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The customer is sometimes right FLASHINTHEPAN “I just spoke with the chef,” we overheard the waiter announce to another party. At our table we exchanged knowing glances. We first heard those words in the antechamber adjacent the dining room of Restaurant Royale Licorne, in Lyons-la-Foret, Normandy. We sipped calvados, a Norman apple brandy, while munching on thin slices of cured hamand petit cheesy puff pastries that evaporated upon contact with saliva. After spending nearly an hour deciphering the menu, we had finally settled upon our choices. The waiter seemed uncomfortable as we ordered, but said nothing. But he quickly returned to the ordering chamber and announced, “I just spoke with the chef. “All of our food is made to order,” he explained, “and it would be difficult to prepare these dishes at the same time. “And the chef says the different textures and flavors of the foods you ordered won’t go well together.” In America, we’re used to telling the waiter what we want. Here, it seemed, the waiter was telling us what we wanted. After a few awkward moments of attempting to put together an acceptable order, we finally said, “Please tell the chef to prepare us whatever he thinks is best.” The waiter was pleased to hear this, and rushed out before we had a chance to change our minds. This meal happened after several days of eating our way around Paris with the help of a guidebook that was supposed to lead us to the some of the city’s best restaurants. The food was generally good, but not mind-expanding. Many of the menus followed a standard set of classic French dishes that relied on butter, crème and fat, and we always had the feeling that the food we wanted was around the next corner. And maybe it was, but we kept squandering our precious gastrointestinal real estate space on dishes that were good, sometimes great, but not educational. All too often the escargots were muddy, the coq au vin was dry, the veal kid-
neys tasted like stale urine, and there weren’t enough vegetables. But this meal in Normandy was shaping up to be a keeper. The original copy of Napoleon’s will hung framed on the restaurant wall. And the dining room, decorated in red, gray and charcoal, was adorned with the feathered helmets, hairy hats, uniforms and body armor of Napoleon’s generals. A dusting of barely audible jazz cloaked the silence. The waiter brought bowls of what looked like cappuccino, but were in fact snail-stuffed ravioli topped with a foamy lemon emulsion, drizzled with beef reduction, and sprinkled with fruity pieces of
cured ham from a rare breed of black Spanish pig, and accompanied with glasses of rose champagne. Next, two-tiered slices of velvety foie gras separated by a delicate layer of smoked hale fish and topped with thin-sliced apples and a thinner sheet of sugar brittle, flanked with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, a small pile of large-grained sea salt, and a bouquet of miniature red and green shiso leaves. Served with a glass of Dernières Grives that was velvety and musky, the foie gras was fatty, silky, sweet, salty, tangy, fruity, fragrant and rich, delivering nearly every flavor the human tongue can perceive. “Normally you only engage 30 percent of the taste buds,” explained the waiter. “We want you to use at least 70 percent.”
by ARI LeVAUX
Each course came with its own chef-picked glass of wine. Every time we told the waiter how good something was, he thanked us. It felt like the waiter, rather than being a servant, was a partner in the shared goal of providing the perfect dining experience. The chef, of course, was the boss, and every time the waiter reported having spoken to him we braced for the update to our plans, which always seemed for the better. The main course consisted of fried pieces of red mullet fish, delicately crispy outside with a moist interior, resting atop a bed of braised fennel. They were sprinkled with crispy bean noodles and drenched in a pumpkin crème sauce. Next, a “predessert” of lemon custard served in a tall glass and topped with almond crème emulsion. And, finally, a plate of dacquoise praline with almond and hazelnut meringue and spiced pear. At one point I noticed the chef, Christophe Poirier, peering at us from under the A-framed furry hat of Napoleon’s musketeer. Poirier emerged to applause from the dining room, and we spoke with the chef. Later, the waiter confided that after two years with Poirier (the establishment has been open since 1768) the goal is an elusive Photo by Ari LeVaux Michelin star; a Michelin inspector who visited had not deemed it worthy. One star seemed a humble ambition for such a place, and I had to wonder what fault the inspector had found. Up to three stars are given by the famously stodgy guidebook, which holds such prestige in some circles that one three-star chef, Bernard Loiseau, committed suicide at the mere rumor that he might lose one of his stars. We left satisfied, but not bloated, feeling like we’d spent the evening in the Louvre appreciating art. The meal wasn’t cheap, and for that kind of money it paid to leave the decision in the hands of the guy with a front row seat to the options. In America, we’re used to the customer being always right. But this cowboy didn’t mind having his reins pulled away by a chef who knows best.
LISTINGS $…Under $5 $–$$…$5–$15 $$–$$$…$15 and over Bernice’s Bakery 190 South 3rd West 728-1358 Where Myrtle Avenue ends at Bernice's, a tiny bakery sits as a veritable landmark to those who enjoy homestyle baked goods, strong coffee, community, and a variety of delicious treats. Join us for lunch if you'd like. Crazy delicious. Crazy cheap. 30 years and still baking. Open Every Day 6AM to 8PM. $ Biga Pizza 241 W. Main Street 728-2579 Biga Pizza offers a modern, downtown dining environment combined with traditional brick oven pizza, calzones, salads, sandwiches, specials and desserts. All dough is made using a "biga" (pronounced beega) which is a time-honored Italian method of bread making. Biga Pizza uses local products, the freshest produce as well as
artisan meats and cheeses. Featuring seasonal menus. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat. Beer & Wine available. $-$$ Blue Canyon Kitchen 3720 N. Reserve (adjacent to the Hilton Garden Inn) 541-BLUE www.bluecanyonrestaurant.com We offer creatively-prepared American cooking served in the comfortable elegance of their lodge restaurant featuring unique dining rooms. Kick back in the Tavern; relish the cowboy chic and culinary creations in the great room; visit with the chefs and dine in the kitchen or enjoy the fresh air on the Outdoor Patio. Parties and special events can be enjoyed in the Bison Room. Hours: Tavern hours Monday-Saturday 3pm11pm, Sunday 3pm-10pm . Dining Room hours MondaySaturday 5pm-10pm, Sunday 4pm-9pm. $$-$$$ The Bridge Pizza Corner of S. 4th & S. Higgins Ave. 542-0002 Dine-In, Drive-Thru, Delivery... Truly a Missoula find. Popular with the locals. Voted Missoula's best pizza. Everything from hand-tossed, thin-crust, stone deck pizza to wild salmon burri-
Let us make you breakfast.
tos, free-range chicken, rice bowls, ribs, pasta, salads, soups, sandwiches & "Pizza by the Slice." And now offering gluten-free dough. Local brews on tap and wine by the glass. Open every day for lunch & dinner. $-$$ Butterfly Herbs 232 N. Higgins • 728-8780 Celebrating 37 years of great coffees and teas. Truly the “essence of Missoula.” Offering fresh coffees, teas (Evening in Missoula), bulk spices and botanicals, fine toiletries & gifts. Our cafe features homemade soups, fresh salads, and coffee ice cream specialties. In the heart of historic downtown, we are Missoula’s first and favorite Espresso Bar. Open 7 Days. $ Ciao Mambo 541 S. Higgins Ave. 543-0377 Ciao Mambo, at the end of the Hip Strip on 4th and Higgins, serves up fresh, classic, immigrant style Italian food seven days a week. Terrific service and an extensive domestic and Italian wine list. Try our Wednesday all you can eat Spaghetti! Dinner only and take out service available. Ciaomambo.com or 543-0377. $$-$$$
Missoula Independent
www.thinkfft.com Mon-Thurs 7am - 8pm • Fri & Sat 7am - 4pm Sun 8am - 8pm • 540 Daly Ave • 721-6033 Missoula’s Original Coffeehouse/Cafe. Across from the U of M campus.
Great Food No Attitude. Mon-Fri
7am - 4pm (Breakfast ‘til Noon)
Sat & Sun
8am - 4pm (Breakfast all day)
531 S. Higgins
541-4622 www.justinshobnobcafe.com
Pottery Classes beginning soon!
Call 543.0509 Page 19 March 25–April 1, 2010