Food
His jobs at Tout Va Bien,
the oldest French bistro in
the theater district, Bagatelle
and Le Bilboquet helped
inform his menu.
Caro has also
placed a greater
emphasis on
brunch, where
he serves up
both a sweet
and savory crêpe
Bretagne, a dish
that originated in
Brittany.
Caro said he studied
how to make the perfect
crêpe from buckwheat for
months and that it’s become
a popular weekend
menu item. Other options for
brunch include croque monsieur,
a French grilled cheese
with ham and béchamel and eggs
Benedict with a choice of Canadian
bacon or smoked salmon.
The dishes are affordable, ranging
from $13 to $20 for an entree and from
$10 to $14 for brunch. Caro also serves
a large selection of wines from France,
Italy, New Zealand and California.
Desserts include crème
brulée, mousse au chocolat,
l’île flottante, meringue
floating on crème Anglaise, and riz au
lait et son caramel au beurre sale, a rice
pudding topped with homemade salted
caramel butter.
The restaurant’s staff is small – just
two people in the kitchen and one employee
to direct people to their table.
Caro said he wanted to open his restaurant
in Queens because he loves
the borough and has called it home for
the past 12 years.
“I’ve always lived in Queens, Astoria,
Jackson Heights,” he said. “It’s a great
neighborhood around here. I didn’t want
to go too far from the city or to go too
close because the rents are higher. I
think it’s the right mix.”
Caro is also Celtic and likes that Sunnyside
and Woodside have a large Irish
community. Côté Soleil has racked up
dozens of five star reviews on Yelp in
the four months that it has been open
and Caro said he wants to wait at least
a year before thinking about expanding.
“I’m taking it one step at a time,” he
said. “I have some regulars already. It’s
really picking up.”
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