Mussels: Petite Jacqueline

Tempted by the prospect of some artery clogging french cuisine and a great view of the porn store in Longfellow Center, the wife and I made the trek out to Petite Jacqueline last month. It was dusk on one of those beautiful Saturday nights we enjoyed in late July/early August and we chose to eat outside. Our palettes were treated to some deliciously rich food and our eyes were delighted by the stream of hipsters and weirdos that seem to constantly occupy the spaces in and around the square.

Appetizer #1 - French Onion Soup $7 - It seemed almost obligatory that one of our app choices be this soup. We found it to be sweet and the onions were stewed to the point that they melted in your mouth. Gruyere cheese melted on top with four pieces of french bread added some savoriness to the dish. The only critique I had is it would have been nice to cut the bread a little thicker for some textural contrast as it quickly turned to mush in the hot soup. Overall it was very delicious and big enough to share.

Appetizer #2 - Escargot $9 - Nothing says "whoo look at me I'm eating at a french restaurant and am interested in appearing as daring and authentic as possible" as ordering snails. Oddly enough this is not my first go-round with these little gastropods and I have to say these were the best I had ever had. The snails were cooked until tender and smothered in a deliciously creamy sauce. Unlike the french bread in the soup, the two pieces of puff pastry stood up and added a nice textural contrast to the decadence of the sauce. I probably liked this better than the wife who seemed to be a little off put by the earthiness(strange for a sea creature) of the snails but like the soup the size was suitable for sharing.

Side - Ratatouille $6 - The wife ordered this a la carte but I ended up finishing it when her eyes proved larger than her stomach. Individually I'm not a fan of any of the vegetables featured in this dish but together they blended beautifully. Each veggie was cooked to the same level of tenderness and melded together with a tomato-y base that broke up the heaviness of both of our mains.

Main Course #1 - Quiche with pancetta and truffle oil $12 - Holy heavy cream Batman! This was the wife's choice and it was rich as fuck (fuck is rich right?) The eggs were creamy and melted away with each bite leaving the saltiness of the pancetta, the crunch of the flaky crust and the aromatics of the truffle oil. It was absolutely delicious and at $12 a great value. She ordered the ratatouille in anticipation that this wouldn't be a real entree but ended up not being able to finish either. A little side salad with a mild olive oil dressing was nice and this was another dish that I was happy to finish for her.

Main Course #2 - Steak Frites $21 - Judging from the other patrons this seemed to be the most popular main course on the menu. The fries were hand cut, thin and crispy but still tender inside. In lieu of ketchup those crazy french bastards prefer mayonnaise which was OK but maybe a little bit of overkill. I ordered the steak medium-rare and found it to be cooked perfectly, no small task for a flank cut. The meat was well seasoned and tender. My only complaint here was no steak knife, so instead of hacking it to death with a butter knife I let my teeth do the work. Not a super classy way to eat and I think I saw a meth head sitting in the park nodding in agreement at my lack of table manners. Just living the dream.

Including tip we weighed in at just over $70, a sum I was more than happy to fork over considering the level of care and expertise that went into every course. Inside the restaurant looked really busy and I would suggest reservations if you plan on visiting them during at a high traffic time.