Betty's
Cuisine: Senegalese/French
Price: Expensive

Lower East Side
64 East 1st Street
(between 1st & 2nd Avenues)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 529-3262
www.bettysnewyork.com

Hailing from the small West African village of Sangalkam, former co-owner and chef of Boucarou, Malik Fall, decided to reconstruct the space after it closed. Dressing the interior up with crimson flowing curtains, red crescent banquettes and wall-to-wall artwork, it is with edible affection that Fall presents his newly-opened restaurant, Betty's, to the masses.

Upon being seated in the regal atmosphere, you'll see that the menu reads like a culinary love letter to Fall's African upbringing, combining the native tastes of the Senegalese coast with the rich, sophisticated savor of France. The Red Snapper Farci a la St. Louisienne features a whole boneless fish stuffed with celery, onion and red and green chili peppers, sprinkled with thyme and panko breadcrumbs, and drizzled with tomato farci sauce. This ensemble pairs the tender cut of the sea with the crunchy nourishment of the garden, and sets off an explosion flavor in your mouth.

Perhaps you would rather your meal have been found on land. If that's the case, the menu also supplies a variety of poultry/beef selections. The restaurant's eponymous entree, Betty's Burger, provides soft slices of black shaved truffle that sit perched atop juicy ground Kobe and bison meat. These two culinary vixens slide up against fried eggs, Boston lettuce and melted foie gras, exciting your mouth, and happily pleasing your stomach.

And if seafood doesn't satisfy and meat won't make it, Betty's menu offers a vegetarian version of the above-mentioned Farci dish, as well as a few different kinds of palate-arousing salads. Whatever it is that you order, heed my advice: save room for dessert! The Crème Caramela is a silky-sweet delight, and the Chocolate Grand Marnier Soufflé is a heaven of chocolate decadence, spiked with interesting ingredients like baby spinach and burgundy reduction. If all else fails (i.e. you are a picky snob), order Chef Malik's Fruit Salad.

After pampering your taste buds all evening (and breaking your bank), you might want to retire to the Romper Room - a semi-private lounge located in the rear of the restaurant that's marked off with chic bead-dusted doorways. Whether you retire to the lounge or to the restaurant's bar, a variety of drinks await your choosing, designed by a former Spice Market mixologist. Try the Drugstore Cowboy, a whirling mix of rye whiskey that's tamed and lightly sweetened with ginger and clover honey. 

The restaurant's dining hours are Sunday-Saturday from 5:30pm-11:30pm, and the lounge is open Thursday-Saturday from 11:30-4:00am, with DJ accompaniment. Call ahead to make reservations, or do it online.