Durland B.
Yelp
We had the most wonderful meal at La Bonne Franquette on opening night. We are big fans of Christophe Artisan Chocolatier-Patissier and we are fortunate that we live close by the West Ashley patisserie located on Ashley River Road just NW of Sam Rittenberg. We have been waiting anxiously for the associated restaurant to open.
It is now open as of Feb 09, 2023 and the experience was spectacular! Please allow me to gush...
Our meal started with the beautiful Ocean Salad which was heaped with extremely fresh arugula and adorned with crab meat and large, perfectly cooked shrimp. There was something extra though...hmmm, what was this magical extra flavor hovering over the delicate flavor of the shrimp? Oh, it's tiny bits of cured salmon! The flavors were subtle and blended perfectly; a prelude of what was to come.
We went a little crazy and ordered a dozen oysters and mussels and we are so glad we did. Each individual oyster was well chosen to be fresh, meaty and delicious; each one a perfect slurp. The oysters were a refreshing and tasty experience.
A huge bowl of mussels arrived shortly after and they were plump, meaty and...delicious. They came in a lightly flavored sauce that perfectly enhanced the rich flavor of the mussels. I can see a meal of oysters and mussels in our future. Just platter after platter and bowl after bowl....oysters and mussels, mussels and oysters, oysters and mussels. The flavors were both rich and subtle; immensely satisfying. These appetizers were perfectly prepared, sumptuous, and bountiful. The mussels were stacked high and plentiful enough to satisfy both my wife and I as we snacked on them like sea otters floating on currents of bliss.
For entrees, I had the Toulouse Cassoulet and my wife had the Daube Provencal (short ribs). Once again subtlety was the essence. The cassoulet was generously full of duck confit, sausage......and pork belly! A magical flavor palette; duck confit flavored with pork belly and sausage.
I am a big fan of bean dishes and soups. My favorite, before this cassoulet, was the Galician White Bean Soup, a bean and ham soup, served at Versailles Restaurant on Calle de Ocho in Miami (pair it with a Cuban sandwich for sort of an au jus meal).
My first bite of the cassoulet was magical. Is it weird to describe a bean dish as elegant? The sophistication of the flavors was magical. The flavors blended magnificently, but if I concentrated just a little bit, I could pick out each flavor individually. A savory masterpiece!
My wife had the short ribs and we both loved them. They came as stew with slices of carrots and potatoes, and beans. The flavor was rich, deep, sophisticated and satisfying. The meal was bountiful and the meat was tender and juicy in a sauce that was subtle and savory. Suffice to say that it was spectacular.
On to the dessert. We love profiteroles and we prefer gelato over cream. These were the gelato-type and a delicious way to end a fabulous meal. Of course, the dark chocolate sauce was as tasty as the dark chocolate roche or the dark chocolate Mendiants from Christophe's chocolate patisserie.
On to the service. Fabulous, fun, professional, and friendly. Even though it was opening night and the place was packed, we were served in a timely fashion. The staff was very attentive and friendly even while they were extremely busy.
----My review is truncated because Yelp limits the number of characters so I will jump to a closing statement.----
I would love to give La Bonne Franquette a one word review, but I am stymied. Flavor? Happiness? Subtly? Maybe I should move into a two-word review. Sophisticated casual? Complex happiness? Magnificently flavorful?
Ah, I have it: Exceedingly pleasant!
I guess what I can say is that we are tremendously happy that we have such a fine dining experience in West Ashley. The real product at LBF is a happy experience which includes fine food, excellent service, and an warm and friendly ambiance.
We have been several more times, but reveiws limit the number of characters....We sky-highly recommend La Bonne Franquette.