L'Etoile

I was recently treated to a very nice dinner at L'Etoile. I enjoy French food. It plays up all my favorite flavors, and everything is usually rich and decadent. To feel the part, Chris and I dressed to the nines. He wore a suit and tie, and I wore a floor length yellow chiffon dress with a heart shaped bodice and a single shoulder strap. But this isn't a fashion blog, so on to the food!

We started with the foie gras and the sweetbreads. The foie gras was delicious, and the crostini that came with it was perfectly toasted. Not too thick, not too dry, not to hard. It had a wonderful flavor and texture. I thought the sweetbreads were good, although not the best I've ever had. What I liked was that they were not in a heavy sauce, so all the flavor was coming from the meat itself. It gave me a new appreciation for sweetbreads. I feel like a good sauce enhances the natural flavor of the meat, which is why these sweetbreads are not my all time favorite. But they were very good, nonetheless.

For our second course we ordered the pear bisque and a salad. The salad had goat cheese, ham, pine nuts, and a citrus vinaigrette. The salad was very good, but how much can really be said about a salad? The soup, however, was interesting and unique. I was a bit worried that it would be a sweet soup, because of the pear. It was a freezing night outside, and sweet was not what I was in the mood for. But it was a savory blend. It reminded me a little of a butternut squash bisque, where the sweet and savory work together. It had the same creamy consistency as butternut squash bisque, with a beautiful champagne color.

For entrees we decided to go with a meat and a pasta. For our meat we ordered the duck with cranberry, mashed potatoes, and mushrooms. The duck was perfectly cooked, and the sides came together to enhance the rich flavor of the meat. It was some of the best duck I've had, because it was so moist and flavorful. Why do people order chicken?! For our pasta we ordered a delicious goat cheese gnocchi with sweet potato and other fall root vegetables. I thought some of the root vegetables were unnecessary and even distracting, but the sugary flavor of the sweet potatoes really brought out the goat cheese. Both of the entrees were delicious, and I was glad Chris was willing to share with me, so I could try them both.

Chris had been eyeing the bread pudding on the dessert menu from the moment we sat down. There was no denying him the southern style bread pudding with chocolate chips. I opted for the pot de creme. Chris' dessert was the easy winner. The pot de creme wasn't as creamy, rich or flavorful as I expected. But the bread pudding was amazing. Rich and moist, and the chocolate chips were a great addition.

If you want to go on a really sophisticated date, L'Etoile is a great choice. The wait staff was friendly, professional, and attentive. The drinks (he had scotch and I had a Kir Royale) were well made. The atmosphere was quiet, private, and romantic. And the food was...superb.

Overall, if you want to impress a girl, this is the place to go. Thanks for taking me, Chris! :)

So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:

Ambiance: 4
Service: 5
Entrees: 5
Desserts: 4
Overall: 5