Dinner at Troisgros last week was the best meal of my life, equalling the lunch there more than a decade ago that was the best meal of my life. The casual elegance of the restaurant, comfortable seating with simple but beautiful appointments, the friendly and perfect service, the quality of the ingredients with the juxtaposition of intense precise flavors, the harmony of the meal, the beauty and elegance of all aspects, the comfortable elegance–it all combined for a wonderful evening.
When I called from our room at Troisgros to see if dinner were at 8 or 8:30, I was told to come down any time from 7:30 to 9:00. We had the table for the evening. The two couples started at 8 with Mssr. Michel Troisgros introducing himself, then a tour of the kitchen where an army of chefs worked at their stations, none looking up at us but continuing to work. The stainless steel was immaculate in the modern kitchen. The room was quiet and unhurried.
Then it was on to the cellar where more than 35,000 bottles were stored–magnums of Jayer, cases of DRC, Leflaive Montrachet, Petrus and other rarefied Bordeaux, an amazing collection in a humid cool cave.
We sat at dinner and had difficulty deciding what to order, but ultimately chose a couple courses rather than the degustation menu. La nouvelle salad enriched was an understated description of the most amazing salad I have ever had–each taste was unique and interesting, all harmonizing and lifted by the vinegar on the dish–cuisine acidulée. There were shrimp, foie slices, truffles, artichokes, one cherry tomato, mushrooms, fennel, but each piece of the melange was in itself a melange. Just amazing.
Bread was served in a little cloth bag heated by warm cherry pits built into the bottom of the bag, a delicious rustic bread with French butter that was almost cheese.
Frog legs–cuisses de grenouilles croustillantes, un satay de tamarin–incredible morsels of flavor that burst in the mouth with juicy intensity and headspinning goodness were next.
Pigeonneau à la cacahuète, beurre au citron vert–pigeon in peanut crust with lime butter–medium rare and succulent, was next while friends shared a whole duck prepared two ways, and my wife had a Charolais beef. In between courses, amuses bouches were proffered.
The cheese tray was gorgeous and delicious, the affinage à point.
Desserts included feuilles de chocolat and pamplemousse (grapefruit), Sabayon w wild blackberries, mint chocolate soufflé, as well as predesserts, postdesserts, and other goodies. Every flavor was precise, complex, and delicious.
Wines were 2006 Carillon Bienvenues Batard Montrachet, so young but delicious and precise, and 2001 Dujac Clos de la Roche with a gorgeous complex bouquet but later closing up and tightening.
We were satiated, heads reeling from the whole experience, the harmony and heights the meal had reached Mssr. Troisgros visited the table again, full of the same smile that we had on our faces. He knew what a special evening we had just had. Amazing.