One such place is Saint Jacques, lauded as the best French restaurant in Raleigh. Although the regiment and restraint of traditional French cuisine can be pretty ho-hum these days, especially in light of forward-thinking fusion and spin-off classics like truffle mac n’ cheese. But no worries, Frere Jacques, you won’t be able to dormez-vous once you see the menu at Saint Jacques. Though this menu does cultivate the classics, the wide selection with diverse ingredients are prepared with all the simple yet savory elegance that only the French pull off.
While the amuse bouche of Asparagus and Goat Cheese Mousse didn’t exactly explode with flavor, this spoonful of creamy chevre was well-balanced with flecks of green. It amused me anyway and got my night off to a strong start.
No French meal could be complete without a Homemade Country Pate. This one was new for me - crumbly rather than pasty with a bitter-fresh finish.
The Coquille Saint Jacques is clearly a study in luxury. The tender little scallops taste fresh-caught, and there are no sheets with thread counts high enough to match the silkiness of the cream. Served in perfect scallop shells that conjure the image of the Little Mermaid, these definitely win points for presentation.
If any duck could be made into bacon, it would be this Duck. The breast is seared beautifully red, and the alternating strips of crispy skin, flesh, and fat give it a the unmistakable resemblance to a moist strip of bacon. The underlying chutney adds a fruity hint, and the fluffy spinach flan is fit for Popeye…in his nicest suit because in a restaurant like this you should probably wear something with sleeves.
Then came the Filet Mignon Forestiere, a moooo-ving dish. Pan-seared medium rare, it grazes atop a potato and mushroom casserole and sweet baby carrots. The blue cheese gratin was just light enough to not be overpowering – just make sure to put no more than one or two crumbles on each bite.
The Pot de Crème Trio was three times the fun. White, milk, and dark crèmes, all interchangeably tasty…kind of like the Hanson brothers back when I was in middle school. Mmm…bop…Oh come on, you liked them too back then!
The last time I saw this much attention to detail from anyone, never mind a restaurant, I was staring at George Seurat’s pointillism at the Art Institute in Chicago. Much like pointillism, nothing about my night actually stood out, but together each little dot made for a beautiful picture. The setting was too tranquilly beautiful to ignore, the sommelier was too knowledgeable not to consult, and the menu was too incredible not to peruse at least a dozen times.
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