Bar Bouchee
8 Scotland Avenue
Madison, CT
You can’t pass through Madison without stopping for dinner at Bar Bouchee. My favorite time of year to visit here is Spring and Summer and Fall, when outdoor café seating evokes sentimental reminisces of wonderful little dinners enjoyed al fresco in France.
The bar inside is tiny but mighty, a place where the after-work crowd gathers collegially for colorful martinis and clever conversation. Bar Bouchee is a friendly place, fortuitous given the seating arrangements throughout: A long line of bistro tables and stools along the right wall of the restaurant proper leave you feeling as if you’ve just taken an elevator to the top of La tour Eiffel. No fretting allowed. Fun conversation always results with the folks “next door” whenever the restaurant is packed and the waiters are bustling. Watch chefs behind the wall opposite prepare your meal and others’, alternately inspiring and whetting your palate.
Authentic French dishes accented with an inspired wine just do not get better than this. While you can find a full menu online at http://barbouchee.com/, I indulge myself by listing a few personal favorites here…
All of the below bask beautifully in complement with Domain Montpertuis Côtes du Rhône, a slightly peppery red Grenache that is light on its feet and yet hearty enough to carry raw beef.
Steak Tartare. Hand chopped fresh steak flavored perfectly with raw onion and parsley is best enjoyed atop a signature house potato crisp.
Duck Confit. Served in a moat of watercress leaves subtly dressed and bearing hints of thyme and aromatic herbs, the confit arrives on a bed of sour green apple squares, topped with potato galette, delicious paper-thin fingerling rounds that manage to be both tender and crusty in turn.
Foie Gras. Seared expertly in a mild and pleasantly sweet balsamic reduction, and dusted with fresh parsley, the robust mineral accents of the dish make for a perfect marriage with the toast points and sour apple dice.
Hanger Steak. Even if it tends to rate lower on your list of favored cuts, and even if the shallot reduction comes across as a bit too tart at first, the frites and watercress leaves ultimately balance a satisfying finish … a la plancha.
Profiterolles. Feather light pastries stuffed with vanilla bean ice cream arrive in a generous drizzle of warm chocolate sauce, nestled on a bed of expertly toasted almonds.
SPECIAL NOTE…
Sweetbreads. If you want this rich, buttery dish that so harmoniously rests upon a square of good French bread, you will have to call ahead -unless you have the patience to wait until Fall or Winter, when sweetbreads return to the rotation of the Specials Menu.
