Tonight I went to Chapeau! with my parents. I first came here about 5 years ago when I was still in college. I remember being blown away by the traditional french style cuisine here. Everything was well executed and the prices were such a great deal! Definitely an A- in terms of a quality/value ratio.This time, it was ok-to-good. I expect it might be because the owner/chef, Philippe Gardelle, is now cooking at his new restaurant, Clementine... or maybe I am just more picky than I used to be. Most of the dishes were just not that extraordinary.
My mom and I both started off our meal with the Mesclun Salad with Pistachios, Green Grapes and Fried Camembert. Came with two slices of Walnut Bread. This appetizer has been on the menu for ages and rightfully so. The dijonnaise dressing is creamy and packed with flavor, but a tad sweet for my taste. They also went a bit overboard on the dressing, as the leaves were almost soaked, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The rich, creamy Camembert, bright, refreshing, Green Grapes and crispy, sweet Pistachios worked beautifully together. The Walnut Bread added a great earthiness as well.
My dad ordered the pan seared Foie Gras served with thinly sliced Apples, Brioche toast, and some type of caramel, anise-like syrup drizzled all around it. This was excellent. The outside was nicely pan fried and almost crisp, while the inside was supple and delicate. My only complaint is that it was too small!
Both of my parents had the pan seared Monkfish (usually black cod, but they ran out) with Fennel Salad, roasted Red Bell Pepper, and braised Fennel in some type of broth. Pretty lackluster. The fish was cooked well, not overdone in the slightest, but it just lacked flavor. Even some extra salt would have been appreciated here.
As my main course, I had the Salmon Trio appetizer. Inside was a yummy Salmon Tartare that I believe used the same dressing as the Mesclun Salad. On the outside were slices of smoked salmon that didn't seem particularly fresh. Salmon Roe eggs comprised the remaining third of the Trio. Around the dish, they sprinkled chopped pieces of hard boiled egg and fried capers. The fried capers, especially were a nice touch. It was decently good, but nothing special here.
Same can be said about the Warm Chocolate Cake. It had a molten, gooey, chocolate banana center and was served with Vanilla Ice Cream. Don't get me wrong - it was crazy delicious, but definitely nothing I haven't had before (except for the flambe bananas in the middle - that was a nice little way to mix it up). Not sure I will be coming back here anytime soon, but maybe I will try Clementine someday.
