Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Enjoy a bit of France in Lexington
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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Chef Michel Galand moved his Café Michel to Lexington a few years back, taking up residence in a former Italian restaurant of note there. While I loved the former Italian restaurant, I'm even more enamored of the French one that resides there now.
No doubt about it, Chef Michel knows his French cooking. The restaurant is fine dining in a casual atmosphere. The room is pleasant, but not stuffy. And the good chef came out to glad-hand with various diners during the evening. How he does this while creating these most incredible dishes is beyond me. He must have some pretty good kitchen help, is all I can say.
Holding forth at the front desk to greet you and to help in any other way (like special requests) is Mrs. Carmen Galand, a pleasant soul who probably never gets a chance to cook at home. Lucky gal ... who'd want to with Chef Michel around?
For some of my dining guests, this was the second or third time at Cafe Michel and each was more than happy to be back. For me it was a first, though I'd heard plenty about the place.
We started out with martinis just to set the tone, then went on to choose something from the extensive wine list, which features more than 80 wines from France, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, California and Oregon. (Oregon? Go figure). You may choose imported beers as well.
On this particular evening, we did a job on appetizers, enjoying the escargot Bourguignonne (Could we do otherwise in a French restaurant?), the shrimp, scallops and crabmeat trio, and the backfin crabcake. Modestly priced in the $6.95-$7.95 range, this could be a light but delicious meal in itself. Other appetizers included crispy calamari, Michel's paté, grilled shrimp, smoked salmon.
I also sampled the lobster bisque with crabmeat -- creamy and rich lobster bisque with lump crabmeat -- a mouthful of flavor in each spoonful.
There was a choice of other soups and salads as well: onion soup, soup of the day, house salad, Caesar salad, and something called "Carmen's special salad" at market prices, topped with fresh seasonal items.
Café Michel's house specialty is the prime rib and I decided to go away from my usual seafood or filet and give it a try. Prime rib is sometimes on the fatty side, but this 10 oz. prime rib was tender and meaty, especially delicious with a an au jus and ample horseradish. I had potatoes on the side.
A friend enjoyed the duck breast with raspberry sauce: pan fried boneless breasts, served with a peach stuffed with cranberry relish on a bed of peppery raspberry sauce. Yes, it was a beautiful presentation that was overshadowed only by its excessive flavor. Nurses were standing by just in case my friend fainted. He did not; but bravely ate every bite -- and survives even today.
Aside from the announced evening specials, one could choose from the following other items this particular night: Pecan chicken (sautéed pecan crusted chicken with raspberry sauce), rack of lamb with mint au jus, mixed grill (shrimp, lamb chop, and beef tenderloin kebab with butter), quail in port wine sauce, and veal chops in mushroom cream sauce.
Ah, the sauce. The French do it better than anyone; and Chef Michel throws them all at you: raspberry sauce, peppercorn sauce, mushroom cream sauce, port wine sauce, Béarnaise sauce, Burgundy mushroom sauce, Roquefort cream sauce, maitre d'butter -- you name it -- the good chef is on it!
Steaks include filets and New York strips, even steak au poivre: pan fried, encrusted with crushed peppercorns and topped with brandy peppercorn sauce. Seafood includes shrimp and scallops and lobster tails.
And of course, no self-respecting French restaurant review could ignore the desserts. For once (and despite my having to undo my belt one notch) I decided that I MUST get to this final course, so I went for the Bourbon pecan pie, made with a touch of Kentucky bourbon served with real whipped cream. This item should be against the law, it's just that good. Another diner enjoyed the Michel's creme brulee of the evening, and yet another diner was just taken away in a stretcher, I vaguely recall. I needed one myself, but managed to hug the good chef's wife and say goodnight to Chef Michel himself as I left the building. Everyone was so friendly that I thought for a moment that we might be invited to move in.
It was my recent birthday celebration, so I enjoyed this particular evening, compliments of a friend. And I dare say that her charge card is still smoking.
Chef Michel's was even worth the rainy, dark, and nasty drive up I-81, to get there.
CAFE MICHEL
640 North Lee Highway
Lexington, Va.
Open Monday-Friday 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Reservations suggested 540-464-4119
For directions or menus: michelcafe.com
