An evening at Bouchon is a culinary trip in time and taste
We had expected the food at Bouchon to be nothing less than superb. Chef Thomas Keller is, after all, considered one of the top masters of French cuisine in the country – the first U.S. chef to be inducted into the prestigious Master Chefs of France, among other accolades. What we did not anticipate was the experience of being there.
To begin with, Bouchon is housed in the immaculately restored La Palma building across the street from the Alhambra Towers in Coral Gables. This 1924 gem, designed by George Fink, is among the most important historic sites in the city. A walk through its shady courtyard is a trip back to the golden era of the Gables. Inside Bouchon is an even deeper trip into the elegant past.
We don’t want to know how much it cost to create the main dining room, with its patterned tile floor, its glowing bar, its burnished wood wainscoting, and its inlaid deco ceiling lighting. Whatever the price, it was worth it. This is what experiential dining is all about. To sup in Bouchon is to dine in late 19th century Paris. The waiters play their part, bustling about in the classic white apron with black vest. Even the plating, with the Bouchon insignia, feels like it came from the Belle Epoque.
Chef Keller calls his food “classic French.” It is not the haute deconstructed dishes you find at contemporary Parisian restaurants. The food here is basic, but based on exceptional ingredients. Keller is fairly obsessed with sourcing and considers the “foragers and the gardeners” the foundation of his food ecosystem. With sister restaurants around the world, Bouchon is part of a Keller empire with global procurement clout.
And then there is the food itself. In a word, exquisite. We were pleased by the amuse bouche opener of marinated olives ($8) and impressed by appetizers of mussels ($12 per dozen) and a lovely Salade Lyonnaise with bacon lardons ($22). But the entrees? They are a testament to Keller’s philosophy of taking basic French fare and making it perfect. The simple Poulet Rôti, for example ($39), starts with pasture-raised chicken, brined for 12 hours, air cooled for another 12 hours, then baked and served with “hen of the woods” mushrooms in a pool of jus-de-poulet. The skin is perfectly crisp, the meat moist, and the sauce – well, you do understand that sauces are the glory of French cuisine.
We also sampled the steak frites ($59), with its generous pile of scrumptious French fries (now we know why they call them that) and a thick piece of flat iron steak with a pat of butter and caramelized onions on top. Our waiter recommended medium, and it was perfect: a soft, rosy interior, with a slight bite to the edge.
Bouchon also offers a superb and deep wine list, 40 pages long, with selections from various parts of France, from the Rhône region to the Loire Valley. After discussing our taste preferences with the sommelier, we ordered a 2020 Saint-Joseph Offerus ($100), and it was superlative. The same can be said for the entire experience.
