La Crémaillère Restaurant

Last Saturday Chrissie and I finally tried La Crémaillère.

Typically, if we are going out for French we go to Encore in Larchmont. Less frequently we may also dine at Le Provencal in Mamaroneck, especially if my father wants to gorge on mussels for lunch. We were going to Le Jardin Du Roi for a while, but they pissed me off once with the incredibly unexpected pricing on an appetizer (We will go back. I just need some time). The final reference point I'll be using is the Red Hat Bistro in Irvington (FYI, I liked the old location more). It was Chrissie's thirtieth birthday and she wanted to try something new.

When taking the reservation, the hostess on the phone gave a choice of two seatings for Saturday. We chose the 6:30 and arrived a few minutes early, unsure of what to expect. If nothing else had lived up to expectations, the service alone, from the valet to the uniquely labeled doggie bags waiting by the coat room, was almost worth the price of admission when compared to standard Westchester dining.

We were the first patrons and customers arrived sporadically through the evening, leading me to wish we could have made a reservation for 7:30, the time when we typically choose to eat on a weekend.

We started diner with a round a drinks. I had a gin and Chrissie had a glass of wine. The bread was a sliced country loaf. It was very good and a slight surprise as I was expecting a baguette. It, and the atmosphere, created an ambiance that was both cosmopolitan and provincial. A small quiche with smoked salmon was delivered to the table. I had to ask for the wine list and I am not sure if that is standard practice. It may be because the wine list was the size of a textbook. I found it incredibly overwhelming, especially because I have very little familiarity with pricier French wines.

I asked the waiter for help and he happily obliged, choosing a wine that fit our requests, but more than doubled the cost of our usual strategy. My father, understanding the declining value of a bottle one once it is consumed, taught me to order a less expensive wine in a nice restaurant. His assumption is that the restaurateur and/or chef won't put a dud on their wine list. For the most part, this strategy has served us very well.

The waiter recommended a bottle, whose identifying information I have since forgotten, priced at $75. I normally won't spend too much time discussing cost here, but this becomes relevant for the rest of dinner. I get the approval to spend that much from Chrissie and she says that we shouldn't worry about money tonight because it is her birthday. The waiter quickly backs her up and now he is armed with important information to help make our evening more enjoyable.

On to food. For appetizers Chrissie ordered the foie gras terrine with duck confit, bibb lettuce, and goat cheese. I had the special which was a lobster spring roll. Both appetizers were of a quality and taste to be expected. Neither was sublime, but in no way were they disappointing. As a bonus, the lobster spring rolls were generously portioned.

Shortly after our appetizers were cleared we were brought tea cups containing a solitary ravioli stuffed with duck confit and surrounded by a shallow pool of a very zesty orange sauce. I'm not sure if this was complimentary to help celebrate my wife's birthday or if everyone received it that night. It was tasty, unexpected, and came long enough before our meals that it served to aid in hunger, rather than suppress it.

We both decided to get meat that night. I was going to get the lamb, but let Chrissie order it (which turned out to benefit me). The lamb was perfectly cooked and had the fresh and distinct flavor lamb should have, but Chrissie and I both thought the flavor profile of the dish was flat. There was nothing to elevate the the natural flavor of the lamb and it stood by itself, wonderful, but alone.

I ordered the filet of beef to allow Chrissie to have the lamb. It was excellent. The steak was perfectly cooked. I am very apprehensive about ordering beef (although I do it all the time), especially at high prices because my enjoyment of it can be destroyed by a kitchen that allows a plate to go out off temperature. My steak that night was medium rare at the edges and became slightly rarer with each slice toward the thickest section. The penultimate bite was a delightful balance between rare and medium rare. The flavors on my plate blew me away. I've ordered many a steak in a bistro setting and can honestly say this was one of the top presentations I've had.

It is a too bad Chrissie's lamb didn't delight as much my steak because both dishes were perfectly fired.

The waiter had, thankfully, convinced us to order a tray of pomme frites. At least half of the tables that night ordered the fries that were presented on silver pedestal between patrons. The fries were worth the added calories and not at all out of place.

While we were eating the waiter attentively took care of our wine. I was pleased that he waited until the glasses were virtually empty until he poured another portion of wine. Not only did it extend our drinking of the bottle, but he allowed each glass to blossom on its own.

Dessert was a chocolate soufflé with a wonderful contrast between its delicate egg and rich chocolate. A solitary candle signaled our waiter had not forgotten we were there to celebrate a special occasion and the table side presentation of chocolate sauce into the heart of a blossoming soufflé can do nothing but add to the experience. Chrissie finished with a decaf cappuccino and I had a double espresso accompanied by the house port. The espresso was very good. A two-tiered silver tray of petit fours completed our meal.

The check came and I noticed we were charged $90 for the $75 bottle of wine. Since it was Chrissie's thirtieth birthday and because she hates and becomes very uncomfortable when I address issues while we are out, I decided to let it slide (especially when put in the perspective of the total cost of this particular dinner. A fifteen dollar overcharge is harder to overlook on a $130 meal). Since I did not bring it up, I cannot fault the restaurant for the overcharge because I gave them no opportunity to fix the error.

It is clear that dinner was great, but will we go back?

At that price point I believe there are numerous other restaurants I would go to first. If money were no object I could see La Crémaillère joining our steady rotation. I certainly felt the entire experience was worth the price of admission, but it is a show I cannot afford on a regular basis.

La Crémaillère is located at:
46 Bedford-Banksville Road
Bedford, NY 10566