like butter

bryan and i took mom and dad out to lake park bistro for dinner last night, in thanks for all the help they've been giving us. they were pleasantly surprised by our choice, which was a good thing. dinner was absolutely superb. to be honest, i was scared that the food wouldn't live up to all the hype. it's often that bryan and i go somewhere everyone raves about and are disappointed (especially when we spend good money for it). so to have the food exceed my expectations was great. i guess that's why the chef was nominated for a james beard award! :)

we started off our meal with the Escargots Bourguignons en Croûte (Traditional Burgundian snails seasoned with garlic-parsley butter and baked en croute with mushroom and diced tomato under a flaky puff pastry crust) and Assiette de Charcuterie Maison (Housemade country pate, dry-cured sausage, silky black-truffle liver mousse, French ham with Meaux mustard, cornichon pickles, and rustic bread). the escargots were the best i've had yet; piping hot, swimming in the perfect combination of butter, garlic, and parsley under a perfectly tender, flaky puff pastry crust. simply divine. the charcuterie plate was delish as well. bryan and mom enjoyed the pate and liver mousse quite a bit.

next came the salads. mom and i both had the Tranches de Betteraves et Salade de Cresson (Thinly sliced marinated red beets, watercress salad, shaved fennel and red onion with horseradish crème fraiche). the beets were thin, silky, with the crunch taken out of them just enough to still be firm. the flavor combination was just delicious. dad had the Salade Maison (Mesclun field greens and sweet herbs with Roma tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers tossed in sweet rice wine vinaigrette). bryan loved his Œuf Mollet avec Asperges et Truffes (Sauteed asparagus with a fried whole soft cooked egg, frisee lettuce, and black truffle toast). he was very impressed with how they managed to soft boil, peel, dredge, and fry the egg without over cooking it.

we then moved to our entrees. bryan had debated long and hard over the calves liver special or steak, and settled on the Entrecôte aux Champignons (Garlic marinated bone in ribeye with bacon roasted potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and red wine sauce). the steak was rather large and he didn't manage to finish, but was not disappointed at all. i had the Bistro Frites (Grilled “hanger” steak with thin French fries) with red wine sauce. it was definitely in the top 3 steaks 've ever had. tender, perfectly cooked, and the sauce was great. they certainly didn't skimp on the butter in the buerre! no complaints from me. :) it was heavenly. mom had the Fletan Rôti à la Provençale (Roasted halibut with caramelized fennel, sauteed spinach, and a Provençal style olive tapenade), which she enjoyed very much. she doesn't get a chance to eat much spinach or olives since she's the only one in the house that likes it, so that was a bit of a treat for her. she found the fish perfectly cooked as well. dad loved his Canard “Deux Façons” à la Sauce Marchand de Vin (Duo of duck with the breast pan-seared and the leg slow-cooked “confit” served with sautéed spinach, Provencal potatoes, and red wine sauce). he hadn't had duck for awhile and found it perfect. he cleared his plate. :)

for dessert, bryan had the chocolate mousse with coconut ice cream, dad had the praline, mom had the chocolate cake with mint ice cream, and i had the lemon curd tart with honey lavender meringue and berries. everyone liked their desserts. my lemon curd was very tart; though i found the meringue was a little too thick for the lemon flavor to come through strong enough for me. i love lemons so much i turned down molten chocolate cake, though, so perhaps it's just me. :) i did taste bryan's mousse, which was perfect.

all in all it was a perfect meal. we'll be going back soon (i hope!). i had been wanting to go for some time, so was glad we finally had the occasion to do so. the bartolotta group holds food events all year round as well, so we're looking forward to those (since the chicago Dames seem to be falling down on the job). we definitely plan on hitting up the heirloom tomato festival late next month, and the garlic festival in september. i simply can't turn down ridiculously good food. :)