Intimate Maison Lacour adds magic to dining experience

Restaurant Review by The Advocate
(Excerpt)
By LISA TRAMONTANA, Restaurant Reviewer
1995

Driving up to the French restaurant Maison Lacour, it's hard to know what to expect. The word "quaint" comes to mind as you enter the 70-year-old cottage set back from the road and surrounded by live oaks and myrtle trees. "Intimate" next comes to mind when you see its five small dining rooms (several with fireplaces) and tables topped with fresh flowers and burgundy and white tablecloths.The mauve-colored decor is warm and inviting, and though the menu is definitely haute cuisine, the atmosphere is homey.

Within seconds of sampling Maison Lacour's food, it's apparent that you have discovered a true gem. A quick glance at the menu reveals an incredibly varied selection that includes veal, game, beef, lamb, seafood and fowl. Though the prices may be steep for most diners, there is no doubt your experience will be worth every penny. We began what turned out to be a magnificent culinary adventure with two simple appetizers. It was a promising taste of things to come.

The champignons (fresh morel, shiitake and portobello mushrooms) sautéed in butter looked plain at first, but looks can be deceiving. Proof that sometimes "less is more," this simple dish let the mushrooms speak for themselves -- fresh, firm and tasty. Stripped of the stuffing or filling that so often overpowers the taste of mushrooms, Maison Lacour's champignons are nature at its best.
We moved on to the artichoke hearts, which were incredibly fresh and topped with lump crabmeat and bathed in a light hollandaise sauce. If we hadn't planned on ordering dinner, we would have ordered the artichokes over and over again.
Before dinner was served, our waitress brought each of us a fresh, spinach salad covered with the house's sweet vinaigrette. It seemed that each course was better than the last, filling us with high expectations for our entrees. Maison Lacour didn't disappoint.

The crevettes grillees (grilled shrimp) were impressive not only in their size and taste, but in their presentation. Arranged in a circular pattern with bright red tails fanning outward, the shrimp were surrounded by a colorful assortment of grilled vegetables, including carrots, asparagus, potatoes and pea pods. As with all our entrees, the vegetables were fresh, cooked to a perfect texture and brimming with flavor.

The veal Oscar also stood out in its presentation. Two thick, but moist and juicy veal cutlets were stacked atop one another with several bright green, crisp asparagus tips sandwiched between them. Topped with lump crabmeat and a delicious hollandaise sauce, the veal was breaded just enough to give it a crunchy texture, but not enough to mask its flavor. Large, decorative slices of carrots completed the dish.

For the steak-and-seafood lover, John's favorite grilled filet is a perfect choice. Moist and tender, the filet was more than an inch thick. Though it was ordered medium, it tasted as if it had been seared to seal in its juices. (This was just one in a series of amazing touches that impressed us to no end.) The filet was topped with lump crabmeat and covered with a blanket of bearnaise sauce. Delicious on their own, the large shrimp were made even more so by a light garlic butter sauce.

The cailles (pair of quail) were stuffed with veal, pork and wild mushrooms, making this a favorite. The delicate, white quail meat was complemented by the flavorful stuffing and a sweet and savory wine sauce in which it was cooked.

After enjoying such a fine meal, there was no way we could skip dessert. Our choices turned out to be right on target. The sweetheart was a heart-shaped freshly-baked puff pastry filled with mocha chocolate and small scoops of vanilla ice cream atop a layer of chocolate sauce. Sweet and creamy, this dessert earns its name.
The Sacher torte was a departure from the usual dessert fare. The Viennese classic is normally made with three layers of chocolate cake and filled with an apricot jam. Maison Lacour's version was even better, if that could be possible. The Austrian chocolate cake had a bitter, but pleasant taste and was served warm, then topped with a deep red, tart raspberry sauce.

Maison Lacour's service was excellent. We laughed and talked for more than two hours and hardly noticed our waitress, who seemed to know what we wanted before we asked.

Our water glasses and bread basket remained full. She was there with freshly ground black pepper for our salads at just the right moment. The tablecloth seemed spotless even after our meal, so quick was she to wipe away crumbs. Refilled butter and sauce cups simply appeared.
It was like everything else at Maison Lacour -- like magic.
MAISON LACOUR