Toqueville, the private room

This past week the entire crew from USV got together to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of the team members.   They booked the private room at Tocqueville. 

I have always loved Tocqueville and I don't get back there enough.  The owners, Marco and Joanne, also own 15 East which is a little farther down the street.  The bar in the front room is small and inviting and the main room is special.  I always think of Tocqueville as a place to go when you want to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary but the truth is, it is good any day of the week.  As I said to Marco, I always think of Tocqueville as an adult restaurant.  I probably feel that way because there is a elegant sophisticated feeling the minute you walk in the door.  We had such an incredible meal that I made a reservation to return next month. 

We started with a variety of passed appetizers.  I snagged as many pictures as I could.  Each one was just an explosion in the mouth.  When we first got there they gave us a basket of gougere.  Warm and delicious.  The appetizer above was with foie gras.

The second appetizer I snapped was above and honestly can't remember what it was.

The third is here.

For the first course I had a salad of greenmarket summer vegetables.  I loved how they served them.  Each vegetable was prepared differently then piled on the plate with a basil dressing.  The other options were a yellowtail crudo and tartare with a grapefruit mixture including jicama and lychee and sea urchin and angel hair pasta with lime and soy.  I did get to taste both and they were each divine.  The crudo had combo of flavors on a perfectly orchestrated plate.  The urchin was decadent.

My main course was a slow roasted ocean trout with crispy fennel and a potato panini.  What I loved about each entree was that when you read the menu you assume one thing but when the plate comes it is something creative and probably not how you thought the entree would be served.  The other options were poached main lobster and roasted aged rib eye of beef.  Everybody was oohing and aahing so I am guessing all were delicious.

For the dessert, I went with the cheese plate but the other options were good too.  Frozen banana souffle and blood orange cheesecake.  There was also a taste of something at the beginning and a plate of chocolate at the end but no pictures.

A really nice night with delicious food.  I am so glad I snagged that reservation to return on the way out the door.