask me twice about duck breast, and Bieler scored again with a delicious piece of fowl crowned with pine nuts and set atop sublime broccoli rabe. Fitting in dessert after such a feast wasn’t easy, but Bieler – who’s also the pastry chef – found the winning ticket: a gorgeous buttery heirloom apple tart accompanied by homemade vanilla bean ice cream. It would’ve been a sin to leave even a single morsel over. So I didn’t. Neither will you! |
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| July 29, 2005 | HX Magazine | By: Patrick Huguenin | |
| Chelsea bistro charms without the chintz. Fillip Billan loves Chelsea. Having opened his French-American bistro on Seventh Avenue two months ago, he caters to the neighborhood with a creative but classic menu and a sleek yet unpretentious atmosphere. Fillip's exudes old-world charm, and diners lucky enough to sit at a one of its dozen or so tables are surrounded by wood-framed mirrors and can look out onto the tiny patio. The service reflects the intimate atmosphere with an attentive, personable French staff. It was my personal joy to bring along my friend Adam, who's dating a vegan and needed to be seduced back into the world of meat. Fillip's was the place to do it, with classic entrees like the Black Angus Filet($25) and a selection of seasonal seafoods that included Tempura Softshell Crab ($12) and Roasted Atlantic Salmon with Cucumber, Mache, Greek Yogurt, and Mint Oil ($22). Adam started off cautiously vegetarian with a Roasted Beet Salad ($8)-"How could anyone not love warm beets and goat cheese?" he asked-but by his second glass of Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir, Adam broke down and ordered the filet, which came cooked to perfection with mashed potatoes so creamy that Adam proclaimed them "resolutely un-vegan." My Tempura Crab was perfectly complemented by a rich but tangy greviche sauce. I ordered my salmon medium-rare and-miracle of miracles-it actually arrived medium-rare, over a bed of tender lemony greens. And the attractive presentations made the gourmet but satisfactory portions look good enough to devour. Best, our server recommended an Austrian Gruner Veltliner that proved an excellent accompaniment to fresh seafood. Adam couldn't find any meat on the dessert menu, so he opted for the pot de creme, a cold apple cinnamon custard ($8). I had the admirable molten chocolate cake ($8)-a dessert of which I consider myself a connoisseur. Suffice it to say, Vive la France! |
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| July 29, 2005 | New York Daily News | By: Pascale Le Draoulec | |
| It was late and the young chef at Fillip's was enjoying his dinner in the dining room, when a customer shuffled over and said he had a bone to pick. The lanky chef, his long locks tied back in a loose ponytail, looked up from his plate quizzically. "The woman next to me said her food was so delicious it was orgasmic," the diner said, perfectly deadpan. "Mine was merely very good." An awkward silence gave way to lots of laughter. Fillip's in Chelsea is a funny little place indeed. Named for owner Fillip Billan, Fillip's had long been a casual, inconsequential Mediterranean eatery. Sometime last spring, Billan got an itch to turn it into a much fancier French restaurant complete with beautiful stemware, an elegant wine list and a flower arrangement worthy of a swank hotel lobby. It seems an odd choice for this low-rent block of Seventh Ave., home to a discount beauty supply store selling dusty lipsticks and cassette tapes of disco greats. The menu at Fillip's reads just like one of those "greatest hits" compilations of French classic dishes. The young chef, Brian Bieler, apprenticed at the Stonehedge Inn in Tyngsborough, Mass., known for its Provencal French cuisine, and he also worked at Compass. His cooking is what you might expect of an ace culinary student. He's got the techniques down to be sure. But he has yet to develop his own flair. Take the amuse Bieler sent out last week, a miniature version of his roasted beet salad. This offering from the chef is meant to be a tease - a gastronomic garter belt, as it were. His beet salad in walnut dressing is quite tasty. But as gifts go, it's as exciting as a gift certificate from Barnes & Noble. Topping the menu, the vichyssoise, the classic cold soup of leek and potato, is simply perfect. A touch of nutmeg and droplets of extra-virgin olive oil skimming the smooth white surface give this matronly soup delicious pizzazz. (The soup is also available on the very affordable lunch menu.) Another good choice to kick off your meal are the soft-shell crabs, which he serves tempura-style with a traditional Gribiche sauce and baby radish. I've had a battery of soft-shell crabs this year, and this ranks among the more delicately fried. A warm asparagus salad, however, arrived with a listless fricassee of wild mushrooms, and the promised truffle never came out of the woods. A tomato sorbet lacked the requisite intensity. Seared scallops with baby leeks mache and Meyer lemon was a straight shooter of a dish, the scallops cooked to perfection. Simplicity worked in favor of the seared halibut, bringing out the bold flavor of the fish, which was paired with braised endive and roasted baby beets. Rack of lamb served with parsnip purée, Swiss chard and a hint of chervil caught me off guard, it was so flavorful and tender. My Long Island duck with baby bok choy was cooked to a tender T, but its golden raisin purée tasted amateurish. Which brings me to the service. There is one (tuxedoed) server per shift, but he's backed by a couple of very young women who, though perfectly gracious, know little about the restaurant business, and this restaurant in particular. Every question or simple request was met with a bashful shrug of the shoulders. One night, our entire table was cleared by mistake after our appetizers. Were they hired at the nearby youth hostel? I wondered. Their hospitality went a long way to make up for their shortcomings. Still, the menu and prices aren't catering to the Nutella crowd. For dessert, I'd recommend the flawless vanilla creme brulee or the chocolate soufflé over the simpleton cinnamon pot de crème or blueberry velouté. Or go with some of the interesting cheese offerings, particularly since Fillip's offers a compelling wine list and many dessert wines by the glass. A slice of peak-ripe Epoisse to enjoy with the rest of my Cabernet? Now there's something I could get really excited about. |
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| May 16, 2005 | New York Magazine | By: Rob Patronite & Robin Raisfeld | |
| Openings Fillip’s Wedged into a thrifty block between a $9.95 haircut hut and a taco joint touting a $6.95 “Fabulous Lunch” special, Fillip’s sticks out like a chocolate soufflé on a Krispy Kreme conveyor belt. “I wanted to bring a little sophistication to Chelsea,” says chef Brian Bieler. Bieler channeled a series of "spare-time" cooking stages into an elegant French-American menu of his own. A Lespinasse-worthy floral arrangement, careful but casual service, and impressive entrées (truffled chicken sous vide, and rack of lamb with parsnip purée) that surge upwards of $22 set the refined mood. But the $20.05 prix fixe lunch is in keeping with the penny-pinching spirit of the neighborhood, and the wine’s a good deal, too: Bieler charges cost plus $15 for every bottle on his well-chosen list, and serves them in sleek Schott Zwiesel stemware. |
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| October 1, 2006 | Zagat | By: Zagat | |
| French-American food prepared “avec coeur” is yours at this new Chelsea “charmer” offering “simple”, “no-frills” dining in a “sliver of a room”; “pleasant” service and “good-value wines” add to its appeal | |||
202 7TH AVENUE
NEW YORK CITY, 10011