 The Village Pub’s bar-lounge---all gleaming mahogany bar, antique oak floors, roaring limestone fireplace and cozy armchairs---offers a pub menu of elegant bistro fare. Think house-made charcuterie or steak frites served with roasted bone marrow and sauce Bordelaise. In the adjacent dining room, the casually luxurious atmosphere takes on a more formal guise, the crisp white tablecloths standing out amid the rich chocolate and burgundy tones. Chef Dmitry Elperin and his team execute the finely-honed complexity of the menu’s contemporary American cuisine (with classic French roots) with seeming ease. Two different starters of crab show the versatility of both the ingredient and the chef: a salad of Dungeness meat served with blood orange segments and julienned apple, mâche lettuce and a blood orange gelée is tangy and refreshing; while a warm flan's creamy custard is infused with an intense crab flavor, and topped with tender sea urchin and caviar tinged with a warm Riesling butter sauce. A trio of spring lamb showcases an array of techniques, the standout being the braised presentation: its lush flavors of red wine and cumin are swathed in caul fat which melts into the already succulent lamb. The comprehensive wine list will impress connoisseurs, while categories such as Under Sixty---and a sommelier happy to recommend half bottles---make it approachable. The chocolate soufflé with Grand Marnier crème anglaise may not score points for originality, but its silken flavor, texture and presentation make it uncommonly enjoyable.
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Splurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area. Also, check out our picks for the Top 40 Cheap Eats in the U.S.
