Maison Lacour - still the best restaurant in BR

Last night we went to celebrate our anniversary at Maison Lacour, and since I hadn't been there in a while, I was eager to see if it was as good as I remembered it. We brought a 2007 Roederer Estate Brut L'Ermitage and our server uncorked it for us. It was excellent.



Shortly thereafter, he returned with our complimentary hot bread and butter. Simple, but good.



For an appetizer, I ordered the Pâté Maison -- Duck pâté with green peppercorn and cognac. It was pretty standard; I wouldn't order it again.




My beautiful date opted for the Soup Jacqueline -- Velouté of brie cheese, jumbo lump crab, and asparagus. She gave me a taste and it was superb, ranking up with Rama's chicken soup and Mansurs cream of brie and crabmeat soup as my favorite soups in the city.




Next we were presented with our salads. Romaine with marinated red onion and walnuts in a tasty vinaigrette, with freshly ground black pepper. Surprisingly great.




For her entree, she chose another appetizer: artichoke heart topped with jumbo lump crab and hollandaise. She was very pleased, and said it's one of the best things she's ever eaten.




I chose the Carré d’Agneau New Zealand lamb rack rolled in herbs de Provence, baked and sliced into chops, served with three mustard sauce. Simply stated, it was the best lamb I've ever had. The mustard sauce was the perfect accompaniment.




I loosened my belt and selected two desserts: lemon souffle, and a rarely-ordered dessert called Gâteau au Noix -- Perigord Traditional Walnut Cake, topped with crème Anglaise.

Truth be told, I've never really cared for souffles; even the much-revered bread pudding souffle at Commanders has failed to wow me. That said, I always feel like I'm missing something, so I end up ordering it. I've never had a lemon souffle before, and thought perhaps that this experience would be different. Nope -- didn't care for it at all. It was the disappointment of the evening and my lady agreed, likening it to a "sweet lemon omelette." Sorry for the lousy pic; this was after I had already dug in...



The cake, on the other hand, was exceptional. I was expecting it to be dry or basic, but it was anything but. The sauce put it over the top. I'd definitely order this again.




Maison Lacour unquestionably has the best desserts in the city, including some unique offerings that you can't find anywhere else. All of them that I've tried, with the exception of the souffle, have been wonderful.

Overall, one of the best meals I've had in a long time. With tax, tip, corkage fee, etc. it was $125. Service was outstanding. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to order next year when we go back (God willing). The woman at the table next to us had a duck breast with raspberry sauce that looked sublime.

Without question, it is the best restaurant in the city, and definitely the most romantic. Quaint, quiet, and elegant. I think the location hurts it, but it truly is a hidden gem.