French Chow

We always love working with a new chef, and Chef David Rowe did not disappoint!!!

David grew up in Northern Vermont, near French Quebec. As a child, he didn’t realize how much of the French influence he’d absorbed. In fact, he didn’t even like French food. But a few months in Paris, his love affair with French cuisine began.

David began cooking professionally over 30 years ago. He initially worked in restaurants in Telluride, Colorado, and Burlington, Vermont, where he learned the basics of cooking and restaurant management.  

After spending time in Paris and other parts of France, David moved to New York City to work as the chef of Paradou, a small French Provencal cafe. Working with an entirely French staff, a true francophile was forged.  With many more trips to France, a new culinary philosophy emerged focusing on market driven cuisine and cutting edge culinary techniques. David went on to work in Michelin star and James Beard awarded restaurants. 

 Currently, he makes the homemade pasta at Lila Lila. This summer David will be starting as a chef at Elise, a new French fine dining restaurant by Chef Craig Richards.

Tuna Crude Nicoise  

David’s fine dining background shines through in his deconstructed Nicoise salad. Thinly sliced, raw tuna is paired with olives, green beans, artichoke hearts, pickled onions, homemade potato chips and a luscious aioli. 

Gluten-free. Vegan: Trumpet Mushrooms, olives, green beans, artichoke hearts, pickled onions, and a vegan aioli. 

Poisson Du Jour

Just as the name suggests, the fish will vary depending on what looks the best on the day of the dinner. Regardless, it will be delicious. The fish will be wrapped in zucchini and basil and then steamed. The fish of the day will be served with a fennel marmalade with basil and an orange reduction. 

Gluten-Free. Vegan: Seasonal vegetables with a fennel marmalade with basil and an orange reduction. 

Salade de Chèvre Chaud

 The piece de resistance of this salad is the goat cheese medallion that’s been tossed in Herbs de Provence before being breaded and pan-fried. The medallion tops a salad with Boston Bibb lettuce, beets, and a mustard vinaigrette 

Vegetarian. Gluten-free option: unbreaded chevre, beets, Boston bibb  lettuce; Vegan Option: without Chevre

Coq Au Vin

Translating to “rooster with wine,” Coq au Vin is a quintessential French  chicken stew. Chicken thighs are cooked in a red wine sauce with mushrooms, pearl onions, and herbs. Don’t worry, the rich stew is served with bread, so you can soak up every last bit. 

Vegan: Potato Fondant with mushrooms, onions, warm spinach, seared onions and a balsamic reduction.  Gluten-free: GF Coq Au Vin

Grilled Lamb with a Socca Crepe stuffed with Ratatouille and Swiss Chard 

In France, lamb is often paid with chickpeas or ratatouille, so David is pairing his with both! He’s taken socca, which is typically a crispy flatbread made with chickpea flour, David is making his socca into a crepe that he fills with his eggplant-less version of ratatouille (David is not a fan of eggplant) and swiss chard. 

Gluten-free: Socca with Ratatouille and Lamb; Vegan Socca with Ratatouille 

Pear Strudel with Chestnut Mousse 

Pears have a long history in France, with pear trees being a distinguishing feature of aristocratic gardens during the 15th century. As such, they’re featured in a lot of French dishes. In this dessert, pears are cooked down with cardamom, cinnamon, and clover before being wrapped in phyllo dough and baked. But it’s the crème de marrons, or chestnut mousse, that’s going to have you licking your plate. 

Vegetarian. Vegan: Pear Poached in Red Wine with Vanilla Cashew Ricotta; Gluten-free: poached pears with chestnut mousse