La Voile: Boston's best French restaurant?
Review: La Voile, 259 Newbury Street, Boston, Mass. Make a reservation. Get directions.
Recipe: La Voile's la Recette du Mois (Recipe of the Month) - La Pissaladiere
La Voile: Boston's best French restaurant?
La Voile in Boston's Back Bay has won my pick for Boston's best French restaurant, taking the very unofficial title over Gaslight Brasserie, Pigalle, Bouchee, and Lumiere. Let me know if you agree or disagree.
Formerly a beloved restaurant in Cannes, France, La Voile ("The Sail") was a regular dining destination for many a sailor. One in particular, an American, became a good friend to the owners and a regular diner, who suggested that the restaurant be moved to Boston. Some time later... they did just that.
According to La Voile's website: "Everything was brought over... the zinc bar, the tables and chairs, the wooden wine fridge (an old Butcher's fridge), the marble console, the vintage chandeliers, sailing pictures, the knives, the entrance door... even the staff!"
What the Newbury Street location lacks in sea breezes and sailors, it makes up for in warm atmosphere and hearty food. The restaurant is decorated with heavy woods and model sailboats, its staff members are lively and quick to please, and the food is rich and delicious. Even my France born and bred coworker -- who has tried every French restaurant in the Boston metro area -- considers this the best French restaurant in Boston. I now agree and only wish I'd dined here when he first told me to go a year ago.
Appetizers
For the first course, Foodie Guy enjoyed the refreshing La Voile Salade, consisting mainly of fresh, crisp green beans, mushrooms and grape tomatoes, while I went for something a little out of my comfort zone: La terrine ou pate du jour (terrine of the day), a rich chicken liver terrine that was particularly tasty with the sour baby pickles. I'm not usually a liver fan, but I'd be quick to order this on a repeat visit, so long as I had help eating all that pate!
Entrees
Foodie Guy had a New York strip steak served with a small salad and a side of potatoes, which were a cross between french fries and potato chips. Nice change from the norm, and not too salty. I went for the salmon with eggplant and tomato purees. I loved this dish. I've had to force myself to eat more fish lately (part of my marathon preparation), so I was being good in my mind by choosing the salmon. It was so flavorful that I would go back again just for this dish. It's not on the regular menu -- at least it doesn't appear to be on the menu online -- but hopefully something like it will be. If you require your salmon dishes to have a bit of a kick, you'll love this simple dish, too.
Desserts
Last but not least, dessert! Foodie Guy -- a lover of chocolate but not necessarily mousse -- enjoyed La Mousse au Chocolat, which was presented in a fun, mini jar that looked like it should be holding preserves. I had the L'Expresso Gourmand, which I didn't know was actually a trio of desserts. Lucky pick. This sampler includes the mousse, a mini creme brulee, shortbread and cup of espresso. I was happy savoring each taste, particularly the mousse. However, if we weren't following the Restaurant Week menu, there's no doubt we would have passed over these delicious desserts for the warm chocolate cake with white chocolate ice cream. Mmm.
Overall, I loved the entire dinner, from reading about the sayings on the wall at our candlelit table, to admiring the model sailboats and watching the busy waitstaff dart around the room, to enjoying our delicious three-course meal. I felt like I'd stepped out of Boston and into Cannes for two hours. What could be better?
If you've been, let me know what you thought.
La Voile's Recipe of the Month: La Pissaladiere
Today's recipe is one you can find on La Voile's website, while it's still there: La Voile's Recipe of the Month.
La Pissaladiere is a sort of French pizza made with tons of onions, as well as tomatoes, anchovies, olives and herbs. It's actually more of an onion pie than a pizza, as there's no cheese or sauce.
More La Pissaladiere Recipes:
FC
Recipe: La Voile's la Recette du Mois (Recipe of the Month) - La Pissaladiere
La Voile: Boston's best French restaurant?
La Voile in Boston's Back Bay has won my pick for Boston's best French restaurant, taking the very unofficial title over Gaslight Brasserie, Pigalle, Bouchee, and Lumiere. Let me know if you agree or disagree.
Formerly a beloved restaurant in Cannes, France, La Voile ("The Sail") was a regular dining destination for many a sailor. One in particular, an American, became a good friend to the owners and a regular diner, who suggested that the restaurant be moved to Boston. Some time later... they did just that.
According to La Voile's website: "Everything was brought over... the zinc bar, the tables and chairs, the wooden wine fridge (an old Butcher's fridge), the marble console, the vintage chandeliers, sailing pictures, the knives, the entrance door... even the staff!"
What the Newbury Street location lacks in sea breezes and sailors, it makes up for in warm atmosphere and hearty food. The restaurant is decorated with heavy woods and model sailboats, its staff members are lively and quick to please, and the food is rich and delicious. Even my France born and bred coworker -- who has tried every French restaurant in the Boston metro area -- considers this the best French restaurant in Boston. I now agree and only wish I'd dined here when he first told me to go a year ago.
Appetizers
For the first course, Foodie Guy enjoyed the refreshing La Voile Salade, consisting mainly of fresh, crisp green beans, mushrooms and grape tomatoes, while I went for something a little out of my comfort zone: La terrine ou pate du jour (terrine of the day), a rich chicken liver terrine that was particularly tasty with the sour baby pickles. I'm not usually a liver fan, but I'd be quick to order this on a repeat visit, so long as I had help eating all that pate!
Entrees
Foodie Guy had a New York strip steak served with a small salad and a side of potatoes, which were a cross between french fries and potato chips. Nice change from the norm, and not too salty. I went for the salmon with eggplant and tomato purees. I loved this dish. I've had to force myself to eat more fish lately (part of my marathon preparation), so I was being good in my mind by choosing the salmon. It was so flavorful that I would go back again just for this dish. It's not on the regular menu -- at least it doesn't appear to be on the menu online -- but hopefully something like it will be. If you require your salmon dishes to have a bit of a kick, you'll love this simple dish, too.
DessertsLast but not least, dessert! Foodie Guy -- a lover of chocolate but not necessarily mousse -- enjoyed La Mousse au Chocolat, which was presented in a fun, mini jar that looked like it should be holding preserves. I had the L'Expresso Gourmand, which I didn't know was actually a trio of desserts. Lucky pick. This sampler includes the mousse, a mini creme brulee, shortbread and cup of espresso. I was happy savoring each taste, particularly the mousse. However, if we weren't following the Restaurant Week menu, there's no doubt we would have passed over these delicious desserts for the warm chocolate cake with white chocolate ice cream. Mmm.
Overall, I loved the entire dinner, from reading about the sayings on the wall at our candlelit table, to admiring the model sailboats and watching the busy waitstaff dart around the room, to enjoying our delicious three-course meal. I felt like I'd stepped out of Boston and into Cannes for two hours. What could be better?
If you've been, let me know what you thought.
La Voile's Recipe of the Month: La Pissaladiere
Today's recipe is one you can find on La Voile's website, while it's still there: La Voile's Recipe of the Month.
La Pissaladiere is a sort of French pizza made with tons of onions, as well as tomatoes, anchovies, olives and herbs. It's actually more of an onion pie than a pizza, as there's no cheese or sauce.
More La Pissaladiere Recipes:
- Pissaladiere recipe at Epicurious
- Emeril's pissaladiere recipe at Food Network
- Almost a pissaladiere recipe at La Tartine Gourmand
FC
Posted by Foodie Chick at 3/26/2009 9:55 PM 
Categories: Restaurant,Boston,Review,French,Recipe
Tags: bistro French brasserie
Categories: Restaurant,Boston,Review,French,Recipe
Tags: bistro French brasserie
Hi Foodie Chick -
I have a recipe from Jeremy Sewall of Lineage for a Fried Island Creek Oyster Sandwich that he'll be making for Friday night's Local Bites at D2E. Interested?
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Hi Nina,
That sounds delicious! I'm actually hoping to go to the event if my weekend plans change. I'd love to share the recipe in any event. Thanks!
FC (foodie.chick@yahoo.com)
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