Cuvee Lunch

Last Friday, I received a most urgent phone call from Lindsay, "Rene, do you want to go to lunch at Cuvee?"

"No I have work to do," I said.

"Dread Pirate Robert is going to be there?"

"Hell no, last time I spent a Friday with him, I ended up hiding behind a box of comic books at the cruise ship terminal."

"There are .20 cent Martinis."

"Sold."

And thus I found myself sitting in one of the most strikingly serene dining rooms in the city on an early summer day. The interior of Cuvee makes one feel as if they are sitting inside a sumptuous wine cellar. Exposed brick, wood beams, and wine bottle chandeliers evoke a sense of privilege and the food lives up to the environs.

A Hendrix martini with a twist of lemon really makes a Friday lunch feel like a real treat, but at .20 cents its a downright miracle. Because we were dining with Piroyalty, we received an amuse bouche, hand delivered by Chef Bob Iacovone himself. Piquillo peppers, wrapped in Serano ham exploded in your mouth, its interior of molten goat cheese providing a creamy contrast.

Cuvee has an amazing lunch special. For $25 you can get any three items on the menu. Not wanting to waste a course on dessert (and knowing that someone at every table orders dessert despite being full), I forged ahead by ordering three savory dishes.

My first was fried oysters on toast with blue cheese. Very good and reminscent of an oyster po-boy.

Next was "fresh bacon" on top of a fiery cole slaw. The flavors and textures in this dish ran the gamut from tender to crispy, salty to sweet, and spicy to cooling.

Finally, I had the tournedos with a potato and gruyere lasagna. Lindsay committed a grand theft felony by stealing most of my lasagna. The cops did not seem to understand.

Lindsay did order dessert a banana and chocolate ice cream. Wisdom has its benefits, as she did not eat most of it.

And the reason there are no photos is because Dread Pirate Robert stepped on my camera and then dropped it in his martini.

Cuvee - A solid birdie on a par 5.