Victoria's Secrets

Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:48 AM EDT

A Continental French Treat in Manhattan

Stu and I go into Manhattan regularly, so when I got a call from a publicist for Meli Melo Restaurant on Madison Avenue, I said we would be glad to dine there.

The owner/chef Bernard Ros has spent his life in the food service industry, beginning in his parents’ Parisian restaurant. He was a consultant to restaurant owners, training the staff and the chef as well as planning the menus.

Unfortunately, when he finally created his own restaurant he lost his lease three times. Eleven years ago, he heard about a location on Madison Avenue in the 30’s. At the time it was a “down on its luck” neighborhood - which has since turned around. Because he was able to get a long-term affordable lease, Meli Melo is now celebrating its 11th anniversary.

Its name means a mixture of lands and cuisines. The concept comes to life in the well-priced menu. The restaurant, with its white tablecloths, warmly painted walls and bountiful bouquets of fresh flowers, creates a romantic setting.

The meal opened with two Amuse Bouches, one an egg mollet topped with Russian caviar, and the other melted gorgonzola cheese with a sun dried tomato reduction in a pastry shell.

The appetizers, ranging in price from $8 to $12.50, are a great beginning. They blend elements of the world’s finest cuisines, from tuna tartar topped with caviar to grilled octopus in a marinara sauce, to a lavish terrine of foie gras (my favorite).

There are several salad choices. We shared the endive with shaved parmesan cheese and walnuts in a light vinaigrette dressing.

For our main courses, which ranged from $18 to $28, we sampled a grilled veal chop and a salmon glazed with lemon rind, served with crunchy beans. The salmon was perfectly prepared to my medium rare request. I also tried their signature dish of bouillabaisse with chunks of shrimps, scallops, langoustines, and salmon in a saffron-flavored light tomato sauce.

There are several pastas to choose from.

Be sure to save room for the homemade, spectacular-looking desserts - all priced at $7. I flipped for the chocolate temptation - a mouth-watering combination of dark chocolate laced with berries topped with fresh whipped cream presented under a web of sugar. Stu was thrilled to find his favorite, coffee ice cream atop a peach melba - a classic French dessert.

The friendly, efficient staff added to the pleasure of the meal. A wide selection of wines is available. Stu enjoyed a perfectly prepared large martini.

Try it, you’ll love it.

Meli Melo Restaurant
110 Madison Avenue
Between 29th and 30th Streets
212-686-5551
Open seven days for lunch and dinner
Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight
All major credit cards accepted