Brunch at Lacroix

[marinade]

you guys wanna hear something weird?  on saturday night i got a call on my cell phone.  the person said, 'lacroix?'  i got kinda confused, thinking that maybe it was lacroix restaurant calling me.  i said, uh, what?  she said, is your address 220 w. rittenhouse square?  i said, wait, this isn't lacroix.  she said, is this (some mangled version of my phone number, which is apparently lacroix's number)?  it wasn't.

but isn't that weird, that i'd get that wrong number the night before going there?

←

It was my eighty-something aunt. She was trying to con you into picking up our brunch tab....

[percyn]

um, duh, yeah, i can read.  really i can!  sorry about that percyn.

←

No problem...glad you enjoyed it. I could not convince my wife to make another trip, especially since we will be going into the city 4 nights next week for dinner.

BTW, if you are looking for eGulleters to share the chef's table, let me know.

[TarteTatin]

OH, MY GOD!

Everything everyone said and tasted and everything in the pictures; we had!

It was Valentine's Brunch for us, and just like everyone said, it was great, expensive, and worth it! Lacroix was indeed, welcoming us at the door, in the kitchen, I think even his wife was there. He was smiling and it wasn't one of those fake smiles.

Here's the menu (which I asked for):

Please note, its only tiny tastes of everything, one bite each. My mother probably wouldn't know what to do with the spoons, or soups, in their little tiny containers. (She prefers spoonfuls and quantity-I prefer taste and quality...plus, if it weren't small bites, you would never be able to taste everything!)

Raw Bar: American Caviar, Malpeque Oysters (I had 6), smoked Trout, Mackeral and Whitefish, House smoked Salmon, Salmon Tartare, Sushi Maki Rolls, Jumbo Shrimp

Hors D'Oeurvres:Chilled Pineapple Soup with Star Anise (refreshing), Jambon Croissants, Quail Egg with Ratatouille, Chicken Curry Dumplings, Smoked Duck Breast with Pinenut Brittle (Great!), Pumpkin Barbajuans, Manchego Cheese and Quince Tartine (yummy), Foie Gras Pots de Creme (OH MY GOD), Smoked spanish Mackerel with Basil (good), Tuna with artichoke puree (good), Lobster Canneles wit Lemon confit (I went back three times for these!)

Salads: Potatoes with black olives and lemon, beets a la greque (good), asparagus and veal tongue with truffle vinaigrette (out of season asparagus, not enough truffle flavor), and three more veggie dishes....Sweet Potato with Citrus Flavors Soup (too rich with chicken stock).

In the kitchen: Beef Wellington, Lamb chops, Monkfish loin, Leg of Wild boar (all good, I had tastes of each), Quail eggs, mushrooms stuffed with duck confit (sitting under the lamp too long), Lobster Pot au creme (good), Scallop Quenelles (a real dissapointment! I love quenelles, these were so bland and tasted only of egg whites), Duck with cous cous, Braised Cabbage...

(I have to admit I didn't put the descriptions with the entrees-thought you would be tired of reading this)

Desserts: These aren't on the menu I took home. Anyway, memory:

They had two tall fondue stations in the kitchen. One was chocolate pouring down in a fountain, the other was white chocolate with strawberry infused. To dip, there were your out of season strawberries, homemade rose marshmallows (good), dried figs, dates and apricots, and pineapple. Then they had all the delicious desserts you saw on previous emails. My favorites were this pineapple banana foam thingy, passion fruit creme caramel, griotte (cherry) and pistachio tart, cassis glace, homemade strawberry and vanilla ice creams, gosh what else???

$48 per person, a bottle of the cheapest champagne was $52, plus tip, it wasn't cheap...

Overall, the food was delicious and we would go back again. The biggest food fault was lack of seasoning! Yes, the food was fresh and well thought out. But there was a definite blandness to ALL of it. No herbs, no spices, nothing spicy, no salt and pepper, really. Yes, you could taste the tuna (for example), fresh and clean, but didn't taste the artichoke puree it came with.

Are people afraid of herbs and spices lately? Is Lacroix being forced to cater to the general public who are afraid of big/bold tastes?

[percyn]

Hmmm....I feel a return visit coming on...

We do brunch regularly and to be honest, Lacroix is not that expensive compared to other places when you consider the variety and quality of the food and the experience as a whole. Granted, it may not be a place you visit every few days, but 1-2 times a month gives you a chance to try a few different items on the menu. Wish I lived a little closer so that I could convince the wife to make the trip more often.

As for the lack of seasoning, perhaps Lacroix is trying to preserve the clean taste of the main imgredient. I am not trying to make excuses for some potentially poorly executed dishes, just a thought.

Cheers

Percy

[SG-]

First time back for brunch today since spring of '03 when I wrote them off for brunch and I must say things have improved tremendously.

The chef's table option is certainly the way to go instead of ordering individual ala carte items.

Appetizer table is much more focused, no more mish mash of asian fusions items (other than sushi rolls) and good riddance to the kimchi they used to offer. Caviar offering have improved to what was probably a variety of paddlefish instead of ones that look like supermarket black lumpfish variety.

Oysters were as fresh as you can get at a buffet I suppose, my only complain is that not enough care was take to ensure that the liquor did not spill out from them, oh well I suppose I can live with that.

The selection at the chef's table was teriffic, such a wide variety of items that I only managed to make it through half of them. And to top it off there's a gigantic chocolate fountain to play with

Desserts were probably the weakest point but given how much food and variety in the previous courses I don't think many people have much room left to enjoy this course anyway.

I was also happy to learn the fruit juices, coffee and tea are no longer considered extras.

My only complain was that our waiter was not very attentive, missed our beverage orders and was never there when we needed him. But otherwise a good place to spend your Sunday afternoon with the family.

[Nancy HM]

Must add my thoughts to this thread. My husband and I went to Lacroix for brunch yesterday, and it was a unforgettable experience. I had requested a quiet table - ours was private, but not in Siberia, overlooking the Square where the trees are just coming in to bloom. Lovely little pot of oregano on our table. A beautiful room.

The food is as described above: beautifully displayed, carefully and creatively prepared and delicious. I especially loved the very fresh oysters, the foie gras custard with toast sticks and the short ribs with quail eggs. My husband raved about the beef cheeks and ( could've knocked me over) the assortment of caviar.

Lacroix was in his office in the kitchen. I was rather thrilled when he looked up as I passed by, and then he stood and spoke. I attempted to converse in my very bad French, but he smiled and chatted for a moment. Later, I we returned to the kitchen for the fabulous and fun chocolate fountain, he stood and greeted us again. He asked my husband how long I'd been speaking French. You must understand how flattered I was, as I thought my French was REALLY bad, at best. Perhaps he was just being kind.

All in all, a memorable meal. One of the best in a long time (excluding Maison Blanche on Longboat Key - THAT was the best). Very expensive, but worth every penny. We will return.

[BryanZ]

Could I have more information on this place. Perhaps a link to the hotel's website. I'm from Northern New Jersey but would consider making the drive to Philly if you guys think its worth it (I'm a kid with nothing better to do). This seems to be a very interesting concept in terms of Sunday brunches. I've done some excellent one's in my travels but have yet to come across one that places such an emphasis on small tastes as opposed to blitzing you with large offerings of beef tenderloin, rack of lamb, and crab claws. Any information would be really helpful.

[philadining]

Lacroix

Rittenhouse Hotel

210 West Rittenhouse

Philadelphia, PA 19103

215-546-9000

http://www.rittenhousehotel.com/lacroix.cfm

It's not a great website, just a part of the larger hotel site, but there are sample menus, etc....

[Capaneus]

I haven't been there for a little while, but to hear these descriptions, the Lacroix brunch seems to be slowly morphing into what the Four Seasons brunch once was: glorious excess. It's good to hear, since when I go back to the Swann these days I sometimes wonder if my memory is embellishing the wonders of past meals. And my first (now at least year-old) Lacroix trials didn't quite rise to the mark either.

[JHudson04]

If anyone ever decides to coordinate an eGullet chef's table experience at LaCroix, please let me know! My husband and I would love to participate!

[TarteTatin]

Four of us went to Lacroix for Brunch today.

Last time hubby and I went for Valentine's Day.

Delicious. I meant to take a menu with the descriptions, but forgot!

I love the cold appetizers the best. I think cold food is very difficult to make.

The little spoons with individual items on it are great...I had fresh sardines, clam something, quail egg over ratatouille, gosh, what else on those little spoons. Sorry I can't remember the things that went with them! The tastes all went together though...there was a pot au creme with apricots that was good...a tiny taste of cold vidalia onion soup that doesn't sound half as good as it tasted...carrots with garlic and summer truffle (barely distinguishable, if at all), marinated eggplant, haricot verts with yoghurt and mint, little jambon croissant, salmon tartare that melted in your mouth, beets ala greque, fresh oysters, large tasteless shrimp, American caviars...

Entrees in the kitchen... Chef had already said hello to our table and then he actually served us in the kitchen, happened to be walking by the fish station and cut my bass for me (I think, maybe it was halibut? I get overwhelmed with everything and just taste and enjoy and sometimes forget!)

Tender beef cheeks, Lobster risotto in a pot, tender lamb chops, delicious wild mushroom mixture, veal wrapped in chard, ouefs-I had a pot of something ouefs with roasted peppers, so rich, I think it was brouille??....there was polenta with the beef cheeks...lots of stuff I didn't have-waffles, french toast, etc...all sorts of vegetables and potatoes... crab dumpling was insipid...

OHHH! There was a fig wrapped in the tiniest amount of thin bacon that was delicious!

Desserts, also overwhelming. Hubby loved the bourbon baba au rum with cardomom, the BANANA CHEESECAKE was to die for...coffee profiterole, tons of other little cakes, oh, a drink of gin, grapefruit and passion fruit-topped with white chocolate, just a sip in a glass...there was homemade chocolate and vanilla ice cream and strawberry ice, with gorgeous fresh raspberries and blackberries...chocolate mollieux (sp?) with pistachio, candied fruits...the kitchen had the chocolate fountain, but this time there was also a caramel fountain. I love caramel, this wasn't as good as it sounds...You take strawberries, pineapple, super marinated cherries, this time they had mini doughnuts, rice Krispie cakes-put whatever you want on a skewer and run it as long as you want under the fountain. Sounds much better than it is, the chocolate and caramel didn't have much taste, they almost tasted watered down.

We had a bottle of champagne to start, hubby had a cucumber martini, then we had a nice bottle of Viognier. Both bottles were under $50. Brunch for four with tip came to just under $400.

Not cheap. Yes, an indulgence. Yes, worth it.

The only thing I want to repeat that I wrote in a previous piece...The flavors are good, but on the whole, I find them very bland...I want the tastes to be bolder. Not just spicier. Okay, its nice and subtle, and herbs or spices that are too bold would take away from the flavor of that fresh clam, for example. But everything is subtle and bland. Maybe some items they could take some more flavor risks with...?

[mrbigjas]

we went to brunch at lacroix last sunday (not yesterday; the one before). it is as it was, damn good.

unsurprisingly, the menu has many similarities and plenty of differences from last year at this time, when we went. the interesting thing about lacroix is that. because of the simplicity? austerity? purity? i'm not sure what the word i'm looking for here is, but basically, if you read the descriptions of the foods on the menu, you can get a mental picture of exactly what the dish is. there's not a lot of trickery or cuteness here, just great cooking.

accordingly, i'll just mention some things that stood out this time.

raw bar is the same as ever.

the soup was cabbage and potato, but wasn't 'rustic' at all but rather pureed into a rich cream.

notable hors d'oeuvres:

--asparagus tempura with chestnut mousseline

--cured tasmanian sea trout with truffle hats. the truffle hats were actually black truffle meringues. i hadn't had savory meringues before; it was an interesting contrast.

--blood orange and uni royale with peekytoe crab. this was good if you like uni. to me it was like eating a blood orange dessert while licking the underside of a dock. i keep trying to like the stuff, so i keep eating it, but it hasn't worked yet.

notable salads:

--brussels sprouts and salsify with oregano and lemon

--cranberry beans with two celeries and chanterelles. this was a great dish. the two celeries were celeriac and stalk celery, obviously, and the combination of creamy beans, slightly crunchy celeriac, notably crunchier celery, all scented by chanterelles... woo. and once again i'm more distracted by a side dish than by the more impressive accomplishments.

--rutabagas and shiitakes with vanilla. i'm not sure how i feel about the profusion of vanilla in savory dishes in the last couple of years, but it works here.

as always, the hot buffet suffers a little from the hotel breakfast buffet syndrome--everything's a little overcooked from sitting under heat lamps and simmering on induction burners and whatnot. the rack of lamb chops here the three times i've been are always super-lamb-y and a little tough. i'm not sure what's up with that; i'm sure it's not quality of ingredients. the wild boar roast had a great ginger sauce, but was dry. a couple of other things stood out though:

--sous vide cod with white bean parmigiano broth

--spinach spaetzle with chanterelles and crosnes

--veal stew provencale. this was great, laden with saffron--almost too saffrony really, but not quite. and kudos to the chef for sneaking tripe into people's brunch.

--green asparagus pot de creme with lobster. since both lobster and asparagus take to hollandaise so well, why have i so rarely seen them put together with each other?

--smoked soft eggs with tuna basquaise

--veal shortribs glazed with apricot and sesame. i suspect these were cooked sous vide as well; they had that soft texture from long cooking, but weren't falling apart as braises usually due. damn good.

desserts were good but by that time, having had a bowl of soup, a bite or two or three of 10 raw bar options, a dozen hors d'oeuvres, six salads, a couple lamb chops, a short rib, cod, a slice of wild boar, and about 16 different other hot buffet items, i was in such a caloric coma that the continued sugar consumption all happened in kind of a daze. desserts were certainly not a letdown, though.

oh one sour note: as evan complained over a year ago, wine prices are still pretty damn high, with an $11.50-a-bottle cotes-du-rhone running $11.50/48, and a glass of $10.50-a-bottle riesling going for $11/46. that is indeed about a 400% markup; the kind of thing laban complained so loudly about at barclay prime. but they have a deal where you can order a glass of any two of the paired wines for $18, so that brought the per-glass price into the realm of the not-pissing-me-off-too-much.

anyway, it's good. everyone go again.

[taoseno]

i was at brunch there on sunday as well. my favorite of everything i tried, and i think i tried everything, was the duck cooked sous vide with sauteed onions. it was the first time i had eaten anything sous vide, fantastic. while my friends and i were in the kitchen, he asked to taste the wild boar, i started teasing him b/c he won't eat pork generally b/c of the way he perceives pigs to be treated that are raised for meat. he said that since this was "wild" boar it was different. so here is my question, with all of the wild boar that is appearing on menus, in markets, in ravioli, how wild is this really?

Edited February 21, 2006 by taoseno (log)

[etalanian]

For a special occasion, I took She Who Must Be Obeyed to brunch this past Sunday at Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel.

So good to hear it is still a great brunch. He Who Must Obey has made Mother's Day reservations for our family of four for brunch at Lacroix.

We have had very memorable dinners there, but have never gone for brunch.

I am looking forward to this and will report after I roll my overstuffed body back home on Mother's Day.

Eileen

[philadining]

Brunch at Lacroix, Sunday March 5, 2006

To start:

Edited March 7, 2006 by philadining (log)

[philadining]

Brunch at Lacroix, Sunday March 5, 2006

From the Kitchen:

Edited March 7, 2006 by philadining (log)

[philadining]

Brunch at Lacroix, Sunday March 5, 2006

Dessert:

Edited March 7, 2006 by philadining (log)

[shacke]

Jeff

Your photographs keep getting more unbelievable with every post. Can we get a "Best of Philly" food porn here folks?

That looks really delicious. I look forward to the text....

Evan

[philadining]

I look forward to the text....

←

Oh crap, were we supposed to keep track of what that stuff was?!?

Actually we did manage to take some menus with us (neatly rolled and sealed with a Lacroix sticker by the lovely folks at the front) so we might just be able to decode some of it.

Let me just say one thing before Karen does: wasabi caviar - freaking amazing.

And we need to take up a collection for bail, so when Percy gets arrested for trying to sneak liquid nitrogen canisters out of the labs, he'll be free to make us some frozen desserts at SKW. He'll be fine, no jury would convict after tasting exhibit A.

In lieu of details right now, I'll just say wow!

Thanks to everyone who has posted here previously for inspiring us to go, it was really incredible. Extra thanks to Diann for getting the ball rolling, even though cruel fate conspired to prevent her from partaking! (It's a good excuse to go again....) and to Percy for taking the time and energy to coordinate. And to the rest of the folks at the table too, always a pleasure!

[SaxChik]

philadining, my friend, you are amazing.

being able to eat that HUGE brunch AFTER spending your saturday at the rodizio in newark ... impressive. damn impressive.

[philadining]

I do it for the kids, you know, risking my financial and physical health so that the historical record is fuller, more vivid, so they'll have a sense of the rich culinary history of this area. And if I just happen to have to eat a few slices of bacon-wrapped sirloin off a skewer in the process, or knock back a shotglass of blood orange-uni custard in order to serve the greater good... I'll force myself...

It's a tough job.

I will not, however, admit to having gone to Capogiro on saturday. There is no proof of that.

[shacke]

And we need to take up a collection for bail, so when Percy gets arrested for trying to sneak liquid nitrogen canisters out of the labs, he'll be free to make us some frozen desserts at SKW. He'll be fine, no jury would convict after tasting exhibit A.

←

Wow - a wart remover and confection maker. Isn't technology swell? Sure hope they don't mix the two.

[mrbigjas]

knock back a shotglass of blood orange-uni custard in order to serve the greater good...

what did you think of that? i'm trying to make myself like uni, but i can't help thinking that it tasted like low tide.

[I_call_the_duck]

knock back a shotglass of blood orange-uni custard in order to serve the greater good...

what did you think of that? i'm trying to make myself like uni, but i can't help thinking that it tasted like low tide.

Hmm…I didn’t get that. I was left with more of the impression of blood orange, and very little low tide.

I will not, however, admit to having gone to Capogiro on saturday.  There is no proof of that.

←

But did you go yesterday?

Great pics as usual, Jeff. We'll try to piece together the text to accompany the pics.

Obscene amount of food, and as much as I tried to pace myself, I even missed a few items. After hobbling home I passed out on the couch for an hour or two before I was able to move again. Let the record show that I did not have dinner last night, or breakfast this morning. A rare occurrence indeed.

Yeah. You heard it. Wasabi caviar. (Darn Jeff, you called it first!) The hostess said that when all the guests leave, the staff gets to eat whatever's left from the buffet, and she heads straight to the caviar. Wonder if I can work there on weekends?

The wonders of liquid nitrogen, my friends.

An amazing brunch. Thanks Diann for planting the idea in our little heads. Sorry you couldn't make it. Thanks Percy for following through. Always fun to eat with people who really enjoy their food!!

[BryanZ]

Bad ass posts. I was going to go last summer but never made it. I am DEFINITELY going this summer, drive from North Jersey to Philly be damned.