L'Escale
www.lescalerestaurant.com
This new French upscale restaurant is setting a new standard for both food quality and service in Greenwich.
July 21, 2018
www.lescalerestaurant.com
This new French upscale restaurant is setting a new standard for both food quality and service in Greenwich.
July 21, 2018
Attached to the Delmar Hotel is an independent (not hotel-owned) upscale new French restaurant that is certainly adding to the diversity and quality of the food scene in Greenwich. The restaurant has both a separate bar area and outdoor space, but it is the chic, distressed decor in the main dining room that sets this restaurant apart, providing both rustic elements of a French bistro as well as elements of high style. The tables are generously sized under a high ceiling, with gracious spacing. My friends and I dined at 7:30 pm, prime time, and I can say the noise levels were moderate and it was easy to have a conversation.
The service was a real standout, from start to finish. Under the direction of an engaged Director of Operations, David Fletcher, the captain, wait staff and bus service were all well organized. Our meals arrived at the same time, the table was cleaned and new courses arrived all while we were engaged in tasting three wines. Also, I think it was a nice touch that the waiter did not feel the need to ask if we knew that there was a cork fee, which I was already aware of.
We started with a dozen West Coast oysters, a beet and goat cheese salad and crab cakes. The oysters were big, creamy and flavorful, while the crab cakes were light and a bit spicy, yum! The beet salad also married fried goat cheese balls with yellow and red beets in a nice green salad. For the main course we had grilled, whole dorado, which came with whipped Yukon gold potatoes and artichoke barigoule sauce vierge. The grilled dorado was excellently filleted and was both succulent and flavorful. We also had the halibut, which was prepared in a fennel puree, minute ratatouille, olive, basil preserved lemon vinaigrette. It was very moist and quite memorable. Lastly, we had a special, the veal fillet, which was prepared medium rare. This particular dish is not easy to prepare, but was very tender and quite appetizing.
For dessert we had the black and white chocolate souffle with pistachio anglaise, crispy cinnamon sugar churros
and a sampling of home-made ice cream. While the souffle was likely the highlight of this trio, the in-house pastry chef Wendy's creative hand was ever present in this excellent finish to a fine meal.
Rating:5 "Excellent"
Cork Fee $40/btl
The service was a real standout, from start to finish. Under the direction of an engaged Director of Operations, David Fletcher, the captain, wait staff and bus service were all well organized. Our meals arrived at the same time, the table was cleaned and new courses arrived all while we were engaged in tasting three wines. Also, I think it was a nice touch that the waiter did not feel the need to ask if we knew that there was a cork fee, which I was already aware of.
We started with a dozen West Coast oysters, a beet and goat cheese salad and crab cakes. The oysters were big, creamy and flavorful, while the crab cakes were light and a bit spicy, yum! The beet salad also married fried goat cheese balls with yellow and red beets in a nice green salad. For the main course we had grilled, whole dorado, which came with whipped Yukon gold potatoes and artichoke barigoule sauce vierge. The grilled dorado was excellently filleted and was both succulent and flavorful. We also had the halibut, which was prepared in a fennel puree, minute ratatouille, olive, basil preserved lemon vinaigrette. It was very moist and quite memorable. Lastly, we had a special, the veal fillet, which was prepared medium rare. This particular dish is not easy to prepare, but was very tender and quite appetizing.
For dessert we had the black and white chocolate souffle with pistachio anglaise, crispy cinnamon sugar churros
and a sampling of home-made ice cream. While the souffle was likely the highlight of this trio, the in-house pastry chef Wendy's creative hand was ever present in this excellent finish to a fine meal.
Rating:5 "Excellent"
Cork Fee $40/btl