There is something about a fine French bistro that really gets my heart pumping. I have always been a big fan of French cooking techniques and some of the signature dishes from various regions of France. And then of course, there’s the wine. So on our recent trip to Boston, near the top of our list of restaurants we wanted to visit was Deuxave.
Running a tad late for our dinner reservation after a day of sightseeing, we took a short cab ride to get us a little closer to the restaurant. Deuxave is located in Boston’s historic Back Bay area and the stroll by beautiful parks and brownstones is a terrific way to start your evening.
Both the exterior and interior of Deuxave is impressive. Bright and airy with an upscale yet comfortable feel, after being warmly greeted – we knew walking in the door that we were in for something special.
Considering the number of restaurants we have been to across the globe, the fact that I would rank our meal at Deuxave in my top 10 speaks volumes. The quality of the ingredients and the attention to detail is amazing. I really like the size of their menu. Enough items to give you choice – but not an overwhelming selection of dishes to agonize over.
We decided to order a few entrées to share between the three of us. And to get things rolling, we started our meal with one of life’s simple but spectacular gastronomical treasures. French fries cooked in duck fat sprinkled with fine herbs and parmesan. To the uninitiated, these ain’t no run of the mill chips. Super crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, with that magical and unmistakable flavour of duck. A treat hard to beat.
For our first main course selection, we ordered the Housemade Ricotta Cavatelli featuring Roof Top Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Arugula, 2 Hour Egg, Crème Fraîche and Pecorino. The pasta simply melted in your mouth and all the ingredients intertwined in a wonderful symphony of flavour.
The duck fries were the perfect segue into our next dish, Spiced Long Island Duck Breast with Lentils du Puy with Arugula, “French Kisses”, Prune Port Gastrique, Honey Glazed Baby Turnips & Sauce Robert. I’m a bit of a duck aficionado, and I have to say that the duck breast at Deuxave is superb. It’s no easy feat to serve super crispy skin while keeping the meat moist and tender. Just exceptional.
Our next dish was the Crispy Skin Giannone Chicken and Prosciutto featuring Balsamic Glazed Cipollini Onions and Black Mission Figs, Holland Leeks, Robuchon Potatoes and Pickled Peach. I don’t normally order chicken dishes when in restaurants, but in this case, I’m glad I did. A really intruiging combination of ingredients and flavours. Chicken was perfectly prepared as well.
And saving the best for last, we had the pleasure of trying one of the most awe-inspiring dishes in our lifetime. The Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Warm Corn Custard, Smoked & Marinated Chanterelle Mushrooms, Bourbon-Corn Butter, Variations of Huckleberry and Blueberry Crumb was insanely good. The kind of dish you can’t taste without a long mmmmmmm afterwards. Such complex flavours and appealing textures. Only wish there was a little more of that scrumptious foie gras. A dish we won’t soon forget.
We absolutely loved Deuxave and can’t recommend this restaurant any higher. They have a strong wine list too. Foodie approved! For now, back to the cage.