Josh Woodward

Review of L'Etoile Restaurant & Graze

Ye gods. One of the best meals I've had in my life...

Ye gods. One of the best meals I've had in my life (and I've had a lot of great meals). The thing that sets L'Etoile apart is the level of detail in their food. Rather than just using the finest ingredients simply, they use them to build layers upon layers of flavor within a single dish, using a huge number of complimentary ingredients. But there's no molecular funny business here - the presentation is simple and elegant, focusing on the freshest local ingredients.

One interesting thing I noticed after the meal - I realized that the only meat I'd had was thinly shaved in the bottom of two of my courses - I could have easily eaten it in one bite if I'd been insane. The entree (cheddar beignets) had no meat at all. Fruit, on the other hand, was used in every coarse, and it made sense every time. They never relied on cheap fatty tricks to enhance flavor.

The service is impeccable - very attentive without hovering. The room is gorgeous. The whole experience was worth the lofty price of admission.