mm, salt. (luc, madison valley)

Since its opening in 2010, I've heard many mixed reviews of Luc: The best burger! Too salty! Underwhelming. So with the start of my new blog, I decided it was time to try it myself and see how it fared.

Luc: 2800 E. Madison

For those who are unfamiliar with Luc, it is a French-American café located in Madison Valley. Named after the Chef in the Hat's father, it has a neighborhood feel and resists the pretension of its white table-clothed sister restaurant, Rover's. Upon entering, you will find a small dining room with warm, dark wood tables and a large U-shaped bar in the middle of the restaurant. Even at 8pm on a Thursday night, all the tables were filled (thankfully we had reservations) and there was lively chatter throughout the restaurant.

Dining room and bar. (Photo taken at the end of the night, after most diners had left.)

The evening started off with a couple of cocktails: the Lucatini (I hear the chef drinks one everyday) and the Mad Hat'n. The Lucatini (vodka, gin, lillet, st. germain) was the winner of the two, with its bright citrus flavor enhanced by an orange twist. The Mad Hat'n (bourbon, calvados, sweet vermouth), garnished with a maraschino cherry at the bottom, was lackluster and watery in taste. Bourbon fans, beware!

Cocktails: Lucatini (left) and Mad Hat'n (right).

We finished our cocktails, and then ordered a bottle of Le Drunk Rooster. Who could resist a name like that? Not us! Or the table next to us. They were on their second bottle of this nice Grenache-Syrah blend. At $45, it was a moderately priced wine on the list and was said to be a good value. When the wine and glasses arrived, I was certainly pleased we opted for a "value wine". The wine glasses looked like a wine glass straight from Ikea, with a thick lip and short stem. I found this horribly disappointing for a restaurant that purports to have a "well-selected wine list" and offers many bottles in the $70-90 range.

After hearing the evening's specials, we immediately ordered the clam and mussel chowder. We then perused the menu and opted to add a salad of grilled quail, apples, arugula, and balsamic vinaigrette. At our server's suggestion, we switched the order of our appetizers and requested to have our salad arrive before the soup. (pause) Soon after this conversation, our soup arrived with no mention of the salad. Thinking that our salad would certainly make its appearance soon, we focused on the heavenly food in front of us.

The soup was FANTASTIC. On first bite, I did proclaim that it was a bit salty. But I love salt! This chowder had a rich, silky broth and was filled with clams, mussels, pancetta, potatoes, leeks, and celery. The thyme oil added a nice flavor, and we were scraping the bottom of our bowls within minutes.

Soup: Clam and mussel chowder with thyme oil.

Our bowls were cleared and additional knives appeared for our entrées, but still, no quail salad. We summoned our server and inquired about this missing dish, and a look of horror and embarrassment appeared on her face. This is when I accepted the fact that we weren't getting our quail salad.  And I was really looking forward to it! She apologized profusely and offered to still bring one out, but with entrées on their way, we declined. She graciously offered to take one of the cocktails off our bill and continued to apologize for her mistake, so I couldn't stay angry long. Plus, the chowder was pretty filling and we had two meat-tastic entrées on the way.

Meat-tastic entrée #1: Grilled beef onglet steak with infused peppercorn sauce. Onglet is the French name for hanger steak, and this one was perfect. It was cooked medium-rare, with a tender middle with nicely grilled edges. I loved the peppercorn sauce, and there was just the right amount for each bite of steak. The accompanying fries were equally good -- so good that a former Seattleite and well-known CEO at the table next to us (the same table that was on their second bottle of the Le Drunk Rooster) snagged the first bite as soon as it was set down on the table! He dipped it it in the sauce, took a bite, and declared it good enough to eat. Um, what?

Entrée: Grilled beef onglet steak with infused peppercorn sauce. Served with fries.

Meat-tastic entrée #2: Grilled pork chop with sage mustard rub, served with mashed potatoes, spinach, and delicata squash. This briny pork chop was salty, deliciousness. It was a decent thickness (about 3/4-1-inch), and its overall size and plating made the steak look like lady food. The sides on this dish were nicely seasoned but nothing exceptional, and the delicata squash was served a bit too firm for my taste.

Entrée: Grilled pork chop with sage mustard rub. Served with mashed potatoes, spinach and delicata squash.

Why does dessert always let me down? I LOVE YOU, DESSERT, and you always disappoint me (at least in Seattle). This one was no exception. Highly recommended by our server, we eagerly anticipated the vanilla créme caramel. This place is French! It should be good! It arrived all pretty and colorful, and I truly had high hopes for this dessert. But the berries and mint overwhelmed the créme caramel, amounting to a silky nothing with fruit salad in your mouth. Although it would have been a pretty tasty fruit salad.

Dessert: Vanilla créme caramel with blueberries, huckleberries, and currants.

In a nutshell: Luc hasn't earned a place on my favorites list, but overall it was a satisfying experience. I'd definitely return and give it one more chance to shine. (But I'll pass on dessert.)

Shoes: Black suede Manolo Blahniks.

Shoes for the evening: Black suede Manolo Blahniks. One of my favorite winter shoes, they are simple and understated, with a slightly rounded toe and d'orsay cut to reveal the inner arch of the foot.