I was very much looking forward to the experience. I knew that being in California, the restaurant would be able to accommodate my dietary restrictions and still come up with an interesting menu for me to enjoy.
Upon entering the large burgundy doors, I was pleasantly surprised by the authentic Parisian bistro decor and ambiance of the dining room. The waitstaff were all dressed in black pants, white shirts with black ties and vests and with table clothes as aprons wrapped around their waists. My favorite decorative touch was the distressed mirrors that lined the walls. I was quickly transported to my favorite city in the world, Paris, where my husband and I got engaged 6 years ago.
A couple of hours prior to our 7pm reservations, I was already hungry. Hungry and I don't mix well. I usually get very cranky and am no fun to be around. Because I didn't want to be mean to the hubby on our anniversary, I suggested we head over the Oxbow Market in Napa and enjoy some oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Co. I figured that oysters weren't enough to ruin my appetite for dinner and would make for a fun and romantic snack. We shared a platter of 12 oysters and they were absolutely delicious.
We ended up getting to Bouchon much earlier than our reservation, but because the shops in Yountville had already closed for the day, we decided to ask to be seated at 6:30.
I took a look at the menu and what caught my eye was their Plats de Mer (Seafood Platter). Since I had already enjoyed some oysters, I figured I'd just continue with the marine theme. The platter not only had oysters, but also clams, mussels, and a half of a lobster! I figured that the seafood platter would be a good choice at a French restaurant, where most of the dishes are swimming in butter and thickened with flour. The waiter agreed that it was an excellent choice and I ordered it for my main course.
For my appetizer, I ordered the Smoked Octopus Salad. I love octopus, specifically because of its chewy texture, but it's a thing that can easily be overcooked and become inedible. Unfortunately, I found only half of the salad appetizing. The plate was encircled with thinly sliced octopus drizzled with olive oil. Based on the temperature difference between the actual octopus salad and the decorative octopus embellishment, they were prepared at different times. The thinly sliced octopus seemed to have been prepped much earlier and refrigerated, leaving it to be extremely chewy. The octopus salad itself was tasty but not tasty enough to be worth it.
When my Plats de Mer arrived, I was ready to be blown away. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the lobster. But alas, this too was disappointing. The lobster was not as creamy and fresh as what we enjoyed in Provincetown.
Overall, I found the dinner to be underwhelming. It didn't feel up to the standards one would expect at a 4-star Yelp restaurant. The whole experience made the hubby and I commit to limiting how often we go out to eat. I'm finding that the more I experiment with cooking, the better a cook I become and the less I enjoy restaurant food. It's amazing how much money we save when we eat more meals at home, even cooking with organic, grass-fed and high quality ingredients.
