Americans
like to think of themselves as enlightened and tolerant, but there are
pockets of ignorance and xenophobia that belie our nation's supposed
culture of inclusion. Because of heightened tension between the
United States and France, the La Cuisine restaurant (and likely every
other French restaurant in town) was inundated with threatening phone
calls and hate mail.
How,
reasoned the ignoramuses, could a restaurant serve French food and
French wines while Jacques Chirac had the impunity to besmirch George
Bush's character? Business at La Cuisine suffered as a result...so
much so that the owners renamed the restaurant to Butcher &
Fisherman Steak, Seafood & Lobster House.
The
menu still included all but three entrees served when this was purely a
French restaurant, but most entrees were translated into English so as
not to offend the boorish few. Of course, those Jethroes probably
wouldn't understand that a rose (vichyssoise or bouillabaisse) doesn't
smell any sweeter by American names (potato soup or fish stew
respectively).
Okay,
by any name this was a formidable restaurant serving outstanding food.
We started our dining experience with crispy lobster rolls accompanied
by a sweetly piquant jalapeno chutney. A better appetizer we had
not had in a long time. Also fabulous was a second appetizer, a
three onion crab dip with chips. Other restaurants fail miserably
in preparing similar dips, but at the Butcher & Fisherman
restaurant, it appeared divinely inspired.
My main
entree, the Saint Jaque shrimp and scallops with a wine and saffron
sauce was absolutely extraordinary (although I would have appreciated
more than the seven or so shrimp). We sopped up the sauce with the
terrific French (don't tell anyone) bread. Kim had a Bourbon New
York strip steak which was quite savory as well. Among the fine
selection of classic gourmet bistro sandwiches, it's hard to imagine any
better than the grilled New York sirloin sandwich served with
fire-roasted onions and topped with blue cheese sauce.
