Crémant aka: (Kray-Mahn)

I’ve been meaning to try Cremant for some time, and was looking forward to it. Luckily I had been given a tip to request a seat behind the bar so that we would be able to hear each other; a suggestion that I would profusely thank the person for later. Cremant is noisy, and I agree with others, a little cold. The mismatched grey wallpaper is sterile and clumsy. I loved the very grey feel of the bathroom, but wish they would have breathed more life and warmth into the restaurant and left the glossy grey just for the WC.

But still it is French and our seat was cozy, the cheese was stinky and all was going well. The wine list was fairly impressive and the two types of Graves that I had knocked my socks off. I wasn’t very impressed by the menu options and felt like I was choosing between two maybes rather than between two mouth watering options. I ordered the duck confit with a green bean salad thingy and he ordered the butter halibut with pomme frites.

Our waitress was indifferent and even chided me once for not speaking louder. A few bites into our meals and I was disappointed: the duck was dry and the bean thing uninspired. The dish was mainly a plate of green beans and I was left feeling that I had ordered badly. His was mainly a plate of pomme frites, which pleased his 100 mile bike ride that day hunger. The only comment he could make about the halibut was, “It is buttery”.

I liked Cremant but I think the pleasant company swayed my view point. When I take that out of the equation I am left with dry duck, a lackluster server, a cold room and noise. But the wine! The wine was worth going back for.

I think Cremant can do better, I think the chef is better than what we experienced. The people next to us went crazy for their dishes. So I am saying, go try it for yourself, maybe it was a bad night.

Not recommended. Overly salted food, female server off to flirtland with the bartender, thus ok service.

Thought we’d try this new French restaurant & thought it would be romantic for our 31st. It was just okay, color scheme left me cold.. I like Le Gourmande better!

We had a very enjoyable time on our first visit on July 1st – an attentive, unobtrusive but well-informed server who made excellent wine recommendations complementing the meal selections of our entire table, food beautifully prepared and presented (everything at the correct temps) made with care and attention. Dishes served to our table (of 4) included entrees of grilled sardines, brandade, pork rilletes in jellied port consomme, an assorted plate of chacuterie encompassing salamis, blood sausage, ham, and an excellent pork/prune pate, main plates of monkfish with olives and tomato and basil concasses, salade nicoise, and steak frites, desserts of creme brulee (which was enough for 2 really), prunes in armangac with creme fraiche (also probably enough for 2 – not too sweet and redolent of cinnamon, served chilled), and a cognac chocolate. All this, pre-dinner cocktails, and two bottles of beaujolais ($35) for less than $75/person. It would be simple to make a lovely, light meal of a selection of chacuterie, bread, and one of the entree salads.

While the interior is spare, we found it cool and inviting and much less sterile than that of defunct Supreme (which had been across the street in the space now occupied by Drey’s). Two groups of other diners included younger children, and though we had early reservations (6 pm), all tables were occupied by 6:30 and the noise level was never such that we couldn’t continue our conversation. The tables are spaced well enough to provide some privacy and easy accessibility to diners. Though we lingered for 2 1/2 hours, we were never rushed by the waitstaff – a great rarity.

As long as nothing is going on at the catholic church on 35th Ave, street parking is relatively easy on 34th Ave. We made reservations for Saturday night on Thursday, but of course your mileage may vary.

We tried out Restaurant Crémant last night, arriving with high expectations, and leaving early, fairly disappointed. The basics of the entrees were well executed, but almost every other part of the meal, from the greeting at the door (brusque, with a phone on the ear), the salad (tough, plain), starters (eh), ambiance (basement-ish and somehow still snooty), and noise level (loud) the experience was overall pretty disappointing.

The restaurant seemed to have a bit of a hard time getting over itself (perhaps the McMackin influence goes beyond just the oppressively grey bombshelterish interior). The whole set-up just seemed forced and unwelcoming. It is hard to enjoy a meal if you are not comfortable. And it’s no fun to pay $100 for the privilege. We skipped dessert and drinks and went elsewhere.

If I lived in the neighborhood, or could just walk in off the street, I might have a different review. But when you have to make reservations weeks in advance for a table – you have to meet the high bar of a “destination restaurant”. And for me, Crémant didn’t clear the bar. If I’m going to drop that sort of coin on a meal for two, I’ll find a different spot.

Try everything! So, it may take several visits, with luck starting on July 1st when we are in Seattle for the weekend.