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Anyone been to Le Foret yet?

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  1. Now that I know that "le foret" is a reference to the owner's grandparents' surname, it makes me giggle. What's next, "la cheramie" or "le arceneaux" or "les boudreaux"? Okay, this is probably only funny to me.

    4 Replies
    1. re: Hungry Celeste

      Nope, it's funny to me, too. How about "Tres Le Foret" for the fuller French impact?

      Anyway, I looked at the menu in trying to decide between it or August for a special occasion dinner last weekend. Decided not to chance celebrating in a brand new restaurant before hearing some reviews.

      Then, Monday, I talked to someone who had dined there on the first night it was officially open. Reported that service was very slow (to be expected), amuse bouche was good, salads did not deliver as promised (one lacked all but a hint of the apple in its title, crab and beet was reported to be not nearly as good as similar preparations in other restaurants); fish "dry"; dessert (but I forget which) delicious. So until I hear some good reviews and get more info, I'll be reluctant to try it. (BTW, August was, as always, wonderful.)

      1. re: nomadchowwoman

        Speaking of French impact - ( trois ) would seem correct ! Isn' t that funny?

        1. re: nomadchowwoman

          I disagree...food is exceptional. Very thoughtful and talented chef. Love that everything is fresh and scratch cooking. Service is less gracious and needs to catch up. all very nice but lacking in training and standards. Hope they can get onthat and Le Foret will be one of the best restaurants around.

          1. re: bmcguire

            Not sure what you're disagreeing with, as I reported a number of things, not all negative, that someone else told me. My point was simply that I'm not willing to put out the money for a meal there until I'm pretty sure they've worked out the kinks. (Based on your longer review, they haven't.)

            And I take it for granted that any restaurant that aspires to greatness is "fresh and scratch cooking." Any number of wonderful restaurants in New Orleans, of which Restaurant August is certainly one, offer fabulous "fresh and scratch cooking" but also consistency and good service.

            I am glad to hear you enjoyed your food at Le Foret. Several other people have too. When food and service are both getting great reviews, I'll check it out.

      2. I had a very nice dinner at Le Foret on the first night it opened as well. It wasn't because I wanted to flock there for that reason. I just checked open table for an available table at that time and Le Foret was there. The amuse bouche was amazing. It consisted of three small dishes; a soup, something with fois gras and something else. I love the idea of the amuse, but I really don't see how they will be able to keep that up and will be extremely impressed if they do. They were running a special on the night that I went which was $40 for 2 small plates and choice of entree so we probably ended up ordering more than we would normally have ordered. The salads were okay. I rather liked the beet appetizer and my husband had smoked salmon with corn fritters that was very tasty as well. My entree
        was the filet and it was delicious. I can't remember my husband's entree, but I believe he was less than enamored. Service was a little clumsy and slow but very gracious. I can forgive service errors at this early stage especially since everyone was so kind. The building is very attractive.

        1. Dined there with relatives this past Saturday. The service and food was wonderful. The Champignon appetizer was exceptional - shiitake caps on foie gras stems, frisee with a noisette dressing. The rest of the table enjoyed the oxtail soup w/ gruyere and the baby lettuce salad. Our entrees were petit filets, pancetta-wrapped trout and the rabbit w/ mustard sauce. All an A+.

          If there were service issues a month ago, I would say they've worked through the bugs now. I definitely recommend Le Foret to anyone interested in an elegant evening.

          1. I visited Le Foret this week and was entirely impressed. Le Foret is to dining what Disney is to youth entertainment. La Foret truly understands the importance of the dining experience. This may very well be the best restaurant in the city. Worth twice what I paid. It is still on my mind several days after the event. If you want to make an impression on a loved one or a client, this is the place to go. I can't wait until they open up for lunch!

            1. We had dinner there a couple weeks ago and it was quite possibly one of the worst meals we have had in quite some time. Service issues (of which there were many) are expected and easily forgiven when a restaurant is new.
              The menu looked wonderful - the dish and descriptions read beautifully - and we were quite excited about the meal to come. Unfortunately, why they are gifted with menu descriptors - they aren't able to back it up with their cuisine. It was quite possibly some of the blandest and unimaginative food I've been served in a long time. My Significant Other - who is not the pickiest of diners and tends to find the bright side of most experiences - compared his Quail Appetizer to the Breaded Veal Cutlettes his High School cafeteria served. The food, for the most part, was a *huge* disappointment.
              The space and the restaurant are very lovely however - and it looked like they have a decent space for private events there as well.