We have finally arrived at the last meal of this dining extravaganza.
Le Coq Rico opened last year on March 10th, a restaurant whose arrival we’d been eagerly anticipating. Luckily, we were in the city when it opened so wasting no time had our first dinner there on March 11th. The superb cuisine, excellent service, pleasant ambiance, and warm hospitality immediately won us over. Given its location a short walk from our apartment, it quickly became one of our favorite neighborhood dining spots. During the past year, we’ve had a total of ten lunches and dinners there. We’ve done a pretty good job of eating our way through the menu: all the whole birds; many other mains including the baeckeoffe, the stuffed chicken, and the squab pie; soups, salads, terrines, and sides; and, of course, desserts. All expertly prepared and, as I said, delicious. So, it being a place we always enjoy and where we’ve become “friends of the house” are certainly good reasons for us to have picked Le Coq Rico for of the extravaganza’s finale. However, we actually chose it for a more specific reason.
While the same menu is served at both lunch and dinner – a giant plus in our book! – each day during lunch, there is a different plat du jour. It it’s Tuesday, it’s Coq au Vin. Now, this is a dish that Michael adores. Not that I don’t like it, I do. But he really loves it! And if it’s on the menu, he definitely will order it. As it turned out, the final day of the extravaganza fell on a Tuesday. Since it’s rare for us to be in the city for lunch on a Tuesday, this was the perfect opportunity to check out the coq au vin.
As soon as we were seated, a staff member promptly arrived as always with bread and butter.
Michael requested a glass of the wine he most likes to have there.
We began by sharing Steamed Leek with Hollandaise.
Then, we each ordered the Coq au Vin which arrived in pretty cocottes each with a different design.
The cocottes held lots of chicken and a gargantuan portion of pasta.
I made a start.
In retrospect, we could easily have shared one order since there was no way either of us could come close to finishing one on our own. But looking on the very bright side, plenty of delicious leftovers to take home!
For dessert, Michael chose Mousse Glasée à l’Orange with Orange Salad.
I had Baba au Rhum.
A perfect meal to end a truly memorable 5-day birthday dining extravaganza!
The Wizard of Roz 