Tweet
DeRushaEats: The Unthinkable Joy of A Great Tasting Menu
I hate ordering at restaurants. Sounds weird, but I really would prefer to go to a great restaurant and ask the chef what I should eat (and if he or she said "It's all great," then I would beat the chef over the head repeatedly).
This is why I love, love, love tasting menus.
And last Saturday night I had one of the most incredible tasting menus I've ever had the pleasure of eating.
While Tim McKee deserves all the credit in the world for La Belle Vie, Chef de Cuisine Mike DeCamp is simply killing it in the kitchen there. Everyone calls him "YC" for "young chef," but this guy's no newbie.
Let me show you some of the incredible courses my wife and I inhaled. How does seared scallops with shaved fennel, fennel vinaigrette, tomato confit sound? Paired with a perfectly complimentary Chablis? Yeah.
The perfectly, artfully prepared soft shell crab with a gorgeous square slice of avocado, pickled radishes and dollaps of curry: perfection. The shell of the crab popped with a bit of spice, which gave it almost a hint of buffalo-sauce flavor. And the Vouvray contrasted with these flavors—again a magical pairing.
Matching a slightly-salty rabbit with a sweet chocolate, hazelnuts, and plopped next to a rabbit liver mousse—wonderful.
And the foie gras: oh my. Oh my. Seared foie on the left, a foie terrine on the right, with pear sauce and ginger cookie crumbles. This was the best foie gras I've had in my entire life.
There was more, but you get the idea. This stuff was magical. The service was perfect—attentive but not smothering. The wine was surprising and made every course better. And you don't get this experience by just ordering one thing off a menu.
La Belle Vie has a tasting menu in the main dining room that is $80 bucks for eight courses (+$60 for wine pairings) or $65 for five courses (+$45 for wine). Too much for you? The lounge tasting menu is the best fine dining deal in town. Four courses, $40, add $25 for the matching wine flight.
Love foie gras? Let them know ahead of time. Looking for a vegan menu? YC can make that happen too.
Trust me. Get the matching wine. Bill Summerville's pairings are a dining experience.
In the restaurant writing world, we're often looking to the newest rock star in town. But this tasting menu meal—the creativity, the perfect execution, and the stellar service—is a real reminder why La Belle Vie is still my top dog.
What's your favorite tasting menu in town? Who does it right? Who's got a bargain that I should know about? Share your tips in the comments!
La Belle Vie
510 Groveland Ave., Mpls., MN
612-874-6440
labellevie.us
(Next stop for me: Saturday night at Corner Table, and the Kitchen Table experience. Chef/Owner Scott Pampuch wrote about it here — I'll bring my camera and tell you about that too.)
Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010 in Permalink
Comments may be edited for length, clarity, or appropriateness.
Reader Comments:
I couldn't agree with you more. I'd much rather a chef bring me whatever they think is the best dish and roll with it. But damn my f-ing shellfish allergy. It really puts a damper on my meals when Tim is cooking for me. I'm really looking to going back to LBV now that I've met Mike Decamp (you know, on the internet).
What a meal! I'm trying to come up with a reason (my half-birthday?) to head in for a Young Chef special.
One thing I have to say about YC is that man thinks, dreams, sleeps food.
Who needs to come up with an excuse to go to La Belle Vie? The fact we have a restaurant of that caliber in our city is reason enough to celebrate.
Agree completely - we're regulars in the lounge (those lamb burgers), it's just that I'd want to be celebrating something (although I'm open to celebrating anything) to justify the full-on tasting menu with pairings. Minnesota-guilt, easily over-ridden. For those who don't, following YC (Mike DeCamp) on Twitter @youngchef2 is a fun way to watch him think about food.
I should say - I had this meal IN THE LOUNGE! So you don't need to go crazy and have the full-on insane tasting --- do the 4-course without having a special occasion.
I would agree about those lamb burgers, they are great. I did have a terrible crepe and egg dish there though, and La Belle Vie should be ashamed for a restaurant of their caliber to use the same frozen fries that they use at Burger King, is it so hard to make your own? My fiance is a vegetarian and they have always been less than accomodating with options for her. Very stuffy staff as well. The mens room always smells like urine as well.
Their fries may be frozen (I saw an interview at some point where Tim McKee discussed the merits of frozen) but they don't taste like Burger King's - they're completely delicious. Alongside the lamb burgers, of course.
Re: lounge tasting menu, I was joking about needing a little excuse to spend $65 ('cuz I'd absolutely do the wine pairings) per person for din. It's a deal, given the caliber of the food, setting, service, and Bill Summerville's wine selections.
The food seems just ok these days, and is very inconsistent. I used to love it 3 or 4 years ago but it seems tired and in need of a change. Last time I was in, the wine list seemed like a joke, they were out of everything. Now I think this is the most over rated restaurant I have ever dined at. I don't understand what all the fuss is about. The desserts are the best thing about this place, have dinner elsewhere and finish your night in the lounge.
Actually, it is a pretty big pain to make your own fries, especially if you're selling a lot of them. At one restaurant I worked at, a new chef took over and costed out the labor involved in house-made french fries. He realized that it took the equivalent of one cook's (or dishwasher's) full shift to prep the fries.
And, dude - worrying about La Belle Vie's *fries*?! Surely there's something else on the menu that should be getting your attention.