Bea

Bea, 403 W 43rd St (@ Ninth Ave), 212-602-1910, BeaNYC.com

SHORT ORDER: Exquisite cocktails and great food at sound prices make Bea the place to be.
PETER’S PICKS: chicken liver; macaroni and cheese; kale salad; salumi and cheese platter
PETER’S PANS: The loss of Le Madeleine

Now that Bea has moved into the space formerly occupied by Le Madeleine, my despair over the loss of the French bistro has been alleviated. The space has been updated and brushed over with a fresh coat of whitewash covering the exposed brick, on which muted classic movies, such as A Streetcar Named Desire, play. The feel of an old bistro may be somewhat lost but there is much else to be found at the lovely Bea (pronounced Be-a, named after owner Sotir Zonea’s grandmother). The menu is small-ish, but it still manages to cover a range of cuisines from Asian-inspired pork dumplings and Indian-influenced lamb meatballs to Italian-flavored pizzas and pastas as well as good old American macaroni and cheese.

The cocktails were devastatingly good. The Boulevardier was like a negroni but with Old Forester bourbon instead, along with Campari and distinguished Noilly Prat sweet vermouth. A curl of orange was tucked in, with fragrant, faint sprays of its oils glittering on the surface. A wonderful Smoked Side Car steered by Lapsang Souchong tea-infused brandy with a scoche of Cointreau and lemon juice had the nose of a recently fired pistol. A mix up at the bar turned into quite a happy accident with this cocktail—instead of a sugar rim, we were given a smoky salted rim, which resulted in something akin to a smouldering mescal that my fella and I preferred! We also considered the Thyme & Tonic, with thyme-infused Oxley gin, the Classic Mai Tai and the Bitter Duchess with Scorpion Silver Mezcal, but we thought it was better just to leave well enough alone.

Chicken liver tartine was appropriately iron-rich, simple and unfussy, with caramelized onions, a hint of balsamic vinegar and a flutter of chives on thick slices of toast. A Caesar comprised of a lovely pile of ruffled kale with lively vinegar and Parmesan was peppery and perfect. The warm asparagus salad was more subdued, topped with a poached egg and a fistful of pistachios, dressed with a subtle miso vinaigrette.

While not overly exciting, we still ate the gooey, chewy, ripe, cheesy taleggio pizza with a stiff crust, gently roasted maitake mushrooms and caramelized shallots. An excellent bowl of softened buttery macaroni and rich, fully-flavored cheeses with a crisp topping followed. The next round involved a platter with puffs of pillowy fried bread that were merely decent, but the accompanying cheeses, meats and other assortments knocked us out. Sumptuous, spicy, briny olives tickled braised pickles and fennel amid wedges of dainty bleu cheese, an absolutely transporting ricotta salata froth and smoked gouda with plump blackberries. A fabulous salumi combo of nutty mortadella, fragrant as a forest, carefully cured prosciutto and handsome ham rounded out the considerable presentation.

Against our careful judgment, we tossed caution thoroughly into the wind and ordered the dark chocolate mousse with whipped cream to finish up. We sidled up to another cocktail and lingered, delighted to be at Bea.

Prices: Appetizers: $7–$12; Entrées: $14–$20; Alcohol: wine, beer, full bar, specialty cocktails