Lucas Carton – 3 Hours of Bliss

Sometimes tasting menus can get tiresome.  Long drawn out affairs where even if the food and service is fantastic, sitting for hours in a chair in a hot dining room, tired from travel and wine, can be difficult. Fighting sleep sometimes even.   Its even worse when the food is not outstanding.  In my earlier days of travelling to eat, I would look forward to the tasting menu format.

Recently, we have favored ordering a la carte or going to places that don’t even offer a tasting menu.  However, our recent dinner at Lucas Carton in Paris, France, a one Michelin starred restaurant, reminded me how amazing and enjoyable, a 3 hour dinner can be.

The restaurant dining room has a very old world charm about it and is located across the street from the Madeleine.  We had an amazing table with a view of the Madeleine columns.

I started the evening with something I did not even know France produced, single malt.  This one had nice chocolate notes.

We went with the menu of the day.  I also had the wine pairing.  It started with some amuse bouche.  Everything was delicious.  Each bite had depth of flavors and was very well presented.  Textures were used well.

This dish incorporated some Asian ingredients and was well done.  I am noticing more French chefs incorporate flavors and ingredients from around the world.  Sometimes its done well, sometimes not.

At this point in the meal, the chef brought out a little surprise and checked to see if everything was going well.  Scallops with black truffles.

The highlight was this pigeon carved tableside:

The palate cleanser:

For dessert:

…and some small bites to finish:

The service, atmosphere and food were all fantastic.  I would gladly return.  9.5/10