Bouchee Restaurant & Wine Bar THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Bouchee Restaurant & Wine Bar

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Bouchee Restaurant & Wine Bar

Mission St. (Ocean Ave.)
Carmel, CA 93921
Map
Cuisine: Bistro / California / French
This contemporary French bistro is a haven in Carmel.
Openings: Dinner Nightly

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THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Bouchee Restaurant & Wine Bar, Carmel, CA


THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Bouchee Restaurant & Wine Bar Restaurant Review:


Here's to David Fink for reincarnating Bouchée from its former formal self to rustic with a French-pastoral pedigree. The simplified menu and relaxed feel elevate the dining experience. Sit near the open kitchen and watch young chef Jesse Kloskey at work or grab one of the few wine bar seats for a different perspective. The adjacent wine shop retails an impressive and affordable selection by day and plays host to private dinners by night. On the menu, classic bistro dishes take a contemporary turn, peppered with regional area influences. The menu's most luxurious dish is its preparation of Monterey Bay red abalone. The abalone are sliced thin and mixed with velvety crushed potatoes, dry vermouth and a few black truffles. The dish is first-rate, though for the price diners might grumble at so little abalone. Kloskey's interpretation of coquilles St-Jacques is a composed salad; translucent sea scallops, segments of bright blood orange and crunchy, slightly sweet slices of fennel---sans creamy sauce. Arctic char's usually assertive flavor is tempered here with smooth and subtle parsnip purée and dabs of robust red wine sauce. Three petite rosemary-crusted tenderloins are served with white beans and olives for authentic French countryside appeal. Unfortunately, in our case this and other dishes were served tepid, hardly hot, though, when informed, the kitchen and staff could not have been more accommodating. There's a lovely chocolate mousse for dessert, lightly whipped with lush chocolate flavor. Allow wine director Thomas Perez to lead the way with wine flights or bottle selections.