DC Restaurant Week Dates Just Announced!!

DC's Restaurant Week is back!! That’s right … haven’t you heard? Yes, well maybe you haven’t because the RW dates for this summer were just released. This summer expect restaurants to be HOT! Washington’s twice-a-year Restaurant Week, always creates quite a stir for DC Area diners. It's the time of year that normal folks (those without a hefty expense account) can actually afford to dine in Washington's best restaurants.
Restaurant Week is intended to create business for area restaurants that would normally be in a downward slump due to so many people vacationing over the summer months.The upcoming Restaurant week officially begins Monday, August 11, 2008 and ends Sunday, August 17, 2008, but some establishments will be observing early and expanding their participation to all month.
Participating Restaurant Week restaurants offer a gourmet 3-course prix fixe menu, $20.08 Lunches and $30.08 Dinners. Some of the regular participating restaurants include Corduroy, Bistro Bis, Butterfield 9, and Vidalia. Some newcomers include Restaurant K by Alison Swope and Rasika. I wonder when restaurants like Komi, Restaurant Eve, CityZen, or even Citronelle might open their doors to Restaurant Week.
Last RW in January, rustic Italian Dino offered its full menu, with a few upcharges and lasted the entire month. Romantic Butterfield 9 last time started the promotion a week early and extended the entire month, as well.
All of José Andrés’s area restaurants—Spanish tapas flagship Jaleo, Mediterranean-flavored Zaytinya, Modern Mexican Oyamel, and Latin-themed Café Atlántico have offered Restaurant Week for an extra week in the past. We can only hope that they will continue. The same goes for two places owned by restaurateur Ashok Bajaj—Cleveland Park’s neighborly Ardeo and its wine-bar sibling, Bardeo.

I already have reservations at Foodie Favorite, Corduroy for Dinner. Make sure you return to see my reviews!

Cooking and Culinary Arts: Where to go

So I've been recently considering taking some cooking classes or getting a degree or diploma in Culinary Arts. So far I've been looking for information on co$t. I saw a commercial on TV about the Art Institute of Washington and their Culinary Arts program. Also I found a huge List of cooking classes for adults and children in the Washington Post. The list is rather dated since it's from 2001, but the websites are listed. I'm considering signing up for a class or two that is offered at Galileo in DC by Chef Roberto Donna. It costs $100 per person for each class and includes hands-on instruction with the Chef, an apron, recipes, a five course meal and wine pairings. Other cooking classes of interest to me are those being offered at the Lebanese Taverna. The cost per person is a little less at $60 per person. You can register online, which is handy and the classes last from 6:45pm to 9:30pm.

Dining in DC Wish List and Mother's Day (May 11)

So there are lots of opportunities to celebrate by dining out each year. For me, the big ones are my wedding anniversary (Dec.), my birthday (Jan.), Valentines's Day (Feb.), Mother's Day (May), my husband's birthday (Nov.) and then were back around to another year. In Dec 2007 my husband and I went to Le Paradou (see review) for our wedding anniversary. For my birthday, I went to CityZen (see review). For Valentine's Day, I can't remember if we went out or what we did. I was very pregnant, so we probably didn't do much. With that being said, Mother's Day is approaching. Since I have twice the duty, I plan to pick a special place this year.
I've decided to take a look at the Washingtonian's 100 Very Best Restaurants
and make a "Wish List", starting with my #1 most desired place to visit. This was easy of course, since the #1 restaurant, Citronelle, I have never been to.
So my Wish List is as follows:
1. Citronelle
2. The Inn at Little Washington
3. Komi
4. Restaurant Eve (Tasting Room)
5. Vidalia
6. Central Michel Richard
7. Kinkaid's
8. The Source
9. Marcel's
10. Palena

So with Mother's Day approaching ... I am not sure what I will pick.
Komi is closed Sunday and Monday, so if I pick Komi I will celebrate on Saturday, which is preferred anyways. Citronelle and The Inn at Little Washington are out of our price range right now, for two or more reasons. First is I am not working because I am on maternity leave and second we have a new baby and it costs a fortune.
I think I will try and talk my husband into Restaurant Eve. I really like it there (been there for lunch) but have never been there for dinner. The tasting room menu for five courses is $125 per person, which is a steal, especially since it's Cathal Armstrong.

Oya: on the fast track to 100's Best

So last night I checked out Oya (777 9th St., NW). The restaurant calls itself, "Contemporary Asia-French fusion". Traffic was horrendous, as there was a Capitals game at the Verizon center and a baseball game at the new Washington Nationals stadium. Besides that, getting to the restaurant was uneventful. It's on the same block as Zayatina and the Capital City Brewing Company. They offer Valet, thank goodness because they probably know that there is no way that a diner would be able to find parking on their own, well especially not on a night like tonight.
Inside the restaurant is breath-takingly sexy and chic. It has a clean crisp design with white leather tables and chairs and the foyer is adored with a heavy metal chain link curtain on the wall. On the restaurant website, you can see their interior photo gallery for pictures. http://www.oyadc.com/Interior
The bar and lounge area had at least two areas that were reserved for special parties. The bar itself was fairly large and could easily accomodate a couple hundred people for a bustling happy hour.
One thing that I noticed right away once we were sat at our table, besides the decor, is the din. You can't really hear the person sitting with you and you especially cannot hear your server. I had to ask my friend more than once what the server was saying. You simply cannot hear over the noise level in the dining room. I'm sure that the bustling lounge and bar area nearby didn't help. The servers are dressed in head to toe black, which is a stark contrast to the tables and chairs. On almost every table there is a unusually tall thin bottle of trendy (probably over-priced) water (Zengo).
One very unique thing about Oya other than the decor is that they offer a prix fixe menu every day of the week. They offer a $20 lunch menu and a $30 dinner menu. My friend and I both ordered off of the prix fixe menu. For the first course, I ordered the coconut shrimp. It was cooked perfectly. Shrimp that is overcooked, usually is very rubbery. This was very good. The shrimp was lightly battered like tempura. Since Oya serves tempura, it was probably the same batter. My friend ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll (sushi) as his first course. I of course tried it and thought that it was spicy, but not enough so that you can still taste the tuna. There wasn't a lot of the tuna in the roll. I thought that there was a lot of "white" in the roll (rice). I noticed that the wasabi was presented as if it was squeezed out of a decorators tube. We also ordered a California Sushi Roll. The ginger was un-died, it wasn't that pink that you would find at other sushi joints.
For the second course, I ordered the Grilled Sirloin which I ordered medium. I rarely ever order red meat so rare, but I truly think that meats are juicier more rare. Boy, was I right! This steak was so moist, so tender, it almost melts in your mouth. My friend ordered the Chilean Sea Bass which came with stuffed roasted peppers. I did not try the peppers, as I am allergic, but the Sea Bass was perfectly cooked as well. It didn't taste "fishy" at all. Light, soft, delicate buttery flavor; it was delicious. When I return, I will order the Chilean Sea Bass. For dessert, I had the trio of sorbets, mango, strawberry, and pineapple. All in all, when it's all said and done, I think that the atmosphere makes it a great date place, but not for a first, second, or third date, as you would need to be able to hear someone that you are trying to get to know. I think the food was delish. I bet in a few years, it will find itself on the 100's Very Best. I can't wait to go back!

Oya!

So tonight I'll be dining at Oya (777 9th St. NW), the sushi/american restaurant in DC's Penn Quarter. It's my first dinner in DC since the new baby has been born; that's 6 weeks, to be exact. I don't know a lot about this place, so I decided to do some research. So far I have been able to find out that Oya's "co-chefs" Jonathan Seningen from Le Paradou and James Stouffer from the Château Elan Winery & Resort in Georgia met snowboarding in Argentina. What this has to do with the great food? I have no idea, but people like to know little tidbits. Washingtonian Magazine says that Oya is "sexy and delicious". I can't wait to see what it's like inside. I don't think I have ever eaten in a firelit dining room before. Bring it on!

CityZen

A delayed review. I've been a bit busy with the new baby and new house, but I wanted to write before I forgot about my big Birthday dinner. CityZen was rated #2 by Washingtonian and Executive Chef, Eric Ziebold was voted in Food & Wine magazine as one of ‘America’s best New Chef’s’ and the restaurant one of the ‘Hottest Restaurants in the World’.

Washingtonians knew that CityZen was going to be big even before it opened in September 2004. Chef Eric Ziebold's previous gig as chef de cuisine at the Napa Valley's The French Laundry, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the country made him a sure thing in DC. CityZen has pretty much been booked ever since Ziebold arrived. Located in the deluxe Mandarin Oriental Hotel. That part of town looked like new construction.

One thing I learned about this restaurant is what an "amuse bouche" is.
The restaurant is truly beautiful. The bar and lounge area is as large, if not larger than the dining area. Minimalists would feel at home in the dining room with the stone pillars, chocolate-leather banquettes, and gourd-shape red-orange lanterns--and the mesmerizing wall of fire behind the bar.
Within minutes of sitting down, the maître d' explains that the menu comes in three parts: a regular six-course tasting menu, a six-course vegetarian tasting menu, and the prix-fixe three-course dinner menu. You choose between a $75 prix fixe menu of 3 courses or a $90 5-course tasting menu; tasting menus of 6 courses for $110 and of 7 courses for $125 are sometimes available. The Sommelier was very informed and very polite. I didn't choose the tasting menu but it looked scrumptious. Our meal began with the first of many compliments of the chef; an amuse bouche of fried mushroom with truffle butter. This mushroom fritter, even if it was only one bite tasted out of the ordinary. This fritter was an earthy, but otherworldly, tribute to late fall. The flavors were deep and the multiple textures clever. It did what an amuse should do, awaken one’s senses to future surprises by the depth of taste. Wait staff keep bringing intermission refreshments, such as olive oil custard topped with infused butter on one occasion olive oil custard slicked with hot chili oil. I ordered from the menu the Pekin Duck, described on the menu as Poached with Medjool Dates, Spelt, Asian Pear and Duck Leg Confit. My entree was the Pan Roasted Rouelle of Spotted Skatewing, described on the menu as made with Spanish Capers and Meyer Lemon. I never had skatewing before and thought that by trying this, I was broadening my horizons. Have I mentioned the cute little boxed rolls? Oh they are what I remember best about the entire meal. Those little rolls were delicious!

Restaurant Week is coming!! Yay!!

DC's Restaurant Week is rapidly approaching. Foodies all over the DC area area anxiously await not Christmas, or New Year's Eve, but YES, Restaurant Week!!
Washington’s twice-a-year Restaurant Week, always creates quite a stir for DC Area diners. It's the time of year that normal folks (those without a hefty expense account) can actually afford to dine in Washington's best restaurants. Restaurant week occurs usually once in the Fall, around October and the second week in January. The upcoming Restaurant week officially begins Monday, January 14, 2008, but some establishments are observing early and expanding their participation to all month. Most of us foodies already have at least a lunch and dinner reservation booked. Actually, most of us booked them before it was announced which restaurants would be participating. *wink*
Participating Restaurant Week restaurants offer a gourmet 3-course prix fixe menu, $20.08 Lunches and $30.08 Dinners. The participating restaurants list includes some regulars like Corduroy, Bistro Bis, Butterfield 9, and Vidalia. Some newcomers include Restaurant K by Alison Swope and Rasika. I wonder when restaurants like Komi, Restaurant Eve, CityZen, or even Citronelle might open their doors to Restaurant Week. Well ... only a girl can hope!

Rustic Italian Dino offers its full menu, with a few upcharges, starting January 2 and lasting the entire month. Romantic Butterfield 9 is starting the promotion a week early, on January 7, and extending it to the 26th. All of José Andrés’s area restaurants—Spanish tapas flagship Jaleo, Mediterranean-flavored Zaytinya,(pictured left) Modern Mexican Oyamel, and Latin-themed Café Atlántico—offer Restaurant Week for an extra week, through January 27. The same goes for two places owned by restaurateur Ashok Bajaj—Cleveland Park’s neighborly Ardeo and its wine-bar sibling, Bardeo.

I already have reservations at Circle Bistro in Foggy Bottom and Foodie Favorite, Corduroy for Dinner. I will just slide into Zaytinya just in time on Sunday for dinner, as well. Make sure you return to see my reviews!

Da Domenico: No Accolades here

Da Domenico, established in 1980, is a small, family-oriented, Italian restaurant nestled into the heart of today's bustling Tysons Corner. The restaurant's founders, the Ramella family came to America from Imperia, in northern Italy and successfully ran their business for more than 40 years. It is currently owned and operated by Sayed, who was with the original owners for 10 years.

According to the website, "The recipe to Da Domenico's success is the spirit, warmth and culinary talent of the Da Domenico family". Perhaps the culinary talent had the day off on New Year's Eve (NYE). Granted, New Year's was my first visit (and probably my last), but I expect that no matter what I order, that my food is served warm.
Apparently they had a special NYE menu, because neither of the two dishes that my husband and I ordered is on their regular menu. They had a prix fixe menu, three courses for sixty dollars per person.

The appetizers that they offered except the Calamari Fritti, were new to their dinner menu. They offered a lobster stuffed ravioli with salmon caviar, lobster bisque, crab stuffed shrimp, and two choices of salads; an arugula and a Caesar. All of the options were very tempting. I couldn't decide which would be better, since I like crab and lobster, however, for the first course, I ordered the lobster bisque and my husband ordered the stuffed shrimp. The bisque was smooth and creamy and was served at the perfect temperature in a white oval bowl with a small round crustini floating on top. I liked the bisque, but have had better. Actually the Lobster Bisque served at the Great American Restaurants, as I recall, is surprisingly better. The bisque was spicy but lacked the occasional chunk of lobster meat that I think most people expect in a quality bisque. I was unable to taste the stuffed shrimp, as my husband said that it was loaded with bell peppers, which I am allergic.

For the second course, there were mainly seafood options, even though I had heard that Da Domenico is well known for their Veal Chop, however, I just wasn't in the mood for the Chop. It was on the menu, but I ordered the Cotoletta Porchini ... the menu described it as Veal Scaloppine with a creamy mushroom sauce. It sounded delicious and I figured if they are good with Veal that it would be good, as well. I was rather disappointed when my dinner arrived. The Scaloppine cutlet was borderline cold and the mushroom sauce was almost bland. Served with the veal was one single quartered potato slice and a few green beans with a quartered tomato slice. I ate the potato, even though that wasn't warm either. The green beans were crisp, just the way that I like them. I didn't ask for them to heat it up, although I probably should have. Instead, I just picked at it and ate an occasional bite here and there, but it looked like I barely touched it when they took my plate away.
I ordered the cheesecake as a dessert, but was disappointed, as well. The top coating of the cheesecake gave it a roasted flavor that I don't care for on cheesecake.
Overall, I just expected more. I am thoroughly disappointed. Maybe I should have ordered the Chop, since that's what they say is their best dish. C'est La Vie!

The 2008 100 Very Best List -- It's Here!!

The most anticipated edition of the Washingtonian has been bestowed upon DC Foodies. DC area restaurant goers have anxiously awaited the release of the Washingtonian's 100 Very Best Restaurant List in the latest issue (January 2008).
There have been quite a few changes. First off, this issue introduces a scale for service in addition to the traditionally used star system for culinary experience. Introduced last year, the magazine ranks the restaurant from 1 to 100 and all 100 restaurants are rated on a scale of four to two stars. All restaurant receive at least two stars or are not included in the top 100. The highest rating of four stars (culinary epiphany) was given to only three restaurants this year and last year.
Michel Richard's Citronelle was ranked #1 again this year, however CityZen moved up from #3 in 2007, to #2 in 2008. Chef Richard (pictured) made that rarest of leaps in the world of food—from the pastry kitchen to chef of one of the country’s foremost restaurants. A chef who inspires colleagues with his creativity of invention, he was among the first chefs inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who in American Food and Wine. Maestro, which was ranked #2 is closed until March 2008, thus was not included in the 2008 list. The restaurant is searching for a new Chef de Cuisine to replace the award-winning Chef Fabio Trabocchi.
Amazingly, Komi moved from #10 last year 7 spots to #3. This is quite impressive! The Executive Chef is one of DC's youngest chef's. Komi's success has been attributed to Chef Johnny Monis who was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s 2007 Best New Chefs. As newest member of this exclusive club, Chef Komi (pictured on the right) joins the ranks of past local winners Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve (2006), Eric Ziebold of CityZen (2005), Fabio Trabocchi of Maestro (2002), Frank Ruta of Palena (2001), and Roberto Donna of Galileo/Bebo Trattoria (1990).
I have not had the honor of dining at any of the top 3 restaurants, Yet although I plan to visit CityZen for my birthday dinner late January. CityZen has gained several prestigious awards such as, “Restaurant of the Year”, by DC Modern Luxury, August 2007, Mentioned on The Go List as one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the World”, Food & Wine, May 2007, 2006, and “Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year”, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., June 2007.
I am thrilled to visit this extraordinary establishment and sample Chef Ziebold's culinary expertise. The restaurant’s 20-foot high ceiling offers you a better view of the activity in the open kitchen, while the style and décor still provide an intimate setting. Eric’s menu changes monthly depending on the availability of the freshest ingredients. Stay tuned my review next month, it will be a big one.
Following the four stars, the first awarded 3 1/2 stars (Outstanding) is Restaurant Eve, which moved up 2 spots from #6 in 2007. I have reviewed Restaurant Eve's lickety split lunch in the lounge, but have not been there to try their main dining room or tasting room. The closest that I come to the Top 10 is #11 Charlie Palmer Steakhouse that I visited in August 2007 for Restaurant week.
As of 2008, I have only dined at 19 of the 100. Many of them that I have reviewed were pushed out for 2008, such as Acadiana, Ceiba, and Restaurant Kolumbia. It seems rather unfortunate that Acadiana and Restaurant Kolumbia were added to the Very Best in 2007 only to stay one year and be Out in 2008. There is an asterisk next to Restaurant Kolumbia in the "Outgoing" box on page 89 that indicates that a restaurant has closed. The restaurant's website does not provide any news about the supposed closing, but upon further investigation, I found on zagat.com that they closed on October 27, 2007 and will be looking for space elsewhere to launch a new venture. DCist reports that the renovations to their building have caused them to lose their lease. It's a shame, really. I was just there. I reviewed the restaurant just a few months ago and now it's gone. Jamie Stachowski told Don Rockwell of the Food Forum that he plans to open an Eastern-European bistro with an emphasis on his Polish roots. The location and date are to be decided.
The Majestic was added to the List (ranked as #42), however I don't believe that this establishment is consistent enough with their cuisine to be included. I dined at the Majestic in October 2007 and was thoroughly disappointed. I believe that it was added only for the fact that Cathal Armstrong (pictured to the left) has recently taken over the kitchen. It simply doesn't belong in the 100's Very Best, not yet, that is. Maybe the fact that Washingtonian named them "Restauranteurs of the Year" has something to do with it. Don't get me wrong, I think that Cathal and Meshelle are fantastic! I especially love what they did with Eamonn's and I heard that their next venture, European-style butcher, break bakery, gourmet shop, and wine centric lounge, will be opening in 2009 in the Del Ray area. I also can't believe that Johnny's Half Shell (#59) is ranked above L'Auberge Chez Francois (#60). I find it simply impossible. The service alone at L'Auberge should rank them higher than most. After all, the Washingtonian did award them the highest rating for service "supremely attentive" while Johnny's only got "competent and efficient".
I am mosly pleased that Farrah Olivia by Morou Ouattara in Old Town, Alexandria that was added in 2007, ranked as #32 with 2 1/2 stars has moved to #22 in 2008 with 3 stars. My first visit to Farrah Olivia was January 2007 for my birthday. Yes! I chose it for my special dinner. I have been back at least twice, since, never to be disappointed.
I just love Chef Morou. I even stopped watching the Food Network's Next Iron Chef when he was eliminated in week 3, the episode in which the chefs' resourcefulness were tested by sticking them with coolers full of "wild" ingredients — chosen in secret by a fellow competitor — that they had to turn into two dishes in one hour with a charcoal grill and limited tools. The Ivory Coast native's signature artistic presentation was lost on the judges, who wanted to see his food "touching" after being warned in week 2. "I mean everything is constantly in little piles," Judge, Donatella Arpaia said. Though the other judge, Andrew Knowlton defended the Farrah Olivia chef's dishes, he ultimately echoed that sentiment: "We found the plating again to be a little monotonous," he later told the chef. And so ... he was out. I was thoroughly upset and disgusted that at one point the judges said that his dish, based solely on taste alone, was their favorite, Yet he was eliminated for "monotonous plating".

Since Restaurant Week is coming up, beginning January 14, 2008, I plan to visit at least one or two of the Top 100's Very Best Restaurant's. I have my reservation for DC Foodie Favorite, Corduroy and I hope to also try one more ... Komi and Central (#10) are not participating, so I will try to get to Vidalia (#8) since I have not been there.

My goal is to visit all 100, but of course, it keeps changing!
I have a lot of food to eat ... and a long way to go to being able to boast that I have dined at all the 100's Very Best!

Le Paradou.

Saturday night, my husband and I went to Le Paradou, located on Indiana Ave, NW in Washington, DC, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Of course whenever there is a special occasion, I consult Washingtonian's 100 Very Best Restaurant List and then go to Opentable.com to see who has a table available. My methodology of choosing a restaurant is always lengthy and extremely critical. At first I considered Citronelle, since it's rated #1 and I have never been there, but after looking at the menu, and seeing how expensive it is, it looked like either we could eat dinner there to celebrate our anniversary or we could have Christmas, but not both. I also wanted to try CityZen (#2) but there wasn't a table open until the new year. Restaurant Eve (#6) would have been great, but I have been there so many times for lunch that I just thought it wasn't "new". The Inn at Little Washington (#7) would break the bank. 2941 Restaurant (#8) we have already visited, and loved, but I wanted to go to someplace that I have never been before. Marcel's (#9) again, like the Inn, had no openings. So I decided to move down the List ... well all the way to #15.

Last Tuesday, I logged in to consult my guru (Todd Kliman) on his weekly online chat. I asked him about my choice of visiting Le Paradou. Our conversation went like this:

Todd,
It's been a while since I have been online and been able to participate in the chat, but I just had to ask you about my upcoming dinner reservation at Le Paradou. My husband and I are celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary and I know absolutely nothing about this restaurant. I know that it is on the Top 100 Very Best List, otherwise, I wouldn't even bother ;) ... but what else can you tell me about it? The chef, the service, best dishes, some juicy inside stuff? Dying to know. Hope all is well. Always a pleasure, Lisa D.

His Response:
Hi, Lisa. Welcome back, and happy anniversary!

What can I tell you? I can tell you that Yannick Cam is one of the best cooks in the city, and that his roots here go back a long, long way. In the '80s, his restaurant, Le Pavillon, was one of the city's top dining destinations. I can also tell you that you can expect -- well, no, that I can't tell you. The restaurant runs hot and cold. It can be brilliant at times and uninspired at others. Or -- one visit is sublime, the next leaves you wondering whether it's the same kitchen.

Best dishes? That depends, as I said, but his foie gras terrine with stewed apricots, his roasted lobster with Sauternes, his gazpacho with lobster claw, and his duck breast with foie gras tart, are all good bets.

Good luck, and be sure to check back in with a report ...

So last night, I think that I would say that the restaurant wasn't have an "off-night", but who knows. I am not nearly the expert that Todd is about such matters.
We were pretty happy that upon our arrival to the restaurant, there was a space right in front. We were delighted to not have to use the valet. When we go inside, I noticed immediately how the Christmas Tree by the door wasn't decorated in the back. All of the decorations were on the front. Pretty humorous, if I don't say so myself. The host was very pleasant when "checking-in". Of course, we had a reservation. The bar area off to the right of the entrance wasn't bustling yet. When we tell the host our name, he says, "Oh, this is for you," and reaches into a drawer and pulls out a yellowish-brown folder with Paradou written on it. My husband and I looked at each other, both confused. Apparently, my father and his lady purchased a gift certificate for us to the restaurant.
The main dining area is very large full of large round tables and boothes.
So we are sat at our table in the private dining area. It's in the back of the main dining room. It is the area that if someone has a large party, that room can be closed off to the other diners. It was the room of the restaurant that has the very large hand blown chandelier.
We each ordered an appetizer and we shared a bottle of Evian. I was surprised to find out later that the water was $9. Before the appetizers came, a small gift from the kitchen came out and the bread basket. The compliments of the chef was a single shrimp on top of some Sweet Bell Peppers Sauce. This was fine for one bite, but if I were to order this as an appetizer from the menu, I would be disappointed. There was nothing really to the shrimp. The only seasoning was the sauce that the shrimp sat upon.
There were more choices for appetizers than there were for anything else, well except for the wine list that was as thick as a telephone book.
I ordered the Raviolis de Crabe, Pince de Homard au Beurre Fin de Tomates, which is Crab Ravioli with Lobster claw, tomatoes, and butter. It was served in a large bowl with small thin raviolis on the bottom covered in large chunks of crab and lobster meat. In the butter sauce, you could taste the garlic and there were little tiny bits of tomatoes. How they cut those tomatoes so small, I'll never know. The butter sauce was so delish that I dredged my dinner roll in it. Ben ordered the Noix de Coquilles Saint- Jacques Enrobées d’une Feuille de Jambon de Parme, Truffes d’Hiver et Coulis de Poivrons Doux. Presented beautifully on a large square platter, the Scallops were wrapped in the Parma Ham, Black Truffles and Sweet Bell Peppers Sauce. I am not a fan of peppers ... as I am allergic, but I did try one of the scallops, also something that I don't ordinarily like, but these scallops didn't taste like scallops. They were soft and tender and didn't taste "fishy" to me. Plus, anything with bacon I love. Well Parma ham is close enough to bacon.
For the main course, I really branched out. I ordered the "Estouffade de Lapin aux Olives Niçoises et Romarin, Galette de Champignons Farcis" This 'Estouffade' of Rabbit with Olives, Rosemary and Stuffed Mushrooms Tort was exquisite. I have never had rabbit before due to ethical considerations, but I have to admit that this was the best meat that I have ever tasted. The rabbit was tender and succulent. I only found one piece that was dry. I had only minor difficulty with the small bones. I don't recall ever really enjoying eating turnips, but I ate every single one that was on my plate. The texture was soft but not mushy. It was almost like a small ball of mashed potatoes. The small Olives Niçoises were delish also. There were only a few scattered around the rabbit, but they too, were quite delectable.
My husband ordered the Osso Bucco aux Carrottes Glacées, Graines de Cardamon et Safran. At the time, I did not know that Osso Boccu was veal. It was only I could go and look it up that I learned exactly what it was. Nevertheless, this dish was cooked perfectly. In my experience, Veal is usually chewy and sometimes tough and I avoid it usually for this reason (and also the ethical considerations, again). This wasn't. It was very tender and the Cardamom and Saffron sauce was an excellent accompaniment.
For dessert, I ordered the Pomme Confite Façon Tatin, Crème Chiboust Vanillée, Glace Cannelle. It was presented well. The most interesting thing about the dessert was this thin sugary spike that stuck out of the ice cream. It was very crispy and reminded me of a creme brulee. It was served in a small votive with layers of the Vanilla Chiboust Cream and Cinnanom Ice Cream on the side. Wonderful, memorable meal. A nice place to spend a special occasion like a wedding anniversary.