Sean ODonnell

Review of Lacroix at the Rittenhouse

Had the tasting menu, and the wine pairing tonight...

Had the tasting menu, and the wine pairing tonight. I have to be totally honest here, the food at LaCroix is seriously overrated and shockingly disappointing. One of the courses is actually aloe vera, a gelatin substance which is paired with actual cystallized plants...that you eat. It's terrible. The restaurant should be embarrassed to serve it to their guests. We took 1 bite. Lobster course was chared and overcooked, served on actual twigs, and is 1 bite. A joke! It's ridiculous. A mouth satisfying delight though...was the Wagyu tartar NY strip course. Again, superb, exceptional actually, and the lamb is also quite tasty-it also came paired with a sausage that was actually raw inside-my date's sausage was cooked well done inside-same course, made no sense. I've eaten at many French restaurants, and the desserts are always to die for. I would give the desert course here a failing grade. It's a joke, and an absolute disappointment-nothing really French about it, at all, one of the 4 logs of dessert was an onion cream log-it was actually an embarrassment to French cuisine. Such a disappointing experience overall-for not only the extremely small portion sizes- different temperatures for the same people in the same meal-for most of what came to the table, but it's mostly fair-at best. Now, onto the wine pairings-which were exceptional. The restaurant somalias, and team, have paired the most perfect choices-the wine seriously outshines the food here, in every way, and comes to your table with a rich history lesson. The serving staff is exceptional and knowledgeable. I have had tasting menus with wine pairings at more exceptional restaurants (which actually were exceptional) than I can count...and this is the worst one I've ever had the displeasure to dine at. I would never go back here, unless it was to have the wonderful wine-but not the food. I gave it three stars just because the wine. I give the food here 2 stars.