"In the 90s, one of his haunts was a bistro on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 11th Street called French Roast, which bustled 24 hours a day. The real estate is now occupied by a Mexican restaurant, La Contenta Oeste, but the current chef worked as a cook at the previous establishment. Luis Arce Mota emigrated from Mazatlan, Mexico in the early 90s, and worked at Windows on the World, Union Square Café, and Bouley, among other places before landing a job at French Roast. There he made a croque monsieur for Bowie three or four times late in the decade, by his count. When I went to pick up the sandwich, the chef, wearing a mask, described watching Bowie eat the sandwich. 'He’d sit there by himself,' says Mota, gesturing toward a small round table at the rear corner of the restaurant, 'and always wash it down with a beer, either a Pacifico Clara or a Stella Artois.' He went on, 'Back then, the restaurant was filled with celebrities, and Quentin Tarantino was a regular.' The recreated sandwich ($15) was lovely, made with two thick slices of sourdough bread. In between were several pieces of ham, and the top slice of sourdough was soaked in a béchamel composed of eggs, beer, and gruyere. 'I used domestic gruyere back then,' Mota told me, 'but nowadays it’s easier and cheaper to use the original imported from Switzerland.' The sandwich was as rich as a sandwich gets, and moist too, and I cast my mind back 20 years to imagine 'The Thin White Duke,' as the chef referred to him — recalling one of Bowie’s early stage personas — lifting up the sandwich with both hands, his fingers shiny with grease. It’s still available off menu, but make sure to call ahead (212-533-2233) to order it." - Robert Sietsema
