Chez Francis

Soufflés Are on the Menu at Francis & Staub in NYC

"In the former Les Halles space, the forthcoming Francis & Staub is a deliberate attempt by cast-iron legend Francis Staub and chef Richard Farnabe to democratize the soufflé and make it an everyday, Instagram-friendly option rather than an expensive, slow occasion. They’ve built two dedicated soufflé stations with separate ovens for sweet and savory and will employ soufflé-only chefs; the menu is planned to include ten rotating options (five sweet, five savory) priced $14–$22. Farnabe has developed a new, flour-free technique that produces lighter soufflés and can deliver a finished dish in about seven to eight minutes, though he won’t reveal the exact methods; he and Staub emphasize the mold (metal for heat conduction), oven temperature, kitchen humidity and ingredient technique. Savory ideas being tested include lobster, escargots finished with persillade, a wild mushroom soufflé with a coffee-morel sauce, foie gras and an aligot (cheesy potato) soufflé, while desserts under consideration range from red-velvet and gingerbread to a Nutella-and-praline soufflé spiked tableside with cognac (and maybe even a peanut-butter-and-jelly soufflé). The goal is to offer something distinct from other brasseries like Balthazar or Frenchette by making soufflé faster, more affordable and regularly rotated." - Rachel Sugar