Les Arlots is a cozy little spot that has been open less than a year, but if it continues as we found it, it is destined for great success. The small tables are set close together to get in as many as you can in the 2 rooms (about 24 people in front and 6-8 in the back room). The ambiance is enhanced by a bar wrapped in beautiful woodwork, a lovely terrazzo floor, lowered lighting and what appear to be acoustical tiles on the ceiling. The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful to make your meal into a total experience. The menu is all a la carte and on a chalkboard brought around the room.
The staff was most helpful in translating any parts that were unclear. The patrons here seemed more interested in the food offerings than hook-ups. Chef Thomas Brachet takes care with his dishes and serves a generous portion, but just as important he takes the time to visit with his guests and was thrilled to take us into his kitchen.
We started with the clam chowder, which was full of tasty clams, bits of carrot, roasted cauliflower, shallots, mushrooms and garlic. It was very fresh tasting and luckily there was bread to soak up some of the remaining broth.
The foie gras was creamy and served with non-greasy toast and a delicious fig-onion jam. It was made from duck liver that is smaller than the traditional foie gras one which means it contains less fat, but rest assured it was totally rich and delicious. A very generous portion also – rate this one a double yum!
For main courses we tried the sausage and mashed potatoes. The very moist sausage had bits of fennel inside and was served with a house-made mustard that was quite tasty but I didn’t use much as I didn’t want to block out any of the savory taste of the sausage. The mashed potatoes were wonderfully creamy and accented with terrific gravy. An excellent plate and an amazing sausage.
The sweetbreads were nicely cooked and also served with a rich gravy that had been enhanced with foie gras and mushrooms. This was wonderful – lick the plate kind of stuff. Again, thanks for the very fresh doughy, crusty bread to mop up every last bit of it.
The dessert had just been added to the menu yesterday but was recommended by the staff and I’m so glad we tried it. It was passion fruit cream with hazelnuts and passion fruit seeds, which added a delightful tangy punch to some lemon curd. All was surrounded by crispy, sweet crumbs that added wonderful texture to the creams and all placed on top of a hazelnut biscuit. This was really good, like yum x3!
