Cuisine:

• French
• Mediterranean
• Banquet

La Belle Vie Description:
The elegant 510 Groveland residence building seems a perfect place to showcase the culinary talents of chef Tim McKee. High ceilings, crystal chandeliers, sculptures and paintings strategically placed throughout give the restaurant a befittingly hushed, reverent tone---and a totally different ambience from La Belle Vie's original corner storefront location in Stillwater. But the service remains flawless, the wine list impressive and McKee's way of intricately layering flavors, textures and scents as magical as ever. Take the sea bass, which is set atop a saffron-orange emulsion, accented with black olives, braised fennel and a whisper of curry that blooms for a nanosecond (or was it just an illusion?) before the whole thing melts into one beautiful taste sensation on the palate. Another marvel: his grilled pork tenderloin atop a sweet carrot fondant, the sauce so richly intense it hardly seems possible such a humble ingredient could be raised to such exotic heights. You can opt to order à la carte or choose the multi-course prix-fixe menus. Our advice? Go with the wine flight and accompanying five- or eight-course options (think sautéed langoustine with artichoke, roasted lamb rib-eye with earthy turnip agnolotti)---if only because by the time you add the bread (three artisan choices), a couple amuse-bouches, including a delicate cheese puff, plus two of pastry chef Michelle Gayer's desserts (peach brown-butter cake with a grilled peach salad and hibiscus yogurt sherbet), you will surely have had enough for one evening. That said, you still shouldn't miss the very cool, sexy lounge and bar (which also serves McKee's creations) for one of bartender Johnny Michael's creative nightcaps.


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