Financier for the Financial Crowd

Before my lawyer-friend Jeremy up and moved to Tokyo, I used to meet him for lunch at Financier Patisserie once a month or so. It took me over my then allocated $6 lunch budget, so it was saved for rare occasions, particularly lunch with Jeremy, because he treated from time to time. (A $12 lunch is a small matter when you have a six-figure salary, I suppose.) However, now that I've upped my budget to $10, Financier is more within reach.

Financier has a (somewhat forced) European cafe feel, which is pleasant and laid back - unusual for lunch spots in this area. I love that your meal comes on real plates and (most of) your beverages in real glasses or mugs. I usually get the Financier sandwich, which is grilled chicken, goat cheese, and I forget what else. I have also tried the Vegeterienne, which is fried green tomatoes and (again) I forget what else. Both are served on warm crusty bread, pressed slighty. Today (thanks to my temporary, self-imposed dietary restrictions) I got the Niçoise Salad. Before I go into my long list of complaints about the salad, let me say that it was actually quite good. It just wasn't a true Niçoise.* Here's why:

- The greens were frisée, probably my least favorite lettuce. (Usually, Niçoise is done with watercress.)
- The salad was tossed all together.
- There was no hard-boiled egg (despite the fact that it was mentioned on the menu as an element of the salad).
- There were exactly 2 green beans. (I know there is no rule about number of green beans in a Niçoise, but 2 is unquestionably too few!)

And then there was the tuna. I love Niçoise salads, but am careful about ordering them. I really like fresh tuna, but I haven't liked canned since I was a small child. The menu said the salad was made with "house cured tuna," which I don't doubt. It was, in fact, far better than any canned tuna I've had. But, it also reconfirmed my previously held position on tuna: stick to fresh!

Anyway, I ate it. And, as I said, it was tasty. However, when I return to Financier, I will undoubtedly switch back to my old standards.

One final note: I did not mention that whole "patisserie" aspect. Financier has amazing pastries! In fact, the restaurant's name surely has a double meaning: referring at once to its location(s) in the Financial District and also to the French pastry by the same name. I won't even begin to make recommendations in the pastry category; they are all good.

There are three Financier locations in Lower Manhattan: 62 Stone Street (the only one I've been to), 35 Cedar Street at Liberty Plaza, and there's one inside the World Financial Center.

*Yes, I am aware that there are some debates on what makes a Niçoise a Niçoise.