Edward K.
Yelp
We overcame a couple of hurdles to make it to Faubourg and we were certainly glad we did. The first hurdle was that we agreed to get together with our friends, less than a week before a Saturday night. Most of the reservations were gone but I was able to secure an 8:30 reservation in the dining room. (They also have a beautiful enclosed patio area) The second hurdle was that we received a notification from the restaurant that parking may be difficult, because the Saturday we had chosen was the night of the big Montclair Jazz Festival. Thankfully the weather was great and we didn't mind a bit of a walk from our parking spot.
With the hurdles out of the way (for the one or two readers that haven't scrolled past this review) I'll move on to the important part.
We were seated perfectly on time for our 8:30 reservation. Faubourg is really a quite large restaurant, it's also gorgeous! Perfectly lit, comfortable seating, feels alive with noise until you sit at your table and can hear your friends, and oozing elegance. Every staff member was polite and professional. Our waitress was absolutely wonderful! She was patient, friendly, and gave the best recommendations to our table of first time customers.
My friend and I shared 6 oysters, chicken liver mousse, and beef in pastry appetizers. We knew immediately that we were in for a great meal. The beef in pastry (it had a French name, I believe beef pithivier) was a mini Beef Wellington type of dish and it was extraordinary. Oysters had a fresh from the ocean taste and the chicken liver mousse was velvety. Our wives had shishito peppers and an heirloom tomato appetizer, also quite good.
I selected the Beef Duo entree, my friend had the Coq au Vin, his wife had the salmon, and my wife had the roasted chicken entree. All of us truly enjoyed the main course. Beef Duo featured a sirloin cut, served on a bed of oxtail, mashed potatoes, and braised greens. It was divine! I tried my friend's Coq au Vin, the stewed bacon was so delicious, as was the chicken and sauce. My wife's roasted chicken was perfectly cooked and my friend's wife's salmon looked excellent as well.
While we were obviously quite full already, dessert was a must. We shared a chocolate coulant, basically an extremely decadent mini chocolate lava cake with a quenelle of ice cream on the side and also had the passion fruit cheese cake. Loved them both. Had an excellent double shot of espresso to go with it, really high quality coffee served at optimal temperature.
The drinks throughout the meal were also a highlight. The mixed drinks are creative and professionally crafted. It also turns out that their Sommelier just happens to own a vineyard in the Languedoc region. My wife and my friend really enjoyed the Pinot Noir (Lulumi) that he makes.
An absolutely perfect evening, that had us all saying, this is one of the best meals we've had!