I recently had a fantastic dining experience at L’Hommage Bistro in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, and had to share. The French bistro opened in September and is reminiscent of dining in a typical restaurant in Paris.
The restaurant is gorgeous. As you walk in, the bar area on the right is stunning and the dining room down a short flight of stairs is also breathtaking, with a glass wall and a view of the massive wine cellar racks. I loved the décor and the ambience, which feels very authentic.
Looking into the bar as you walk in - love the floors!
On to the drinks. Most folks at the table started off with a cocktail or a glass of wine. L’Hommage does cocktails on tap, which rotate on a daily basis, in addition to a full cocktail menu. I was very happy with my wine. The wine list is, as expected in a French restaurant, is extensive with a vast selection of French and other wines.
For Hors D’ouevres we got the Gougeres, the Escargot, sweetbreads, and duck terrine. I absolutely loved the Gougeres – pillowy cheese puffs with a cheesy mornay sauce, which are a must get. The snails were also delicious – and actually came in their shell, which is the first time I’ve seen it in this presentation. Butter + garlic + snails = Yum. We wiped all the dishes clean.
escargot- yum!
Next were the entrees. I got the Bouillabaisse – which came with a perfectly light saffron tomato broth, fish, mussels and clams. It also had a piece of toast with some sort of aioli face down in the broth. I was instructed to let it soak into the broth for added flavor, and was quite happy with my soaked up bread at the end of it. They also didn’t skimp on the fish and seafood portions, so this was definitely a light but filling meal.
Other popular entrees on the table were the steak and frites, which was done perfectly, and the crayfish ravioli. The ravioli was a large portion of house made pasta, stuffed with deliciousness and topped with truffle sauce. SO good. All in all, a happy table. As it gets colder, the cassoulet will be calling my name and I’m already planning to go back this winter for it. The sides we got were fantastic too – I’m still thinking about the roasted eggplant! Everything on the menu was reasonably priced, with appetizers averaging about $10-15, and dinner plates between $20 – 26. See the full menus HERE.
Bouillabaisse
Last up was dessert, and I’ll tell you this. DO NOT SKIP dessert here. We got try a sampler of desserts from the brand new pastry chef – and DAMN, these were the perfect end to a fabulous meal, but I could probably make a meal of the desserts alone! Profiteroles, crème Brulee, fruit tarts, and so much more. – ooh la la! The pistachio crème brulee was my absolute favorite! If you are so inclined, there is also a good selection of dessert/port wines to go along. The pastry Chef Bibi Benahmida, is really doing some great stuff here – with elegant classics and creative twists to traditional desserts.
do not skip dessert.
All in all, I think L’Hommage will be a staple in the neighborhood for a relaxing café atmosphere lunch, or to bring friends/family for dinner, and even date nights. The dining room can also be reserved for larger gatherings such as birthdays and rehearsal dinners. I know I will be back to try several other things on the menu in the future.
L’Hommage also has a boulangerie adjacent to the restaurant, where fresh breads and pastries are made daily, along with a full coffee selection. Croissants, muffins, Danish, breakfast sandwiches, parfaits etc are available every morning starting at 7am. The boulangerie closes at 8pm.
L’Hommage serves Dinner, Lunch, and weekend brunch and a weekday Happy hour. Make your reservation now!
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