Return to Le Pigeon

A few weeks back Wifey and I returned to Le Pigeon for a special occasion. The fact that coincided with the first fresh halibut of 2011 was just a bonus. I already discussed in depth how awesome Pigeon is last August, so in this post I'll just talk about the food - and share the food porn.

The first dish:

Pan roasted halibut with grilled celery salad, sorrel pesto, truffled leeks, and pan roasted potato

This may be the best halibut I've ever tasted. It was perfectly cooked and a bite encompassing a little bit of everything was pure heaven. The flesh of the fish melted in your mouth with a nice crunch. Surprising to me, the grilled celery salad really was out of this world. Might have to try that at home.

Next up, chicken:

Poussin with crab, couscous, and lemon jam

Poussin is a young chicken, this one split in half and roasted. The meat was very, very, very nicely cooked with great flavors in the spices. The couscous had fiddlerheads and crab mixed in, and the sauce provided a little something extra. By itself the lemon jam was exceptionally tart and bitter, so I wasn't sure I liked it...until I managed a bite with the jam, some chicken, and a pile of couscous. These guys know what they are doing.

Then, of course, dessert.

Creme brulee, espresso pots de creme, chocolate shortbread cookie

This is the same thing we ordered for dessert last time and it was so good we had to get it again. This time the cookie was more moist, though definitely still shortbread. Wifey thought the espresso pots de creme had more flavor this time and I *think* that's because the coffee was stronger. Last time the creme brulee was perfect; this time it was still very good, but the burning was uneven, making it difficult to crack in spots and leaving a bit of a burnt flavor.

And the second dessert:

Foie gras profiteroles with caramel sauce and sea salt

Yep, you read that right - foie gras in my dessert. It's not in the picture above - it's inside the profiteroles. I didn't know what to expect, just having read they were fantastic, but the foie gras was actually a cold mousse and, yes, fantastic. It's hard to even describe the flavor - umami, I suppose, creamy, with the faintest touch of meatiness. The profiteroles were well done. The caramel sauce wasn't the best ever, but it was the best fit for the dish. Had the caramel been more of a star, it would have detracted from the foie gras. Does that make sense - not the best ever but perfect for the dish?

Once again, a fabulous meal at Le Pigeon. We will return for sure.