La Laiterie, Providence

For almost a year now, Beth and I have had a gift certificate – a wedding present – to La Laiterie. Many of our friends have been and love it, but for whatever reason we just haven’t gotten around to going. Nothing against the place of course… we both love things artisanal, and both love cheese and all things dairy. So Saturday, after a long week and a long day, we decided to treat ourselves courtesy of someone else. Thanks Rachel and Billy!

Now I don’t want to start things off on the wrong foot, but I do have to say… when we arrived, the greeter told us that they had seats at the bar, but it was a 45 minute wait for a table. On the website, they say reservations only for parties of six or more. We gladly sat at the bar, but could’t help but notice an empty table for two that remained empty until we received our second course. Hmmm…

The wife is pregnant, but I couldn’t help but try a cocktail on the menu, and luckily she is not interested in limiting my obsessions, so I ordered their Sazerac. She dabbled in bartending herself, and makes one hell of any number of drinks, and was the one who originally got me interested in this classic cocktail. Rye whiskey is accompanied by Peychaud’s bitters, a little sugar water or cube, and a hint of Absinthe substitute – in this case, Pernod. The cocktail originated in New Orleans, and is said to be one of – or the, depending who you ask – oldest mixed drinks. The bartender made a very nice, smooth version of the drink with Old Overholt rye, an inexpensive bottle (around $15) that lacks the acidic bite that most other cheap whiskies have. Served with a lemon twist, the drink was delicious and put me in the mood for some great food. I only wish the glass was chilled.

La Laiterie specializes in rich, rich food. I sort of knew this, but I was soon to find out how rich and decadent they can be. Luckily, we made the wonderful decision to order small plates instead of an entré. We were craving variety, and I took this chance to be adventurous in our selections.

Le Jardin salad

She started with the Le Jardin salad of young vegetables and fruits. Apple slices, watermelon radish (again, the wonderfully colorful radish makes an appearance), herbs and roasted pecans tossed in a light vinaigrette. Beth loved the lightness of it all, and the ingredients were fresh and flavorful.

Baby brussel sprouts with mini chips with beef tongue in the background

I started with a small plate of beef tongue and beer-braised onions atop a crusty slice of italian toast ($3). The onions were soft and sweet with a great caramelized finish, and the beef tongue was surprising. I never had it before, and didn’t know what to expect. What I got were thin slices, three or four, of the meat that must have been skillet fried. The meat puffed up, so it was light and had the aroma and texture of Canadian bacon. I concluded that this must be beef’s answer to bacon, and told myself if the opportunity presented itself again, to make sure to give it another try.

I also had a small oblong bowl of roasted baby brussel sprouts ($4) served with fingerling potato chips with a pepper aioli. The rich earthy flavor of the brussel sprout here was made milder by their baby size. The little chips were cute and had a nice texture and mouth feel. I’ve been a convert to brussel sprouts lately… they have a strong flavor, but they are one of the best roasted or pan fried vegetables I’ve had.

Cheesemonger's mac and cheese

Nothing prepared us for what would be our main courses, though, except maybe the aroma of cheese that wafted by whenever a server brought someone what Beth was going to have – their artisanal mac and cheese ($10). Oven-baked in a single serving casserole dish, the cheese perfection had a crusty top but a gooey center. Penne were coated in what I can only assume was four or five different kinds of cheese. Oh my god it was a comforting bowl of heaven – certainly worth indulging in again and again.

Chicken livers and onion rings with house bacon and pan jus

My dish was another adventurous one for me – their seared Vermont chicken livers in a bacon pan au jus served with onion rings ($11). Holy hell. Again, I was a chicken liver virgin. While the beef tongue was surprising light, due no doubt to its delicate preparation, the livers were heavy and came in a serving size that forgot what it meant to be a small plate. Easily a meal in itself, the livers were so good that I had to finish them all. You heard me, the livers were so good I could not stop eating them. I never thought I’d say that.

The onion rings were massive as well, and deliciously greasy and fried with a beer-battered crust. They didn’t slice an onion, they chopped half a large vidalia into three huge chunky rings, breaded them, and deep fried them to a nice golden brown. When dipped in the au jus they were just oozing flavor.

The consistency of the livers surprised me, much as the beef tongue did. Soft, yielding to the fork, but rich like a dense cut of beef. Maybe not all livers taste like this – I’ve heard that beef liver tastes minerally – but these actually tasted more like beef than anything that came from a chicken. A dense, meaty flavor, and cooked well enough that I didn’t notice any inconsistency in the texture or any rubberyness, either.

After all this rich, delectable food, you’d think we’d throw in the towel, but no, we plowed ahead and surveyed their dessert menu.  It’s a shame they don’t list it on their website, as there were many choices we didn’t make that are worth mentioning. What we got was – if I remember correctly – a banana hazelnut torte with home made chocolate ice cream. Divine.

My rating… thumbs way up. Such a delicious delight of a meal… small portions, well-thought out flavors and pairings, and most of all, an over-the-top decadent richness to everything we tried. We will definitely go back to try more.