The French Room

I have a soft spot in my heart for the French Room, perhaps because the architecture and decor remind me of Europe... or maybe it's simply because I've always had a really good time dining here. I dunno. Anyway, Jimi's and my Christmas present to one another was a multi-course dinner, accompanied by my brother and sister-in-law (at the table, not on the plate).

Eating at a restaurant like this is almost a formal structured ceremony. But a fun one. You would think with such a "stuffy" restaurant that the staff would be cold and pretentious, but that's not the case at all. The waiters were attentive but not overbearing. And the maitre d' was very down to earth, polite and accommodating, even though I was taking pictures like a crazy, horribly gauche person.

And now to the meal.

The French Room has a fixed price menu structure now. Three courses for $80 or a five course chef's tasting menu for $110 ($165 with wine pairings). We all went with the 3 course option, which was a good choice since we could barely walk out of there at the end of the evening.

Here is the amuse bouche, and I'm not sure that any of us figured out exactly what it was. Some kind of cold fish, mushroom and creme fraiche? I'm very proud of Jimi for not spitting it out at the table, as he thought it was a strawberry. Note the real sterling silver!

Cream of Black Mussel Soup, seared diver scallop and winter truffle.

Coriander Seared Ahi Tuna, tartar, quail egg, wasabi-saffron aiol and micro cilantro.

Dominion Farm Crisp Pork Belly, swiss chard, port wine glaze, pearl onions and five spice sauce.

Red Ruby Grapefruit and Baby Spinach Salad, goat cheese polenta crouton, crispy pancetta and shallot vinaigrette.

Lemon Butter Poached Maine Lobster, cauliflower gratin and vanilla butternut squash puree.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, lemon grass lobster sauce, tomato jam, mango and curry. Probably my favorite dish of the evening.

Hudson Valley Foie Gras, pecan crust, banana bread toast, quince jam, cranberry reduction and mint oil.

Cranberry sorbet intermezzo.

And now a chance to take a picture of Jimi and the ceiling frescos.

Maple Leaf Duck, saffron-poached red pears, foie gras mousse, confit, parsnip puree and natural jus.

Soy Caramel Glazed Arctic Char, butternut squash ravioli and blood orange sauce.

Black Angus Beef Tenderloin, bacon truffle potato terrine, carrot and beet purees and bordelaise. I want to know where they got this beef, cause it was the most tender cut I've ever had in my life.

Assorted chocolates, nuts and meringues.

All in all it was a great meal. Perhaps not innovative or on the cutting edge of gastronomy, but still definitely worth the money. I would pay just for the ambiance, excellent service and big Texas hair watching opportunities!

For the rest of the pics, see our Flickr page.

-MDW