By Jason Wells
Le Fou Frog is a brasserie located in Kansas City’s historic River Market district that specializes in French cuisine. Prior to the founding of the Fancy Britches Dining Society, it was a much talked about restaurant amongst future members and a highly anticipated destination for our fourth meeting. As this was to be the last meeting of the Fancy Britches before a three-month hiatus, a certain air of celebration cloaked the event.
The restaurant opens immediately to a cozy bar, which boasts seating for only 5 patrons and features inebriants that gentlemen of my ilk seldom indulge. The hostess escorted us to our table in the dining area, which was equally as quaint. Any time you dine in a restaurant where 25+ guests will make a fire marshal nervous, you know you’re in for a fantastic gastronomic experience.
Since we were the only diners in a restaurant the size of my living room, our waiter had no trouble locating us and quickly retrieving our drinks from the bar. We were handed a traditional printed menu, which included the classic French standards foie gras and escargots, as well as various other appetizers, salads and soups. Each table also featured a chalkboard tablet complete with daily specials and entrees the chef was offering for the evening.
Before we were able to delve too deeply into the menus, the waiter brought us a complimentary Amuse Bouche of Ostrich Carpaccio. The ostrich was served in a light sauce and a small piece of baguette for convenience. Feelings towards the ostrich were fairly neutral with no outspoken fans or critics.The daunting menu offered little relief as members struggled with what to order. You know when you go to dinner with old people or shut-ins and they joke about how they don’t know what to order because they don’t get out much and even Riblets and Quesadilla Burgers from Applebee’s sound incredible? It was literally like that. We wanted to make sure every avenue was covered. No French delicacy was going to escape our wrath. Okay, wrath may be a bit extreme, but we were going to eat some freakin’ duck confit and that was that. After much anguish and debate, members were finally ready to instruct the waiter on their menu choices.
Since appetizers were the hardest part of the menu to discriminate against, we each ordered our own, as well as a “floater” app. As the waiter arrived with our tray of goodness, it was like Christmas morning. The 364 days of feigning good behavior; weekly Sunday school meetings; completed homework assignments; were all finally paying off.
Kim started with the Ahi Tuna, which is a bit pedestrian, but always good. The tuna was presented in a tower and was accompanied by crackers allowing the diner to shovel the tuna into their mouth at break-neck speed. Always a fantastic way to start a meal.
Caitlin ordered the Scallops, which were simply prepared and presented, and incredibly on-point. There are only two rules with scallops, serve them fresh and cook them properly. Anything beyond that risks sabotaging the integrity of the scallop. These scallops exceeded expectations.
Matt got the chef’s special appetizer of the evening: Shrimp Puff Pastry. Puff pastry is a staple in French cooking so we were less than impressed with the gummy shrimp, soggy dough and floury Beurre Blanc.
I requested the Foie Gras since I’ve never really had an occasion to order it previously. The liver was delicately grilled and served with toast points. It definitely wasn’t a favorite dish, but I was happy to have obliged my adventurous side.
The floating appetizer was the Escargots. Most novice gourmands shy away from snails fearing unfamiliar texture and unpleasant taste. However, it has been my experience that escargots usually trumps whichever entrée I tend to order. The escargots were served in-shell with their traditional pairing of heavy garlic and butter, which is really the essence of good escargots.
Not wanting to look like asshole, I went ahead and had a standard five-course meal. I ordered the Lobster Bisque for my second course. For reasons beyond my control, I am compelled to order lobster bisque whenever I see it on a menu. Le Fou Frog was no exception. The bisque was forgettable to say the least; I’m even having trouble recalling details for the review. All I know is that I haven’t been that disappointed in France since World War II.Matt and Caitlin decided to bypass the salad round, but Kim and I held strong.
Kim had the Beet and Spinach Salad in order to maintain some semblance of her everyday diet. Since beets are gross I decided to abstain, but I’m positive Kim thoroughly enjoyed it.
I went with the Duck Confit Salad, which was basically a giant breast of duck confit on top of a bed of spinach that was just for appearance. The duck was tender and exploded with flavor. The juices that weren’t savored by the Fancy Britches were absorbed by the spinach, which was promptly discarded in the trash after the duck was finished.The entrees arrived and the Fancy Britches loosened their belts and dug right in.
Kim, temped by the bizarre, ordered the Ostrich as her main dish. Since we all had a sneak peek of the Ostrich earlier, there were no surprises when her plate arrived. The dish was good, but I prefer a bit more…what’s the word?...uh…flavor with my meat. It did come with a tasty potato dish that was appreciated.
Caitlin got the Turbot Wellington, a dish she had her eye on for quite some time. Once again the Turbot was served in a puff pastry, which took away from the natural flavor of the fish. The chef failed again at his attempt to perfect the puff pastry. However, the potato croquettes were delicious, and it probably came with asparagus or something like that.
Matt ordered a classic Steak Au Poivre; a strip steak coated with peppercorn and smothered in a peppery brandy reduction. The steak was accompanied by pommes frites, and both were so tasty that it brings a tear to my eye thinking about them. Matt Shaw brought home another winner. Well done, sir.
I continued my theme of decadence by ordering the Filet Le Fou, a French spin on the surf n’ turf. The filet came with a lobster tail that had been removed from the shell and drowned in cheese. Note: unless you are serving me delicious lobster mac and cheese, cheese and lobster need never enter the same equation, especially in a fine dining atmosphere. The filet was also disappointing, causing my entrée to be a complete disaster.Dessert was a series of small plates ranging from cheesecake to an assortment of mousses. They were enthusiastically shared and served as the perfect end to the meal.
The verdict on Le Fou Frog is quite complimentary. Despite the failed entrees, Matt Shaw being the exception, Le Fou Frog had plenty of memorable dishes. It’s a great place to take someone you’re looking to “impress” (wink, wink). The wine selection was outstanding and no complaints on the service. The courses were well spaced and the food presentation had a certain understated class. It’s definitely pricey, but if you’re in a French restaurant that’s not expensive, beware.________
Le Fou Frog, 400 E 5th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106
