La Côte Saint-Jacques

La Côte Saint-Jacques Restaurant Review:

The Lorain family has put their heart and soul into turning this old inn on the River Yonne into the gem of a luxury establishment it is now. Michel handed the hearth over to son Jean-Michel, who continues in his father’s footsteps, creating the most modern classic cuisine around. The Lorains took a cue from two of their menu’s crowning glories---lightly smoked bass with caviar and a cabbage-truffle medley---and came up with a third one: mouth-watering cabbage stuffed with caviar in a smoky sauce. Apart from the occasional feat of daring (cumin-flavored monkfish; veal in coffee sauce) both chefs are resolutely traditional---and that’s the way we like them! This visit, we tried the frog’s legs with eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and herb vinaigrette; snails with green asparagus and poached eggs à la bourguignonne; lobster tournedos with Szechuan peppers, chanterelle mushrooms and sweet garlic-flavored peas; and roast duck with fruit, thin cumin tart and herb fritters. We liked the daring rice pudding pyramid à l’Impératrice with gingerbread and caramel ice cream with salty butter. The choice of ingredients and the quality of craftsmanship are perfection itself. Cooking aficionados can take theme-oriented cooking classes in the spacious modern classroom at the end of the elegant underground gallery lined with old Burgundian stone sculptures and linking the restaurant to the River Yonne. The wine list boasts impressive offerings, and is expectedly rich in great Burgundies and local Yonne wines, including one from the restaurant’s own vineyard across the river.