Madeline’s Through The Years

It had been years since my last outing to Madeline’s Petite Paris in Northvale, NJ. At that time the restaurant was jacket and tie and had a four star ratings. Chef Gaspard was the Executive Chef for Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. In May of 2000 he opened Madeline’s Petite Paris with his wife Madeline. Eventually their son Francois began to help run the restaurant and now is in charge of the workings as Chef Gaspard and Madeline have retired to Florida. The last time I went to Madeline’s, Chef Gaspard’s cuisine was inspired and a testament to French food. Even though dishes like Duck a L’Orange and Cassoulet have been around for many years his versions always seemed fresh and new. Madeline also had a way with people and she made everyone feel at home. That was the first thing I noticed upon entering this time, I wasn’t greeted by Madeline but , by her son. The look of the restaurant hadn’t changed but the feel of the restaurant had. Upon closer inspection I noticed the tables didn’t have their usual place settings, instead the utensils were rolled inside the napkins and placed on the plate. There is something to be said for the informal look but it wasn’t something I was prepared to see at Madeline’s. Times change and places change to keep pace with them. Jacket and tie were also no longer required, which is something I can live with, as this custom certainly has changed with the times. I sat down with my party of eight and prepared for an evening of good old school French cuisine.

When I’m having a little holiday gathering it’s always fun to start with a drink and here the restaurant didn’t disappoint. They have a very in-depth wine list with wine for most budgets. Their spirits were also inline with a top notch French restaurant. Those of us that ordered a drink really enjoyed it and they didn’t skimp on the alcohol. Being in a group of eight people we were going to get a nice variety of appetizers, which I was excited about , because it would help me make a better assessment of our dining experience. At Madeline’s they have some of the old favorites, like Swiss baked onion soup, Escargot, Foie Gras and Coquille St. Jacques. (scallops in a vermouth cream sauce). Our table chose a variety of dishes ranging from salads to scallops. I chose the Wild Mushrooms Napoleon . This dish was five types of mushrooms in a sauce over steamed asparagus and puff pastry. I liked the mushroom sauce but the asparagus wasn’t warm and it was rubbery as though it had been frozen. The puff pastry was cold, while the sauce was hot. Not to sound pompous but there was a disconnect with this dish. I would have liked the whole dish to be the same temperature and the asparagus could have been sautéed until tender. Another dish, the mushroom soup was described as watery. The salads and the scallops were given high marks, so on a table of eight that’s pretty good.

When it was time for the main course, in proper fashion the appetizer dishes were cleaned and the appropriate utensils were placed in front of those having the steak or the cassoulet. They brought out the entrees in a timely manner , which is always nice so everyone at the table isn’t waiting to eat. Two of our party had the Filet Mignon , each person said their steak was delicious. The lamb chops and pork medallions also had equal praise. I had the Cassoulet, which is one of my favorite French dishes. It consists of duck confit, ham, pork, garlic sausage and white beans cooked together for hours with aromatic spices to make a sumptuous casserole. My dish arrived in its own little crock. I was told the bottom was hot but the lid was cool. This led me to believe my dish was cooked in this little crock. While it did have small pieces of all the required meats, the overpowering taste of Thyme was a disappointment. There is a certain flavor the beans get when simmered for hours and this dish didn’t have that flavor. It almost seemed the beans were cooked separately then added to my crock and Thyme was tossed in at the last minute. Still the cassoulet was edible and I would give it a 5 out of 10. The Chicken Francais, was described as bland. I would say that three of the eight diners had entrees that were only “OK”. For the price one would hope you’d get a little better rating.

Back in the days of Chef Gaspard the dessert was the crowning jewel of the meal. You could bet anything chocolate coming out of the kitchen would knock your socks off! The Chocolate Soufflé for two was always a favorite of mine. I was a little surprised that I was the only one ordering it at the table. The others in the group had ordered it the last time they were there and it didn’t leave an impression on them. The chocolate mousse seemed to be the dessert of choice on this night. The apple strudel and assorted sorbets with fruit were also ordered. When a soufflé is ready it must be brought out right away, so it was no surprise that my dessert came out first. It was giant! It was easily enough for four people especially when it was served with the Crème Anglaise , which is a sweetened cream sauce you pour over the hot soufflé. I thought the soufflé was pretty good, except for the fact that the top had risen to much which creates a dry crust. The inside filing of gooey rich chocolate coupled with the Crème Anglaise was perfect. The one big problem was everyone else was still waiting for their desserts to come out. I had to dig in right way while the soufflé was at the perfect temperature. The rest of the desserts came out a little at a time with the exception of the assorted sorbets. You would have thought that would have been the easiest dessert to make, maybe they forgot it, so I inquired and was told they were waiting for the fruit to be cut up. From a restaurant point of view that means, yep they forgot it. Then when it did arrive the fruit was cut into tiny pieces. This also, from a restaurant point of view could mean a few things, the person prepping wasn’t told how to slice fruit or spots on the fruit were so bad they had to diced it up. I would hate to think the later but things get done in restaurants that most of us don’t want to know. The desserts, despite their untimely delivery, were all met with approval at the table.

I find it a little difficult to recommend this restaurant in its present form. It could be they have staffing issues because of covid, and I have seen help wanted signs on their website. It might also be that I remember what it was like under Chef Gaspard. Madeline’s Petite Paris, was his baby and together he and his wife made an excellent team. Maybe I shouldn’t be comparing the past with the present, but it is hard not too. As I looked at the crowd the majority were much younger than the crowd I had seen in the old days. The restaurant also gets great marks online. It’s considered one of the best French restaurants in Bergen County. To me it’s the attention to detail that is missing. In the past a really good French restaurant would have always set the table and not rolled up the utensils in a napkin and pop them on the plate. No Chef would ever let meals come out even 2-3 minutes apart, nor would they allow drips of sauce on the outer rim of the plates. These may seem like nit picky things, but when you’re paying a premium price, precision, professionalism, ambiance and service are to be expected. That being said, I would give Madeline’s Petite Paris one more try. I know deep inside the place lies the soul of Madeline and Chef Gaspard and I hope someday it will re-emerge.

If you have any questions or comments, especially if you’ve been to Madeline’s Petite Paris, please leave them in the box below. Stay tuned because soon, I’ll be posting some super quick and easy Holiday recipes for some sweet stuff! Thanks for stopping by and as always, Boone Appetit!