Is the French Room overrated?
Posted By Gary Cohen in Square Pegs on May 11, 2007
With today's 5 star review of the French Room by new Dallas Morning News dining critic Bill Addison, I thought now would be a good time to bring up one of my favorite restaurant topics: Is the French Room overrated?
Given the restaurant's accolades and price tag ($78 per person, $5 more if you order a souffle), I expect a flawless meal. However, my experiences at the French Room have been far from flawless. Service has ranged from very good to truly horrible and the food has been decent, but not fantastic. The food isn't even that interesting - just within Dallas alone I find the menus at York Street and Lola to be more creative (I haven't eaten at Aurora, but as best I can tell the same can be said for it). Sure, there are some interesting ingredients: Salsify! Foie gras! Quail egg! But I haven't seen any dishes that truly strike me as innovative. It's all pretty much French Food 101. I wonder if the average age of the restaurant's clientele holds the kitchen staff back and keep the menu more staid than it should be? Or is it that this same clientele in general just doesn't like to take culinary risks? After all, we are in Dallas.
In addition, in light of the price tag, I find the tiny portion sizes to be irritating. Now I realize French food isn't intended to fill you up the same way as a meal at Bob's, but I also don't want to spend a bloody fortune on a meal and feel like I need to swing through the Wendy's drive-thru on the way home. With the French Room's portion sizes, ordering the souffle is a must to ward off starvation. As an example, the lamb entree I ordered there on my last visit came with 4 tiny, gristle-laden lamb chops. At something like $50 for the cost of the entree, I expect a little more. And don't get me started on the quarter-sized crab cake.
So what is it about the French Room that makes people rave about it so much? Is it the opulence and glitz? The formality? The parting gift of bread to take home? I don't get it.
Or am I just full of it and the French Room really is the greatest thing ever? I would love to hear some other opinions.
Pavel Lishin, says:
Rich people don't find satisfaction in the quality of the food or the service, but rather in bragging about how much they paid for their stupid shït.
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Billusa99, says:
That previous statement about rich people is probably the most absurd thing that I have ever heard about diners with dough. It's like saying all blue collar people in East Texas bow and pray to the DQ goddess. Or that anybody who has a MysSpace page linked in their profile here is a wacked out, insecure adoloscent. It's a sweeping generalization... most of the time.
That being said, I have not eaten at The French Room, but I have certainly been fortunate enough to have eaten at most of the other places in its calibre, save for Aurora. I do know people who have eaten at TFR and love it, and since I value their judgement we hope to eat there one day.
However, I question how it can garner 5 stars when the same writer gave York Street 4. Must be the grand sweeping staircase, the pearly gates and ascension into cherub heaven that turns his crank. ME, I'd rather focus on what Sharon and her excellent team slow-food gathered for me earlier that day!
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Scott, says:
Jason Weaver is one of the best chefs working in Dallas right now.
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luniz, says:
I can't talk about the fancy places, but I ate at Local restaurant once. Even though the portions were....controlled, for Texas, I still felt satisfied (especially after dessert). It's not really necessary to feel "stuffed" after a meal imo, no matter how expensive it is. I think maybe people allow themselves to form a negative judgment based on the price and portion size and forget to focus on the taste and eating experience.
As for the review, I also kind of take issue with the way a lot of reviewers seem to emphasize the "atmosphere" by which they actually seem to mean "how expensive the place looks". To me what makes the atmosphere is how comfortable I am and how able to focus on the food. I don't want to feel tense or judged or rushed. Sometimes the server can seem to empathize with you a little bit and understand what you probably want. Other times they seem focused on doing things a certain way and have to fit you into their way of doing things.
Anyway I would love to eat at the French Room and all the great restaurants in Dallas, wherever somebody puts real effort into the food. That's what it's all about for me, I try not to get carried away with how a place "ranks".
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jenn, says:
I totally agree, Bill, with your comment about York Street. I've eaten at both the French Room and York Street, and York Street wins that comparison hands down. Makes me really question Mr. Addison's ability to perform his job.
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Pavel Lishin, says:
I bet you a dinner at The French Room the myspace generalization is true.
(I'll actually just take a chicken wing, bake it and put one grate's worth of cheese on it. I figure it'll be similar.)
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Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:
[It's like saying all blue collar people in East Texas bow and pray to the DQ goddess.]
Oh but they do, My Friend. These are my people and they do worship at the DQ throne.
Jes gemme a dip cone and steak finger basket!
LLM
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