Mark’s Score 9.7
I have been planning to write this review for a long time. Through a series of mishaps and bad timing, it has taken me far longer than anticipated. I appreciate haute cuisine, but I don’t eat it very often. By its very definition, haute cuisine is supposed to be extraordinary. So, I limit my patronage of haute restaurants to prevent the experience becoming mundane. Haute should be enjoyed infrequently so that it remains exceptional. There are very few haute restaurants on the Eastern Shore, so it would be absurd to call any of them “the best.” The fact that they are haute, makes them the best. But I will say this about Bas Rouge, it is exceptional, even in its own class.
Bas Rouge is part of Easton’s Bluepoint Hospitality Group. I see Bas Rouge as their flagship venue. Harly Peet, a James Beard Award chef, is the executive chef at Bas Rouge. Bluepoint states its mission as, “striving to create unique experiences in an atmosphere that is refined, yet never pretentious…and executed with excellent service.” I have eaten at all but one of their restaurants, I cannot think of a time when they did not meet or exceed their stated mission. That is especially true of Bas Rouge.
I had lunch at Bas Rouge a week ago. From the outside it does not look like anything special, in fact, I almost walked right past it. But once you pass through that door you enter a realm of understated, tasteful Parisian sophistication. The French Maitre d’hótel was the icing on the cake. I found myself unconsciously slipping into my French, it almost felt like I was back in Brussels.
The last few weeks have been difficult, so I was ready for a bit of pampering. They had duck on the menu so I ordered a glass of a personal favorite, a Jean-Luc Mader pinot gris from Alsace. I love Alsatian wines; they are France’s best kept secret and they pair well with rich food.
I like to test restaurants by ordering the simplest item on the menu. Creating a memorable complicated dish is easy. Making a simple dish memorable takes real skill. I ordered the honey nut squash appetizer, followed by a duck leg confit. The appetizer was indeed simple, two sticks of squash with a vinaigrette on the side. Besides being beautifully presented, it was the best squash dish I have ever eaten, and one of the most memorable dishes I have had in a very long time. It was exquisite. The duck confit was excellent, but the appetizer was so spectacular, it frankly paled a bit in comparison. I finished with a lemon posset for dessert. If there is food in heaven, all celestial meals would end with Bas Rouge’s lemon posset.
Bas Rouge is expensive, but it is also the true star of the Bluepoint Group. I walked out wondering how it is possible to get such sublime flavors out of the lowly squash? A restaurant that can make squash so memorable has surely demonstrated a true mark of excellence.
Leave a Reply