Last Friday, Mike and I decided we wanted to go out for dinner. Not just the normal El Rodeo, but a nice, sit down dinner. We had heard good things about Rue Cler from a few folks, so we decided to try it out. I checked out their website Friday, and I realized that with a fixed menu, a vegetarian option may be tricky. I decided to check it out first and give them a call. The gentleman who answered the phone put me on the line with a sous chef, Jason, and Jason explained that in the first course, there are almost always two veggie options. In the second course, there is at least one, and he said for the main course, I should just alert my waiter and the chef would make a veggie dish just for me. I was sold.
Now, let me explain how Rue Cler is set up for dinner. They have an a la' carte menu - which Mike has decided he may try next time. For our first experience eating there though, we wanted to fry the fixed price menu. It is $25 per person, three courses. The menu has three choices for each course.
First course: Mike had vichyssoise (cold leek soup), and I had a watercress salad with mandarin oranges, candied pecans, and goat's milk feta. SO SO SO yummy. We both enjoyed the first course a lot!
Second course: Mike was a bit nervous about his choice. The three choices were a duck crepe, rabbit in something, and then an asparagus and egg dish. He chose the duck, and I believe he was pleasantly surprised. I had asparagus with an over easy egg and Bearnaise sauce. It actually reminded me of when my mom would make "dippy eggs" as a kid - make the eggs over easy, then drain the yolks onto the plate. We would dip toast in them. Sounds strange, but it is actually pretty damn good. So, I got to have "dippy eggs" with asparagus :-)
Third course: Mike selected a pork dish with field peas, and I got to have the "chef's choice" vegetarian dish. I actually had no idea what would come out of the kitchen - which was actually a bit exciting. I got a crepe filled with all sorts of fresh veggies - eggplant, squash, zucchini, field peas, mushrooms - yum. And on top of the crepe was a tomato sauce that is absolutely indescribable. The color was almost pink - and it tasted like the absolute freshest tomatoes on the planet. It was fantastic.
We were too full for dessert, but the dessert menu included a few types of ice cream made in house, a pot du chocolat, and creme brulee. Instead, we settled for a pot of French press coffee. Originally we planned on going out on the town a bit after dinner, but once we were done with dinner, we were so full and happy we just decided to head home.
If you haven't visited in a while (or ever), go checkout Downtown Durham - the rennovations are fantastic, and the businesses opening up are really great. Rue Cler was a fantastic dining experience, and I know we will go back. The fantastic restaurant selection in Durham is really something. And Rue Cler is an excellent addition. (For Durham natives, Rue Cler is another project by the same folks who do Pop's)
No comments:
Post a Comment