Restaurant L in Cincinnati is the kind of dining treasure we always hope to find in a mid-sized city but rarely do. The most formal of chef Jean-Robert de Cavel’s empire of French eateries in the Queen City region, L bills itself as a “Parisian-style restaurant, with a little New York attitude and an abundance of Cincinnati charm.” That pretty much nails it.
The elegant dining room in the rather new Queen City Tower is the culmination of de Cavel’s decades-long saga as Cincinnati’s leading proponent of French cuisine. If we lived in Cincinnati, we’d probably eat more often at Frenchie Fresh (his casual bistro) or Le Bar au Boeuf (his beef-oriented bistro), and treat ourselves to lunch at the bar at the swanky Jean-Robert’s Table maybe once a month. We like de Cavel’s style that much.
We would save Restaurant L (301 E 4th St., Cincinnati; 513-760-5525; lcincinnati.com) for a Big Night Out that’s refreshingly affordable.
Encouraged by his friend Daniel Boulud, de Cavel took over the kitchen of Cincinnati’s fabled Maisonette in 1993. Before he left in 2002, the longtime standard-bearer of fine dining was named one of the country’s few Mobil 5-star restaurants. That’s where he met his business partner and maitre’d of L, Richard Brown. They named this latest and most creative spot in the JR Group (jrcincy.com) after their daughters Lauren and Laeticia.
Light, bright, and masterful dishes
We mentioned “affordable.” To put that in context, the prix fixe menu is $65 for two courses and sweets, $85 for three courses and sweets. Wine pairings add $35 or $50. Considering that the food, service, and wine were the equal of a good Parisian two-star Michelin restaurant, that’s a steal.
An amuse-bouche (at right) is supposed to wake up your appetite, but ours woke up the whole table. The small morsel of duck confit, dried fruits, pickled sunchoke, crème fraiche, and calico beans was a marvel of intensity and exquisitely complimentary flavors—all beautifully plated. It promised great things to come.
Rather than bore you with a blow-by-blow description of every plate, we’d like to mention just a few that were stunningly beautiful and delicious.
VOL-AU-VENT
This classic puff pastry dish contained an intense summer ratatouille of local vegetables smeared with just enough fresh goat cheese to intensify the tanginess. It sat on a meaty slice of heirloom tomato and was surrounded by edges of another heirloom. The swashes on the plate are a balsamic dressing. Quivering on top is a sunny-side-up quail egg that made a rich sauce when you pierced the yolk.
MONKFISH
We’re leery of seafood so far from the ocean, but monkfish travels well. The small medallions were cooked exactly right to remain juicy and tender. Diners often liken monkfish to lobster, partly because some restaurants cook it so long that the meat is crunchy-tough like a lobster tail. Not here. It was soft and succulent as a lobster claw. The shrimp, mussels, and oyster mushrooms played well off the monkfish, but the most brilliant accompaniment was the fried carrot-potato cake.
HILL FARM CHICKEN
A similar level of invention elevated the deliciously simple chicken breast. Served with roasted eggplant, a red bell pepper fondue, slices of avocado, and chicken jus, it was presented on a plinth of “risotto.” The rice dish was made with toothy, deeply flavored red rice. Since it’s a whole grain that doesn’t give up its starch readily, de Cavel had made the “risotto” creamy by stirring in fresh goat cheese. It turned chicken into a treat.