5 /5 Chuck Lewis: From the moment you walk in, its like coming home to your childhood home. Its warm and cozy, and you are greeted by Janet. She makes you feel like a family member that you havent seen in years. She leads you through the kitchen that is bustling, warm, and full of wonderful aromas. She takes you to your table, there were only four tables, so its like a family gathering.
Janet and another wait staff comes around delivering water and opening everyones bottle of wine. Once settled in, the first course was served. It was a small bite of stuffed smoked salmon topped with caviar. This little delight was packed full of flavor, waking up your tasebuds.
Once those dishes were removed, the soup course was brought to the table in a large bowl to be served family style. This soup was so delicious I could have made my entire meal just from it. It was a potato, leek, and cabbage soup with chicken dumplings. It was creamy, buttery, and velvety smooth. I was doing a happy dance in my seat. The basket of bread that was delivered with the soup contained a thick cheese puff that was used to sop up the soup at the bottom of my bowl, and WOW was that puff spectacular - obviously hand made.
The salad was next, and it had a beautiful mixture of greens, beets , wax beans, and green beans topped with a mustard seed vinaigrette. In my opinion, a definite creation of chef Martin Gagné.
The fourth dish was my favorite of the night and the most perplexing to my mind. The presentation, to me, resembled a beef wellington but was made with sea bass. The presentation was on a platter served family style and was golden brown. Then chef Martin came around and added buttery herb sauce to your plate. The filling had spinach, mushrooms, seafood mouse, and sea bass wrapped in a flaky, buttery dough. The moment I took my first bite, my eyes closed with delight. I savered every bite and took my time eating this dreamy delight.
The fifth course was the beef filet. It was so tender, warm, and savory. It was accompanied by roasted vegetables and a port sauce - again served by the chef. It made me feel like it was another family gathering with every bite. Our wine paired perfectly with every nook and cranny. As if I was not full enough, there was still dessert to follow.
There was another break in the meal to serve French pressed coffee. The dessert was a lemon souffle that was warm and topped with a raspberry puree, followed by a collection of pastries - small and the perfect amount to finish this spectacular dinner.
This is one of my most memorable dinners. I would love to go back and sit in the kitchen and watch everyones meal being prepared. I love to cook, and I love trying restaurants from different cultures, and this French restaurant in the middle of nowhere blew my socks off! We will be back again to be amazed by Janet and Martin. Thank you for your hospitality and for sharing your home and your culinary creations.
