It had been quite a while since my wife had been there, and I was a newcomer. Inside it appeared somewhat different to her, and not at all what I expected. It looked a little down at the heels, actually. We found that Richard no longer owns the place, although his name is still on it.
It is still a French restaurant and pastry shop, though, and my quiche was very good. Denise just sort of pushed her food around on the plate with her fork. The prices were a real surprise to me, and not a bad one. Portions were large, but the prices were at least three or four dollars cheaper than I expected. That doesn't happen too often. And my wine was only $5.50 per glass. That hardly ever happens.
To top it off, the wine list was pretty decent. I selected a white Bordeaux, simply because I hardly ever see them offered in restaurants. The Chateau Boyrein Blanc Graves was not sweet like a Sauternes, but dry as a bone. In Graves, the whites are typically made up of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle. Sure enough, the nose featured a very fresh grassiness and the "wet rocks" scent of minerals. There was citrus on the palate, which had a rich and creamy element to it as well. The wine was extremely aromatic and deliciously satisfying, especially in its pairing with the quiche.
The dinner cost about $12 less that it might have in another eatery, and it was delicious. Mine was, at least. Thankfully, the wife's evening was saved by the show. Stephen Fry to the rescue.
