482520 Thu Jan 24 07:56:57 -0800 2008 32 13 New England 0 3327444 Thought I would share my experience with du Glace from last evening. We decided on a Wed nite becuse we thought it would be pretty quiet. Well for a Wed in Deep River it was pretty busy. They had about 7-8 full tables going from about 7 - 9:30. Now I thought the service was very accomodating and timely - if not particularly knowledgeable about the menu items or the kitchen and wines. We had some starters and a main course and split a dessert between 2 of us. While we watied and made up our minds - they presented up with a small plate of gruyere puffs - very light , tart and tasty! The starters were onion soups , bacon/leek tart and mesclun salads. I had ordered an onion soup. This is a white onion soup - which I have never had before - it is a cream base but was very flavorful and the crouton was crispy and the cheese was a tart gruyere. The soup was a bit heavier than I really care for - but it was good. I do not think I would order it again if I were ordering a full meal there. Maybe if I were planning on just ordering 2 starters for my meal - this soup would be great. They brought out a french bread for the table - which was ok - not great ( I have to admit - since I knew the chef - owner here was the original chef that started up the PIPS bistro at the Copper Beech Inn - I was expecting the same crunchy french bread - but it was not) My dinner mates ordered the salad and it looked very fresh and they said it was tasty - it looked like something I might try the next time I go in. The bacon leek tart had greens on the side, looked nicely prepared and was throughly enjoyed by my other dinner companion. Well - we ordered the Grilled duck with wild rice risotto and steak and frites. The grilled duck was in a red wine sauce reduction made with spices and fruits. It was cooked perfectly, the sauces was a great counterpoint to the gaminess of the duck and the wild rice risotto had a delicate crunch - that made the meal a bit more special. Other meal selection ordered was steak and frites. The report was it was a good steak - but again I gave to say the frites were kind of ordinary looking , although I didn't ask so as not to ruin my companions eating experience - they looked like frozen fries to me ? (again - my experience at PIPS with the frites came into play here I must admit - there the frites were more delicately cut strips of crisply fried potatoes) . Both the steak and duck were prepared rare as requested. We ordered off the wine list and got an Austrailian Shiraz - - it was very nice and went well with all our meals. We split a Pear Frangipane for dessert (just to tast - we were all too full) which had a delicate crust, a light almond taste and we enjoyed it. Now the coffee - well - that was kind of watery & luke warm - but I did not send it back - because all I wanted was a taste of coffee anyway to finish off the meal, not to linger over. None of us were able to finish our main courses - and they were wrapped for us to take home. So the portion sizes , while not overwhelming - were more than adequate for a big appetite if you bring one. Now , the prices were a bit steeper than I would have expected for the main courses (esp for Deep River) running about from $18 ( for a Coq au Vin for example) - $28. The starters were pretty reasonably priced for the quality - from about $6 - $11 and desserts were in that same price range. ( Largely because when we met at one of the friends home before going to take one car - we were treated to a great appetizer prepared for us out of Sarah Chase's Cold Weather Cooking book - also yummy) Now I predict that du Glace has a shot at staying around for awhile once they get their act and menu together for the local audience. Deep River is not Chester - - but this is way less pretensious than the Restarount du Village in Chester and PIPS in Ivoryton . It has a much smaller choice of items than say - Cafe Routier in Westbrook. BUT - the cooking is some of the best of have had in the shoreline area and they have paid special attention to re-furbishing and decorating an old Main Street storefront in Deep River so that when you step inside, the ambiance is very soothing and the coloring and paintings on the wall make you feel you are truly in a french bistro. All the tables around us seemed to be enjoying their meals and service - so that is always another good sign. They have a small bar up front which also had a small crowd of about 6-7 people for mid week . I would defintely RECOMMEND giving du Glace a try and suggesting it to your friends. I will likely stop by the bakery during the day sometime soon and see what they have to offer there as well! Thu Jan 24 07:56:57 -0800 2008 48025 few 1 3328992 few - that was the very best review I've ever read on the site. thank you. I ate there last week and I'm embarrassed that I didn't write more. Thank you. I almost felt like i dined there again. You hit on some great points. Thu Jan 24 13:30:39 -0800 2008 3327444 23058 ElizabethHenton 2 3354794 THANKS , Elizabeth - - how very nice of you! (8-> I did enjoy duGlace and hope they can stick around - they appear to have sunk ALOT of $$$ into that place - - & Deep River is not exactly awash with big spenders - - so I think they will have to ALOT more marketing than they have been doing so far .... Word of mouth is pretty slow in this neck of the woods..... Fri Feb 01 05:12:14 -0800 2008 3328992 48025 few 3 3354833 I'm going to print your review and add it to a folder I'm making on the area. I have plans for a daytrip in the spring (from RI) to include Deep River, Essex, Chester.....a couple of wineries (Colchester and Wallingford), etc. Fri Feb 01 05:32:51 -0800 2008 3354794 13807 JaneRI 4 3377519 thanks Jane I do hope you get a chance to stop in...I am not sure if they are open for lunch though....& I have not seen a website for them yet either! If I find out more abt their hours I will post it Fri Feb 08 10:57:28 -0800 2008 3354833 48025 few 5 3509664 Du Glace. okay. What happened? Was in there last week. Seemed dead. Maybe economy/area of shoreline/top secret hiding place... as crazy as it sounds - servers seemed annoyed when we didn't oder ALOT Didn't see chef although I know he's handcuffed to the stove. This pace deserves to do well Wed Mar 19 20:51:30 -0700 2008 3377519 23058 ElizabethHenton 1 3354792 OK - I went to the Bakery...... I was looking for something small and sweet for after dinner at home that night. EVERYTHING looked appealing. I decided to start this time with the basics and then go from there if they worked out. I went for some cookies. I bought a Raspberry bar and a large Choc dipped Macaroon cookie. The Raspberry bar was moist, almondy, and had the perfect balance of crust, raspberry filling and almond topping. The Choc macaroon cookie - was - PERFECT. Moist and chewy coconut dipped halfway in a dark choclate covering...... WOW. So I will go back next time and but a tart or something more adventurous! (p.s. - I did try a linzer cookie my son had brought home the week before - also excellent) Fri Feb 01 05:09:56 -0800 2008 3327444 48025 few 2 3780841 good to read reviews on this new restaurant. Now if I only had an address - Can you help me? 6/2008 heard from my surgeon that I had to try this place. Sat Jun 14 14:57:24 -0700 2008 3354792 131652 vanpc 3 3781011 169 Main St., Deep River, CT. Near intersection of Routes 154 and 80. Sat Jun 14 16:26:35 -0700 2008 3780841 11791 DonShirer 2 4623792 I had a raspberry bar and a chocolate-filled croissant over the weekend. Very, very nicely done. Wish this place was closer to my house (or maybe not for the sake of fitting into my clothes!). Am sure their baguettes just as special as the rest of their baked goods. Will have to try one next time. There's a pet store right across the street, so I can justify my trip when I need to buy more cat food. And come to think of it, we are almost out of Wellness. WOOHOO! Thu Apr 23 19:20:48 -0700 2009 3354792 249664 kattyeyes 3 4630539 Try the cheese-filled croissant! Sun Apr 26 16:09:10 -0700 2009 4623792 249664 kattyeyes 1 3841340 My wife and I have eaten at the French Laundry in CA and I must say although they are two different restaurants the surprise was the same..the food is excellent, the staff very pleasant and price very fair for this quality of dining experience..I am not so sure why the price should be more or less because it is in Deep River..that remark is an insult to them and the wonderful CT River town they are in. Fine dining is fine dining where ever you are lucky enough to find it, and there is a cost for that. Sat Jul 05 18:01:51 -0700 2008 3327444 206962 tperry 1 4155393 I agree with you on the frites. They looked and tasted like frozen fries. Some nice shoestring or hand cut fries would have made the meal. Over all a very nice place. Fri Nov 07 03:17:12 -0800 2008 3327444 237968 ilike2boat 2 4536594 I was in du Glace this past Saturday for a reuinion of sorts with an old roomate and his wife. Service, wine, appetizers, dessert were great. Steak was great, cooked perfectly. Frites were still frozen french fries. Disappointing in such a place. Wed Mar 25 08:35:34 -0700 2009 4155393 207414 dennisl 1 4545429 Thanks for recommending Bistro du Glace, few. Your descriptions didn't disappoint. The complimentary gougères to start were excellent. Our waitress was wonderful. She made a great wine recommendation, then waited as we tasted it to be sure it was to our liking. Having read reviews on this site before our visit, we asked for the garlic mashed potatoes instead of the frites with the steak....highly recommend! We also shared a side of creamed spinach. I had originally ordered a veal special, but the steak was so delicious (mooing rare, just the way we both like it), my guy traded with me. And I'd say we shared the wonderful pear frangipane tart swimming in crème anglaise, but I ate the whole thing minus two bites all by myself. It was divine! Dinner for 2 plus 1 dessert, coffee and snifter of Macallan came to ~$105 with tax and tip. This won't be our last visit. What a great spot! Thanks again! P.S. I called a few days ago to ask if there was an online menu. I assume it was the chef who answered the phone as it was about 10:30 a.m. He told me there was no online menu as of yet, but offered to meet me on Route 9 with a menu and a box of pastries! ;) I just laughed (how tempting is that?!!!) and said we'd be down on Friday. A real treat. FYI--the husband is the chef and the wife is the pastry chef. Match made in heaven, right? :) Sure tasted that way to us. Fri Mar 27 20:02:17 -0700 2009 3327444 249664 kattyeyes 2 4626282 Thanks for bringing this establishment to my attention. i stopped by the bakery today and had a wonderful raspberry bar and the kids enjoyed there cookies as they always do. I noticed a sign mentioning a $22 pre fixe menu, I was not able to study it as I had three kids in tow but at a glance it seemed great. I then headed across the street to FEAST. The sandwiches were wonderful and interesting. They are a ittle pricey but you get what you pay for. If in the area I suggest you give it a try, I certainly will head back there soon. Fri Apr 24 16:18:23 -0700 2009 4545429 165754 askeenan 1 5109537 We went back to Bistro du Glace tonight on the spur of the moment and were pleasantly surprised to find a prix fixe menu in addition to the regular menu. $25 gets you choice of soup AND salad; entree and one of their ever-so-fabulous desserts. I tried the creamy onion soup few described in the OP above. WOW. Outstanding. I never had anything like it. Now I want to learn to make it. It was so delicious, and--as you might guess--so filling. My SO had the lobster bisque. It was not as creamy as lobster bisque usually is, but he liked it. He had the flounder meuniere and thoroughly enjoyed it. He also commented he thought it was even a notch above the fish he had recently liked at Brasserie Pip, which is saying something as we both love that place. I had the steak (I forget the description, but it's the steak of the house with frites, except I asked for mashed potatoes instead)...cooked perfectly rare just as I ordered it. I couldn't eat it all. After a large crock of soup and salad and gougeres, I honestly could've called it quits right there. Instead, I came home with one of our desserts (a fruit tart) and more than half my steak. Service is wonderful, friendly, attentive, just right. I know others thought so, too, as I heard them gushing over their meals to their server. I cannot believe how much wonderful food we had for the low, low price of $25 per person. What you get for the money is definitely worth far more than that. Fri Oct 16 19:24:38 -0700 2009 3327444 249664 kattyeyes 2 5110017 ONE MORE THING...both times we ate at Bistro du Glace, we ate and loved the steak...and neither few nor I told you part of what makes it special: it's marinated in WINE and BEER! I just ate the leftovers for breakfast along with copious amounts of leftover mashed potatoes. Here's my question: who else is going? Are you going and doing so quietly? ;) Please report back and tell us what else is good here. This place so deserves our dining dollars. Sat Oct 17 06:59:42 -0700 2009 5109537 249664 kattyeyes 3 5156862 Went tonight for dinner. Please note the steak du Glace (the one marinated in wine and beer that is SO DELICIOUS) is no longer on the menu...go figure, it's only named for the restaurant...HOWEVER, you can still order it. I'm baffled why they took it off the menu and replaced it with a NY strip (?) but no worries, you can still get it! I can't imagine we were the only ones that loved it. Oh, and we substituted creamed spinach for the fries. Nice! Tonight we tried the grilled sea scallops appetizer with red pepper sauce. It was nicely presented with a mound of pesto-infused rice in the center of the plate. The scallops were cooked perfectly and paired nicely with the peppery-buttery sauce. Mmmmmmmmm! Apparently, the New York Times recently reviewed duGlace. I haven't seen it yet but noticed some quotes from it while we were there. And to think, so many of us were lucky enough (because of this site) to figure it out first. :) Wed Nov 04 18:32:00 -0800 2009 5110017 249664 kattyeyes 4 5157610 The Times only gave them a Good. I really don't think this reviewer likes anything other than ethnic foods. Does anyone else get that feeling? Thu Nov 05 06:22:49 -0800 2009 5156862 19545 chefstu 5 5157936 The Times reviewer for CT outside Fairfield County (Stephanie Lyness) gave Roy Ip and Le Petit Cafe an "Extraordinary". I suppose French (well, sort of) food from a Hong Kong chef is "ethnic" in some ways, but this is probably an exception to your generalization. Thu Nov 05 08:14:00 -0800 2009 5157610 178139 linguist 6 5158580 Also an "Extraordinary" for Union League just last week Thu Nov 05 11:34:21 -0800 2009 5157936 1122012 ne chef 5 5170961 Also a "Very Good" for Pica Tapas in Hamden, despite some reservations. http://events.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/nyregion/20dinect.html Tue Nov 10 14:11:18 -0800 2009 5157610 178139 linguist 1 5127138 AHA, du Glace has a website (they didn't when I first went)! Though it's still under construction, their menu and hours are listed. I was googling today to grab their phone number and found it. :) Cannot get their creamy onion soup out of my mind... http://www.duglacebistro.com/pages/bistro.html Sat Oct 24 06:40:04 -0700 2009 3327444 249664 kattyeyes 2 5127214 Thanks for the menu info! It looks like it is worth a try. What do you think summer flounder meunere is? Have you tried it? Their prix fix menu seems quite reasonable. Sat Oct 24 07:21:41 -0700 2009 5127138 142853 Alica 3 5127261 The flounder dish is what my guy ordered on our last visit (see above, Oct 16, 2009 10:24PM). I don't care for cooked fish, so I didn't have a bite, but he loved it and would highly recommend it. Here's a description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuniere_sauce I would've sworn there was something red in his dish, but I might be remembering wrong. I also forgot to mention the beautiful fruit tart we took home from our last prix fixe dinner. It was gorgeous and I even took a photo (since I ate it at home), but have yet to download it. Sat Oct 24 07:46:51 -0700 2009 5127214 249664 kattyeyes 4 5127428 Thank you! All sounds great! You are from around the Mysic area, any new restaurant happenings? Maybe in New London, ... We are thrilled about the addition of Bruna's Table to Westerly. We like Up River, Noah's but we are always looking for something new. Du Glace will be very soon on the list. Sat Oct 24 09:08:11 -0700 2009 5127261 142853 Alica 5 5129016 No, no...I'm from Middletown. ;) I just roam around enough. I hear lots of positive press on Up River. As to new restaurant happenings, I've read with interest about 85 Main in Putnam. Truth is, I have a hard time driving out that far and NOT going to either Sharpe Hill or Heritage Trail. But it certainly sounds like it should go on the list--both yours and mine. http://www.85main.com/ I also like Tastings in Mystic--that is a fun day or night out and I enjoy the food, but I'm sure you've been. I wish it were closer so I could get to some of their special "event" tastings. http://www.awineexperience.com/NewsletterView.aspx?fri=8 Sun Oct 25 05:53:25 -0700 2009 5127428 249664 kattyeyes 1 5145929 Pictures from Patisserie duGlace...feast your eyes! http://chowsider.chow.com/restaurants/51573/patisserie-du-glace Stopped in for the pear frangipane tart today and a cappucino. Fruit tart is from my last review. Sat Oct 31 18:27:37 -0700 2009 3327444 249664 kattyeyes 1 5165666 NYT review. Guess we've been lucky--never had issues with how the food was seasoned or delivered. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/nyregion/01dinect.html?scp=9&sq=connecticut%20dining&st=cse Sun Nov 08 15:45:12 -0800 2009 3327444 249664 kattyeyes 1 5166303 fyi... http://wfsb.incentrev.com/ Sun Nov 08 22:17:47 -0800 2009 3327444 53762 geminigirl 2 5167344 Whoa...and an early Merry Christmas to me. A BIG thanks for posting this gg. Don't need much of an arm-twisting to get here but this will be a nice stocking stuffer so I hope my co-pilot is reading.. :) The money saved will just have to be spent across the way at Feast! Such great Chow in the area of these must-stops. Mon Nov 09 10:29:17 -0800 2009 5166303 1085943 noreservations 2 5188026 Thank you from the bottom of my appreciative stomach for that link! We LOVE this restaurant. We both worked in high end restaurants in another life so admit we're a tad choosy when dining. Their Gruyere Puffs (Gougeres) alone are a reason to dine there. Tue Nov 17 06:13:23 -0800 2009 5166303 1125192 cedarhollow