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.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Julian’s

Every year, my wife and I try to get out an take advantage of the prix-fixe Valentine’s dinners available in Providence. Years ago, it seemed like only a handful of places did them, and now quite a few more restaurants offer the option. In years past we did Nick’s (when they were in their tiny storefront), Lois Fuller’s, Pot Au Feu, and the Red Fez. Now it was time to try Julian’s.

Julian’s is a restaurant that has undergone many changes over the years. I remember going there mainly for Sunday breakfasts when the owner Julian was working in the kitchen. His collection of CDs from his side job as a DJ were displayed on the wall after his binders were looted and all he had left were the covers. Giant artwork was on the walls and ceilings, and the space was divided into two areas. The line was always out the door. But it was also the kind of place were Julian may just want to close down in the middle of a busy Sunday for whatever reason, and you left without question when that happened. The food was also hit or miss, with things that sounded great on paper but arrived and failed to impress.

A few years ago, Julian’s underwent an interior transformation and a general manager assumed control of the business. Julian still pops in from time to time, but he is no longer the head chef. As a result, the menu has broadened its variety, the staff has become friendlier, the food more consistent, and the overall atmosphere more professional. The menu can really take some chances sometimes, but more often than not, it DOES impress. The interior is darker and moodier in a great way, with cozy tables of four and a curving bar overlooking the main kitchen area.The place can still get crazy on a Sunday late morning, with tons of hipster kids baring tattoos and the latest facial hair trend, so we stick to the weekdays for the most part.

The menu for Valentine’s Day was a five course extravaganza. The reception – an amusé bouche – was a roasted baby artichoke heart stuffed with blood orange and smoked almonds, sprouting from a confit tomato gélee with rosemary balsamic syrup. Fancy, and almost too pretty to eat. I’m only an aspiring foodie, so I haven’t had much experience with “gélee”, but here it seemed to be a jello-type consistency with much more savory flavor. The contrasting textures were interesting, and in the end, I like the artichoke and almonds quite a bit more than the jelly.

I apologize for the quality of the images… it was dark and romantic in there, so I did my best with the light and the camera I had.

The salad course was a medley of four radishes – dakon, black, lime and watermelon – in lemongrass basil vinaigrette with wakeme-coconut brunoise. The flavors there were more subtle than the reception, with tangy and sweet overtones from the coconut and vinaigrette. The radishes were thinly sliced and raw, so they were crisp. Their coloring was beautiful, especially the watermelon ones, which looked like what you would expect them to look like. Overall, the dish was enjoyable and a little adventurous without being risky. The flavors were simple and light.

For the appetizers we had choice between seviche of Ahi tuna & escolar with mandarinquat, bird’s eye chile pepper, microcilantro, & sweet soy sauce. I had this one. It was really amazing. The seviche was perfect, although I am no expert. The tuna was chopped into small pieces that supported the citrus well. The two little tortilla chips that came with it gave a nice salty texture break.

My wife got the golden beet-spring garlic pakora with fennel-cashew chutney, oven-dried mango, & madras curry sauce. The mango was more like fruit leather, and was balanced between the two mounds of pakora and chutney. It was the opposite of my selection – mine was cool, crisp and citrusy while hers was warm, dark and more complex. In both cases, we were pleased with the pacing of the meal and the portions. We’re little people, and did not want to get too full before the main.

Next came an intermezzo of a Mexican chocolate truffle with pickled pear, a grapefuit-tarragon jelly chew with candied ginger, & edible flowers. It was indeed a nice sweet break before the main course. The presentation was cute, on small plates with colorful flowers. I always eat the flowers when they say they’re edible.

Finally, the main course. There were three selections, but we chose the Tofu dish and the rabbit leg. The menu described them thusly: Crispy seared tofu roulade stuffed with macintosh apple-butternut squash, with truffle salted parsnip, & mushroom thyme velouté.

Cumin-mustard dusted rabbit leg with portabello-yukon gold potato gratan, garlic grilled collard greens, & pinenut-olive pesto. Both were very rich and very decadent with a myriad of flavors. My wife’s impressed her, but the smokiness of the dish overwhelmed her palette, which has been more sensitive due to her pregnancy. It was too much for her to handle, but she had it boxed up. Mine was delicious, and my first foray into rabbit. The meat was a cross between pork and chicken. Smoky and slightly gamey with the consistency of chicken. The potatoes were a great base, while the greens were a bit hard to cut and manage. The pesto was another flavor all together, and while I am not a fan of olives, I enjoyed their saltiness against the garlic in the greens and the gaminess of the meat.

After a breath or two, we happily decide that we could go for dessert – that we were not too full for it. I’m glad we did. She got the vanilla-infused Meyer lemon tart with an oatmeal shortbread crust, chocolate lavender sorbet, and pomegranate molasses. I can attest that it was amazing. The tartness of the lemon against the creamy chocolate was just perfect, with the crunch of the crust. All around a perfect pairing and execution. I had the fig and chestnut chiffon cake with spiced mascarpone cream, warm walnut butter, and pure maple syrup drizzle. Much more subtle in flavors compared to the tart – it impressed as well, but on a different level. The fluffiness of the textures blended well together and the parts were not overly sweet – instead, they were in the middle of sweet and savory, which I tend to think things like figs and dates typically are.

All together, it was a wonderful meal. A touch of adventure here and there, with elements that neither of us have tried, flavor combinations that were unexpected, and a nice slow pace to the entire evening. We ended being there for about three hours, and since the menu was set with only a few selections to make, the experience really centered on the food and the anticipation of what was coming next.