Vanbrosia: Le Crocodile

March 3, 2015

Venison Medallions w chanterelle sauce served w späetzle - 2

J's comment > not bad; really tender and flavorful venison; mushrooms perfectly cooked, very juicy and not borderline mushy as they sometimes get; very well done on this point; spaetzle though, was sadly too soft and tasted slightly burnt - I advised the server and got a round 2 (see below)

Grilled Lamb Chops w citrus provençal sauce - 2

J's comment > not bad; very tender and flavorful lamb, not too gamey; well done, but nothing I haven't had before

Fresh Pappardelle Pasta served w braised veal cheeks, Pinot Noir reduction and truffle oil - 2

J's comment > tender veal, really heavy and rich, but that's OK ;D; pasta though, could be a lot better, noodles were cooked right, but the texture was almost brittle after being cooked (I've rarely met a pappardelle that I can turn away from and this was one of them); sauce was slightly watered down

Crab ravioli w Alfredo cream sauce, smoked salmon julienne & parmesan gratinée - 2

J's comment > pasta a touch too soft; crab fresh though, not fishy as feared; a good combo w the smoked salmon which was also not fishy as it can get once baked; generous amt of parmesan, but the slightly charred look was a bit of a turn off

Fettuccine pasta served w sautéed lobster meat, vegetable Brunoise, olive oil and tomato fondue - 2

J's comment > fresh and tasty lobster; same complaint about the pasta as the pappardelle above; broth, like the veal tasted watered down

Lobster Tempura and Grilled Scallops served on curly endive salad, olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes and chive - 2

J's comment > both lobster and scallops fresh and well cooked, but I prefer my lobster steamed

Escargot baked w garlic butter served in edible pastry shells - 2

J's comment > very rich and heavy :D ; escargots not smelly at all nor were there any granules of sand as there sometimes are; excellent for drowning your bread in after you're done w the escargot

Grilled Beef Tenderloin w peppercorn sauce - 2

J's comment > tenderloin cooked to medium as requested; good sauce, but like the lamb, nothing I haven't had before

Complimentary amuse bouche: Dungeness crab & saffron tart - 2

J's comment > served piping hot, hence the tart shell was a bit soft (I prefer a crisper tart shell); excellent texture for the fluffy filling though, as despite the heat, the tart cut apart perfectly, nothing oozing into the middle; didn't get the crab or saffron flavors though, it was mostly eggy (but in a good way) but still, none of the advertised flavors

Complimentary shoe string fries - 2

J's comment > very crispy, gourmet Hickory sticks

Späetzle (round 2) - 2

J's comment > slightly better than the spaetzle that came w the venison, as in it didn't taste burnt, but texture was still on the soft side