I will not dwell on the fact that a wine advertised on their site (2001 Gauby) was not available at the restaurant. But I don’t want to hide my disappointment when learning that “Menu Truffe”, which I had reserved was not available. Let me add that when reserving the “Menu Truffe”, I had requested them to call me in case they did not have it. In addition, I had called the restaurant a week earlier to request them to call or message me in the event they did not have the requested menu. They did not!
All of this is regrettable, but perhaps one can still leave the restaurant satiated and happy if the cuisine is good. Unfortunately, this was not the case. We ordered the chef’s special appetizer, truffle and foie gras macaroni with parmesan. Mr. Nomicos is the first person who came up with this creation which is now served at Le Bristol and at La Grande Cascade where he worked. I only had chef Frechon’s version at Le Bristol which made an impression. Nomicos’ version was not bad, but did not reach that level. Perhaps it was too subtle as it lacked the flavors it promised. I would not have known that it contained truffles had it not been described that way.
But the real disappointment was the main course that both my wife and I ordered. “Caille en deux cuissons laquées d’un jus au vinaigre de cerisier, tiande légumes du sud” sounded great. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. The quail was dry, almost inedible. The sauce was uninspiring, and the thigh was OK. The vegetables were fine, but not special. I should say that we have had four different quail dishes in four different California restaurants in the month preceding our meal at Nomicos: Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Cotogna, Delfina in San Francisco, and Auberge du Soleil in Napa. All of them were very good, infinitely superior to the Michelin star Nomicos in Paris.
At least we had a fine cheese course and an excellent dessert. “Granité à L’Absinthe, Marmelade de Tomate à la Vanille, Glace Fenouil” was not only original, but also delicious. The acidity and the sweetness of tomato complemented very well the sharp anise flavor of the absinthe granita and the savory fennel ice cream. The dessert was light, but intense. They also offered a delicious brioche with orange cream to dip it in at the end of the meal with coffee.
Mr. Nomicos seems to have found the right alchemy to keep his Michelin star and attract English speaking clientele. First, he has found a staff who are genuinely nice, and, above all, speak English. Second, he has put his menu (with eye catching descriptions) and wine list online in English to get attention, even if neither the wine nor the menu is actually available. Third, he concocts dishes which at least appear very competent in the photos and conform to certain techniques and parameters highly prized by Michelin to get and keep a star. Fourth and as crucial as the other three, he has to make sure that desserts are very good and generous. In the end, it is the last bite that matters to most customers, and especially the American clientele is fond of (and partial to) desserts.
EVALUATION: 10/20
