This soft glass of bubbles paired well with Oysters - we got a half dozen Wellfleet from Cape Cod Massachusetts and a half dozen Beau Soleil from New Brunswick, Canada. We loved them both - briny and slightly creamy.
Next, we enjoyed appetizers of Escargots - snails from Burgundy with loads of garlic butter, parsley, and lemon baked in a pastry shell called vol au vent. It was really garlicky and only a few snails, but they were tender and delicious.
Keith also enjoyed the Ris de Veau - veal sweetbreads with cauliflower, sauce gribiche, and lots of black truffle. The sweetbreads were cooked well and did not taste too gamey.
Up to this point, service had been great but we ended up waiting quite a while for our main course to arrive. The wait was so noticeable that our server had to tell her manager and they came over to apologize to us. I ordered the Coquilles Saint Jacques - roasted diver scallops with sunchokes. While it was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful, it was slightly cold presumably from being forgotten about in the kitchen.
Keith ordered the Canard - confit duck leg with seared foie gras, toasted farrow, white miso, chanterelles, turnips, and griottes jus. Again, the duck was cooked perfectly but was cold. Keith enjoyed the earthy flavors of the miso and mushrooms. With our main dishes we also shared a side of scalloped potatoes with bacon. It was served in a cute mini Creuset.
Lastly, we were treated to a dessert of Le Clou Mignardise - a plate of traditional cannelle, pate de fruit, and chocolate truffle with a birthday candle.
Overall, we had a lovely dinner at Le Clou despite the minor hiccup at the end. The restaurant itself was modern, yet very loud with all the packed tables. It was also very bright, and we noticed they attempted to dim the lights twice to balance it out. The food was tasty and while the wine list can be a bit intimidating, they have a sommelier on hand who is eager to help. I also was envious of the champagne vending machine in the lobby! How cute!
Total Rating: 3.75
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5
