Last night, I joined two lovely ladies at Cafe des Architectes in the Sofitel. The restaurant boasts contemporary French cuisine and the decor most certainly reflects that. From my seat in the booth, I had a clear view of the restaurant and the wall of windows facing Chestnut St.
While the server didn't speak French...or really English for that matter...the menu had a diverse selection of French fare, including an a la carte menu or a prix fixe menu.
To start I had a spring salad with radishes, beets and artichokes. When the appetizers arrived, there was a distinct fresh aroma...everything smelled like it had just been picked from the garden. The salad tasted as good as it smelled, with lightly roasted veggies topped with a bed of spring greens. It had just a touch of dressing, which was perfect with the flavors of the vegetables.
For my entree, I had yukon gold gnocci with beans, mushrooms and teeny tiny shrimp. Again, the meal smelled delicious and tasted great too. The gnocci literally melted in my mouth and the shrimp were the perfect bite size accompaniment. I was left wishing there were more gnocchi on the plate, though the vegetables were light and flavorful. Towards the end of the dish, I did start to notice that the meal was extremely salty. The sauce itself was salty and the remaining shrimp were just too salty to finish. Overall, it was an excellent dish.
We ended the evening with a trio of French pastries, which were not exactly pastries. A plate of four small desserts arrived, including creme brule, chocolate mint cake, chocolate mouse and coconut cake. Along with our last sips of Sancere, it was the perfect way to end the evening.
Despite the extremely slow service, I was impressed by the delicious food and contemporary atmosphere. For a restaurant nestled inside a hotel, Cafe des Architectes did a good job of transporting guests from a lobby to a French cafe.
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