Troquet

Troquet is an upscale French restaurant overlooking the Boston Common. It’s on the same level as L’Espalier or No 9 Park, but is a little less pricy and has more of a bistro feel. I tried it years ago when they first opened, and had been meaning to go back for a while. Last night I happened to be out in the area and decided to give it a try. We walked in around 9pm on a Wednesday night, and were seated promptly at a table for two by the window with an amazing view of the common.

What I remembered most from my last visit was the wine list - Troquet is known for an extensive list of wines by the glass intended to pair with the food. I was excited to try the wine now that I know a little more about food and wine pairing and I was not disappointed! The list included at least 50 varieties by the glass and was a good mix of French, Italian, Spanish, and American. The wines were all available in two or four-ounce pours for pairing, and each item on the dinner menu included a range of numbers corresponding to several glasses of wine. Any of the glasses within the range would pair well with the food.

We shared the Duck Confit Salad as an appetizer, which according to the menu came with a brioche crouton, smoked bacon, soft duck egg, and truffle vinaigrette. As soon as it arrived, I immediately thought it was a play on eggs benedict (thank you Top Chef for teaching me to notice these things)! The brioche crouton resembled an English muffin, was lightly toasted, and acted as the base for the dish. The second layer included duck confit and mixed greens, and it was all topped with a soft duck egg. Once the egg broke, the yolk mixed with the vinaigrette and bacon on the plate creating the hollandaise-like component of the dish. The flavors worked well together, all of the ingredients were prepared perfectly, and the duck confit was slightly crispy but still very tender and flavorful. I ordered a glass of pinot noir from the recommended pairings, and it went well with duck and without overpowering it. 

I ordered the roasted suckling pig as my main course, which was served three ways. The first was pork leg with crispy skin paired with spicy grits; it was extremely tender and tasted almost like pork belly. The ratio of crisp skin and the melt in your mouth layer of fat just above the meat was perfect, and made this my favorite preparation. The second was roast pork loin with carrots and a pork jus, and the third was a pork roulade with smoky BBQ sauce and celery root coleslaw. All three were excellent, and although each of the three preparations were very different the sides and sauces brought all of the flavors together. I tried the Tempranillo based on the server’s recommendation and the spiciness worked well, bringing out some of the spiciness of the dish. 

Dessert was the sticky toffee pudding with pineapple and rum ice cream. This was delicious, but I was so full I could barely eat more than a few bites. I did have room for the salted caramel that came with the check - a dark chocolate filled with a liquid, salted caramel center.

The meal at Troquet was the best I’ve had in a while, and I definitely plan to return soon.