Dinner at Aquitaine, South End

Finally got my act together for Boston's Summer Restaurant Week: the price of a prix fixe lunch at most fancy restaurants is $20, and the prix fixe dinner is $30. Great deal! Stellar way to try a new fancy restaurant one could not normally afford, or would not want to risk due to price. After some reservation shuffling, I finally chose Aquitaine due to its sky-high Zagat ratings. They required a credit card number just to reserve a table (and would have charged me $25 if I hadn't shown up), so they mean serious business.

Well, I forgot to take any pictures. I was dazzled by my food as it appeared, and by the good music in the restaurant, and by the courteous attention of the waiter. And by the phalanx of graceful people keeping my water glass full of icy drink, bringing hot rolls and butter to the table, and delighting me with two warm, tender cheese gougeres on a tiny doily.

My choices on the menu were chilled corn soup with "leek and corn mignonette"; the Frenchified "Herbes Marinated Hanger Steakwith Pommes Lyonnaise and Garlic-Dijon Jus Lie", and "Lemon Ice Box Cake with Muscat Poached Peaches and Vanilla Crème Chantilly".

And I realize that, at a less fancy restaurant, that same menu would be Corn Chowder, Steak with potatoes, and Pound Cake with canned peaches and Whipped Delight.

The corn soup was sweet, chilled, silky smooth going down. I wanted to keep sipping it up forever. The toppings had a piquant, spicy, salty element which contrasted with the sweetness of the soup.

The Hangar steak was lean (thank goodness), cooked perfectly (Medium), and beautifully seared on the outside. The jus was a rose pink surrounding the meat, and the tender, buttery potatoes created a little nest for the steak. I could have licked my plate. Instead, I used my most dextrous two-handed knife and fork technique to create a succession of perfect bites. A little potato, a little bite of steak, a little dab of jus...chew slowly and savor. Sip cabernet suggested with the Hangar steak. Repeat!

Dessert was delightful. There was also a chocolate tart on the menu, but I wanted something light. Especially after steak, c'mon. I didn't realize the cake in question would be a slice of pound cake lightly brushed with some kind of herbed honey...there was the vanilla whipped cream on top, and the muscat-poached peaches were juicy and sweet and tender. Again, I used my cutlery to create perfect bites; speared a piece of cake and peach with the fork in my left hand, then used the knife in my right hand to finish my bite with some whipped cream and muscat-peach juice from my plate. It was like art, dammit. Like art.

My only complaint was that I wished I could have eaten slower, enjoyed the meal at a more leisurely pace. Aquitaine was serving a high volume that night, and that's an understatement. They were perfectly courteous and very polite - I felt cared for - but the courses came out bam! bam! bam! no waiting time. Perhaps on a regular night, there is some rest in between courses. I would have enjoyed thinking about my food, brain-savoring it before continuing on to the next thing.

Delightful. Good place for birthday dinner. Just like all the fancy Zagat-stars of the South End, I imagine.