French Friday, Vol 1: 'Modern European' in NYC's Lower East Side
Can Bufon be the Frenchiest non-French restaurant around?
French Friday is a new series for Francophiles and/or anyone with an opinion and good taste that rates venues outside France based on their Frenchness. Your critics are moi, a former almost-Parisienne for nine years, and other almost-or-actual-Frenchies that know their ‘oof’ from their ‘bof.’ Plus, a ‘P.S.’ featuring like-minded recommendations in France itself. On y va!
Hello! Or, I should say, bonjour! Bonne année and bienvenue to the first *Substack* edition of French Friday. A more fly-by-the-seat-of-its-pants version of this series first appeared on my Instagram immediately following my reentry into America in February 2024, after nine years of living in Paris. I naturally found myself going to, or happening upon, French or French-adjacent boutiques, cafés, restaurants, bakeries, etc., etc., and having BIG OPINIONS on them given my most recent experiences in the land of les Bleus. In many cases, the only truly French thing about them was their name, use of butter, or laissez-faire ’tude. So I started documenting them and sharing my thoughts casually in stories, and now I’m bringing them to you here on Substack.
For each post, someone with French know-how (mostly moi, but sometimes les amies) will briefly dissect a spot outside France that claims to be French — or maybe doesn’t, but achieves it naturally. Then, we’ll compare, contrast, and rate it for its authenticity:
🥖 = Mais non. (No)
🥖🥖 = Pas mal. (Not bad)
🥖🥖🥖 = Bon. (Good)
🥖🥖🥖🥖 = Trés trés bon. (Very, very good)
🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖 = Parfait. (Perfect)
We start with a new restaurant in New York that doesn’t proclaim to be French at all, but rather “modern European.”
Le Spot: Bufon
78 Rivington Street, Lower East Side / Tues.-Sat., 5 p.m.-11 p.m.
Les info
Except for its name, which is French for jester or clown1, there is nothing explicitly French about this new restaurant on the Lower East Side from the same people who brought us another restaurant that isn’t explicitly French — Demo. (Side note: Demo was the first restaurant I ate at, upon my return to NYC after years of being spoiled in France, both in general and as a journalist who writes about dining, where I felt like, ‘OK, this will do.’)
Both spots exude the epitome of new-age French bistronomy: shared, seasonal plates that change often, friendly service (yes, it can be a thing in France), and poignant design touches such as vintage silver coupes used for plating dessert.
Bufon is a corner restaurant that you’d easily walk right past if you weren’t looking for it, and it leans into its Frenchness immediately. Like, before you even enter. To wit, despite a sticker on the door that distinctly says “push,” you’re really meant to pull. This blasé lack of awareness is so French, and I love it. (But also, can ya fix that, SVP? And if ya did already, merci, and how very American of you!)
From there, the menu shines in its seasonality, which is something the French lean into heavily. In December, for example, the radicchio salad was served with persimmons and Asian pear, two distinctly winter-weather fruits. It is also very new-age French for beans to be the star of a dish. While we didn’t try them, their “flageolets” (similar to old school lima beans) were served with dried scallops, winter melon, and pickled kombu.
The presence of “linguine al limone” with mint and basil, an obviously Italian dish, is also aligned with many contemporary French restaurants in France, which don’t discriminate when it comes to cuisine culture profiling. It was also my favorite bite, though the bavette, which is how the French refer to a sirloin, served with a choice of three sauces, was chewy and charred in the best possible way. Oh, and the confit potato we ordered as a side was basically a giant latke, which, given that it was days after Hanukkah when we dined there, felt like a lovely little wink. I always said being Jewish in France felt like ‘a whisper,’ aka something people were proud of, but didn’t necessarily shout about as they do here in New York. Enter Bufon’s subtle confit potato, aka potato latke.
My only real complaint was their lack of tisane (pronounced “tee-zahn” for those of you who want to impress a Frenchie), aka herbal tea or any hot drinks, for that matter, which hopefully they’ll work on for those of us maintaining Grandma status during our 6 p.m. reservation.
Speaking of, Bufon’s American touches include the fact that you can make a 6 p.m. (or even earlier!) reservation for dinner; the welcoming offer to take our coats upon arriving; and a sign on the inside of the bathroom door reminding us to fully lock it. (See? This is why the entry sticker was out of character for ’Merica!)
Bonus points for the circus-themed murals around the bar up front, which are perhaps a nod to the one-time bistro-du-moment, Le Clown Bar, of Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Also, The Fugees on the soundsytem FTW!
Le rating 🥖🥖🥖🥖
EN PLUS
When in France…
2 Days in Paris: Authentic Bistros and Hidden Gems Locals Love, Lindsey Tramuta for The Michelin Guide
50 Favorite Restaurants, Meg Zimbeck for Paris by Mouth
Spelled “bouffon” in French, per Wiki and ma copine Sophie Peyrard, aka my IRL Google Translate!
Oustanding work on the baguette rating system. The observation about seasonality being the real tell for Frenchness is spot-on becuase so many spots lean on name or aesthetic alone without that foundational committment. I visited a place in Boston last year that had all the French trappings but served asparagus in November, and it instantly broke the illusion.
French Fridays = Love! (no attempt at anything French from me here, but I enjoyed reading this and... rating with baguettes - so cute!)