I eat and drink for a living, so most of the time I’m either too light-headed or too full to worry about annoyances like how much things cost. I generally just order what I think will taste best, as well as what I think will best represent the unique attributes of whatever restaurant I find myself in, and disregard all those pesky little numbers.
But this project is different, and the challenge set before me each week – to dine at a top-notch restaurant with my wife (who henceforth will be known as Mrs. Martini) for less than $100, including two glasses of wine, tax, and an 18 percent tip – looks as if it will be just that: a challenge.
I recently visited Le Bar Lyonnais, the much-lauded restaurant downstairs at Le Bec-Fin. The menu, which features classic French bistro dishes, is significantly less expensive than Le Bec’s, though delicious nonetheless.
That’s the good news. We began with what is arguably the best steak tartar in the city. Gorgeous diced raw beef, heady and pungent, was plated next to a pile of the most delicious fries in Philly (aside from Monk’s). Mrs. Martini had never tasted steak tartar before, and I genuinely thought she was going to hit me when I ordered it. But one bite was enough for her to reconsider resorting to violence. The flavors were so rich, and so deep, that she was struck speechless.
The roasted veal medallions with mushroom fricassee and truffled mashed potatoes were perfectly browned on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, and presented with a sauce of astounding depth. The crab cake, too, was excellent. Generous lumps of crab provided a pillowy texture, which was offset perfectly by the rich, creamy, slightly peppery sauce atop it.
We ended the meal with a single shared pastry (the delicious Gateau Le Bec-Fin, a rich, not-too-sweet construction of chocolate mousse and rum-soaked chocolate genoise) and two cups of coffee, and walked home full but not uncomfortable.
The service was formal, but the team of waiters working the room read us perfectly, and throughout the meal it became progressively more relaxed. And some touches, like the presentation of entrees beneath gleaming silver domes, were simply charming.
The bad news is that the entire meal, including two of the least expensive (yet still rather pricy) wines on the list, cost us $136. And while it was worth every penny-in fact, a full meal at Le Bar Lyonnais may be one of the best bargains in the city-it was a far cry from the $100 I had set out to spend.
What I’d recommend is to take a date there, sit at the bar, and order two drinks and an appetizer or two, especially if you’re on a budget. You’ll get out of there having spent less than $60, and you’ll have had an incredibly romantic time in the process.
Your other option is to wait until your parents are in town and let them take you there. Remember, all food tastes better when other people pay for it.
Le Bar Lyonnais, 1523 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 215.567.1000; www.lebecfin.com
AroundPhilly Staff
