We grabbed a bite at La Boîte en Bois because of its proximity to Lincoln Center, where we were seeing *The Whoopi Monologues*, a production that expands Whoopi Goldberg’s one-woman show into five distinct life stories performed by Kerry Washington, Kara Young and Dominique Fishback, among others.

A basket of good, crusty bread arrived almost immediately. We did have to flag someone down for olive oil, but it was brought over graciously as soon as we asked.

After settling on a salad, pasta, entrée and dessert to share, the kitchen thoughtfully split both the salad and pasta in the kitchen before serving them.


Our salad ($21.50) couldn’t have been fresher. Peppery arugula, crisp endive and sweet beets were lightly dressed in a citrus vinaigrette and topped with warm goat cheese. It was beautifully balanced and so fresh, and we finished every bite. I sipped a glass of Saint-Émilion ($22) throughout the meal, while my dining partner opted for a nonalcoholic pilsner ($10).

The four oversized housemade mushroom ravioli in a light porcini cognac sauce ($31.50) almost seemed too substantial for a shared pasta course. We wondered if they’d spoil our appetite for the mussels to come. In hindsight, we were glad they didn’t. The mussels ($35.50), served in a fragrant shallot, garlic and tomato broth, were the only letdown of the evening. They were unusually small and lacked the plump, briny quality we both expected. After sampling a few, we pushed the rest aside and instead picked at the accompanying French fries.

Dessert restored the meal’s momentum. Profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce were simple, classic and exactly the sweet finish we were hoping for.

 

La Boite en Bois
Lincoln Center Area
75 West 68th St. (@ Columbus Ave.)
New York, NY 100
212-874-2705
LaBoitenyc.com