Ok, then, where to start. We had a fine meal, with well sourced and fresh fish/poultry/veggies. And the cooking was spot on and everything tasted above average. However, this is not a well organized operation. As I said above, the website had a menu from a couple of evenings ago that we assumed was as an example. Tonight’s menu, as expected, was totally different. However, when we were deciding what to order, the 2 shared dishes were listed on our menu as a poultry or a squid choice. So, we went with the a la carte menu and ordered mains of pigeon (her) and rouget (me). We liked both, although Ginny’s plat was a coherent whole while mine had components that made me wonder (more later). Then, the table next to us, who came in 15-20 minutes later, ordered a shared dish and out came pork (very nice looking pork) with the same accompaniments that were listed for the poultry dish. Whatever. Then, later on, when they re-presented us with the menu so we could order dessert, the poultry dish was gone and the shared dish was, in fact, the pork. And now, sitting here typing, I notice that the on line menu is tonite’s (a little late) & it also says “cochon”. Add to that, our wine by the glass. I had a nice chablis and, when I asked for a 2nd glass, they were out of it. She gave me some choices that were not on the by the glass wine list and I picked one that went just fine. But, you think that any of the above was mentioned or acknowledged at all by anyone? Nope. And we know that the poultry listing wasnt just a wrong menu given to us by mistake as we, at one point, were interested in sharing it as our main and the waitress even went over to the kitchen to make sure she knew how it would be prepared.
The entrees were few: 2 salads (a leek/goat cheese & a petits pois w/almonds & mint) & a veau tartare. Ginny went for the pea salad & I had the tartare. Both very good, although the egg on my tartare was a bit past runny. Still good. There were only 2 offerings on the (non-shared) mains menu. Ginny’s pigeon main had white asparagus & some cherries and, as I said above, it was very good and an interesting balance of flavors. My fish was a large fillet, cooked very little but enough, and fresh/tasty. It was accompanied by very good (grilled?) zucchini strips, very small halved tomatoes, some finely ground pistachios & 2 puddles of sauce. All were very tasty when eaten separately but I’ll be damned if I know how I was supposed to combine any of them. Dip the fish in one or the other sauce? Both? No indication from anyone and possibly no real answer to this riddle. But, as I said, all was tasty and the fish was very good.
Everyone working there was friendly & our waitress was an undergrad who just did a semester abroad in Paris and was staying for the next month, until the Olympics, then would go back to Rhode Island for the fall semester, after living the rest of the summer back home w/parents in…wait for it…. Park Slope, Brooklyn, where she grew up. That was fun, as we know most of the same places, since we live one neighborhood over.
The price point (160euros) made what we actually ate/drank very reasonable. If you like to guess what format you’ll be receiving, what on the menu is available or subbed out, then definitely go. If you like certainty, maybe think about it first.
This one is a good example of why I love the restaurant, though. Chef puts combinations of tastes together that seem somewhat (very?) dubious and creates something sensational.
