The French Onion Soup was just le soup. Basic beef consommé base rife with onion, soppy bread, and a thick layer of gruyere made for a tasty, standard starter, a French warm-up for the plaisir of the palate.
My Rack of Lamb was double-thick and had more fat than a liposuction machine. But the French do know how to cook their meat. The pretty-en-rose medium rare didn’t pour blood but dripped just enough to fill an ABG vial. The subtle sophistication of the French was manifest in the mushroom rosemary reduction which added richness without being overpowering. The meat needed some serious liposuction and would have retained more of the gamey lamb flavor if it had been less fatty, but it wasn’t a bad dish…Which is more than I can say for the side of potatoes gratin. My French has gotten rusty over the years, but I’m pretty sure gratin doesn’t mean so-overbaked-they’re-grainy nastiness. I actually spat it out. It was le grossest.
The Steak Frites was far better than I expected. Great flavor in the beef, loved the creamy saveur added by the bernaise. Between the bernaise and the reduction on the lamb, I may propose marriage to the saucier at Wine Cellar shortly. (Like most French people), the side was thin-but-not-anorexic sticks of perfectly frite fries, crispy and golden brown but not at all greasy. To be fair, would you expect any less from the inventors of the pommes frites? A kiss on both cheeks for mastering this classique.
You can cook your own food well at Wine Cellar, but I don’t recommend letting them cook it for you. The food doesn’t stink like Pepe le Pew, but then again, most things are comparatively neutral. Order from the non-fondue menu and you’ll get typical French meat-and-potatoes dishes – some well-made highlights with none of the Oo-la-la factor of Aquitaine. I’d come back if the prices weren’t so en haut, but until I acquire another substantial gift certificate, I’ll save my money for a new endroit.
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