Coquette

[Yvette]

We finally made it to Coquette Friday night. I was under the impression the restaurant was called Croquette, ie: A small cake of minced food, such as poultry, vegetables, or fish, that is usually coated with bread crumbs and fried in deep fat.

No it's coquette, ie:
Pronunciation: \kō-ˈket\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, feminine of coquet
Date: circa 1611

: a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men

Well, I'm glad I got that straightened up.

We had 8:00 reservations. Showed up exactly on time. Place was packed again. ( first time we could not get in) We were escorted upstairs immediately. I was glad, cause I don't like the two top tables right next to the maitre d' station. Only two tables there empty.

Ordered a glass of Aquinas 2006 Napa Valley Cab
http://www.donandsons.com/threeloosescr ... vignon.php

It was luscious....deep, rich, black currant and full fruit bomb that I love. I had never heard of it before. I will make a mental note when I am in Napa next week to make it there. I don't care how hot it is outside, I want my REDS.

Back to dinner. We ordered pork rillette with sour cherry, dijon and cornichons, short ribs with chimichurri and cherry tomato and local figs with thyme honey and Benton's ham. This was all appetizers, we wanted to taste everything.

The short ribs were by far the most outstanding I have had since we went to Herbsaint. Sliced off the bone, very thin. The chimichurri sauce had the perfect amount of garlic and tomatilla and olive oil. My husband had the figs, they were flash fried tempura style. I am allergic, did not get near them. He said they were very good. Lastly, the pork rillette was not bad, just not that good. Too mushy. Would not order that again.

Entree: I had the Red Chicken...cipollini onions and substituted asparagus instead of the collard greens. Named red cause it comes from a farm up North where the meat is actually red till you cook it, then it looks like a normal chicken. The chicken as the ribs came already sliced, a very nice touch. Moist. The veggies were a medley and I got asparagus on the side too. Wonderful. My husband got the Wagyu Sirloin, again came sliced with fingerling potato, fava beans and bordelaise. It was perfect, and again his sauce was dead on.

We opened a bottle of Black Stallion, Napa, 2002 Cab from our cellar.

They do gang style service here which also added a nice touch, seeing that by the time we ate, every table in the place was booked.

Menu changes daily, can't wait till my next trip there.

[jodyrah]

Thanks for the review. We tried to get in Thur. and they were booked. Re: Herbsaint short ribs, I posted their recipe (from the 86 recipe cards). I make it regularly and it is spot on.

[Yvette]

Thanks for the recipe. I actually did it last week. I ruined it. You call for 3- 3 1/2 hours. I got busy and was "playing" on the computer upstairs while my ribs burned downstairs. I did not check on them.
The last half hour was too much.

The flavor was there, insides not burned all the way through, but too charred on the outside for me.

Question about your polenta. I went to Rouse, Robert's, Wal Mart, Winn Dixie and Whole Foods. I could only find the polenta in tubes. Not in grain to make from scratch. Cheesey polenta came out okay, but I would rather have made it from scratch. Where in the heck do you find it?

I will try again.

[jodyrah]

Yvette, if you are referring to my recipe, it comes directly from Herbsaint as printed on the 86 recipe cards. Although it calls for 3 hrs. cooking time, I usually check around 2 1/2. Polenta recipe is not mine but course yellow or white corrnmeal works.

[Double M]

Had never heard of this place, so I had to look it up. Located on Magazine Street. Will have to give it a try and the 2006 Aquinas Cab. Thanks, Yvette.

[Yvette]

Yvette, if you are referring to my recipe, it comes directly from Herbsaint as printed on the 86 recipe cards. Although it calls for 3 hrs. cooking time, I usually check around 2 1/2. Polenta recipe is not mine but course yellow or white corrnmeal works.

Sorry, it was Jesse's recipe here on this Recipe Forum. That one called for 3-3 1/2 hours and also had the polenta recipe with it. Ahhh, sorry, I should have read yours, as I think 2 1/2 hours would have been perfect.

[yum]

You can get polenta at Dorignac's. It's next to the grits in a box.

[Yvette]

You can get polenta at Dorignac's. It's next to the grits in a box.

Thanks, that is what I am looking for. Gee, all the stores I went to, and didn't think of Dorignac's.

When I make it again, I was going to try the International Market, which I should have thought of first.

Rouse's told me they used to carry it, but no longer.

Winn Dixie told me they would order it for me and call when it came in, haven't heard from them yet.

[Low-N-Slow]

Winn Dixie told me they would order it for me and call when it came in, haven't heard from them yet.

Never count on a grocery actually doing this for you, even if they write it down and take your number. They have to order by the case, and make shelf space for the other 11 or 23 boxes, assuming they order it for you in the first place.

Whole Foods didn't have it in the bulk section?

[Yvette]

Whole Foods didn't have it in the bulk section?

Nope, at least not when I went two weeks ago planning this menu for last week.

WD did take my phone number.

I forgot to add, Robert's said "what, what is that?"