La Belle Aurore

Date
1/30/2014

Location
Downtown(?) Niantic
75 Pennsylvania Avenue, Niantic, CT

What I ate
Beet and orange parfait with whipped ricotta and pistachios
Sliced tenderloin with maple dijon sauce, greens, and roasted potatoes
Citrus olive oil cake

Who came
Jolene, Michael, Talina, Rempy, Helena, Zurita, Erin

Website
La Belle Aurore

Thoughts
Hat tip to CT Restaurant Weeks for identifying this place.  I'm still exploring this town and the surrounding areas, so having a guide like that is helpful.  This was one of the few prix fixe menus and the farm to table aspect appealed to me, so away we went.

My food was tasty throughout, though a few parts outshined the rest.  The appetizer was delicious.  The earthy beets mixed well with the not-too-tart oranges and the different textures - light but rich (weird, I know) cheese, a slight crunch to the beets, the slightly different kind of crunch to the pistachios - kept the whole thing interesting.  I would've gladly eaten another one.  My steak was pretty good and the potatoes were salty and fried in a very satisfying way, but the greens were the best part of the entree.  As deep as we were in winter, the freshness was a welcome change.  I'm going to find their supplier and see if I can get some directly.  The cake probably wouldn't be great on its own, but it was a pleasant way to end the meal, to tie everything together.  It had the "clean" taste that I associate with olive oil cookies and cakes and managed to stay light and mild.  Their beer list was small, but had a few great options.  As a group, we did a pretty good job with variety, getting at least one of almost everything, so I'll let my friends comment on the other offerings.

It's a cozy place, tucked away in a little strip mall.  We were easily the biggest group there, but they were able to seat us comfortably.  It felt very homey, like a little cafe; I'm sure it's lovely in warmer weather.  There were a few times it felt like the service was a little slow - big gaps between courses, some delay in getting everyone's dish out - but it really wasn't a problem.  In fact, it helped keep conversation going.  I don't know if this is the same for a couple or a smaller crowd, but it a net positive for our big group.  During the meal, I felt like the portions seemed small, but this is another aspect that looks fine in retrospect.  I was certainly full at the end of the meal, so I guess it'd be unfair to say portion size was an issue.  All told, it was a fun night out with plenty of good food.

Recap
Pros - Local, tasty, creative food, solid beer list
Cons - Small?  I'm nit-picking, there wasn't much wrong
Overall - See the last line of the review.  The food is good and they work extensively with local producers.  I'm excited to go back and see how the menu changes with the seasons.