Pullout

Eat like...

Martha Stewart--Before Sentencing

by Sean Nelson

Wed-Sat 5:30-10 pm.

While the owners of less-elevated palates than Martha Stewart's might blanch at the thought of a restaurant where dinner for two is bound to cost $100-$120 (that's with the wine that's only okay; the good stuff will run a good deal more), almost anyone who has made the effort to spend an evening at Le Gourmand can tell you that it's about more than just the food. Like Martha, owner/chef Bruce Naftaly is a master of multiple domestic arts, from the murals on the walls of the restaurant to the kitchen garden that contributes to each meal; his sense of lyrical domesticity makes Le Gourmand the kind of place she would appreciate and even perhaps love.

Stumbling out of this dainty Ballard grove is not unlike those first footsteps you take after removing ice skates. It feels like walking on the moon. The French meals prepared by Naftaly are fragrant and unorthodox, combining classical ideas with contemporary flavors that leave you gasping for superlatives. I heartily recommend any and every dish that involves beef or rabbit. And though it may be difficult, be sure to leave room for the spectacular desserts handcrafted by Naftaly's partner, the formidable chocolatiére Sara.

But if we can be frank for a moment, it seems worth mentioning that the high cost of a dinner at Le Gourmand buys more than a full belly. A great restaurant is its own aphrodisiac, and Naftaly's little eatery has the character of an enchanted garden, right down to the ivy-covered outer walls, latticework, and sensuous art-nouveau lettering. Details like these, coupled with Naftaly's habit of walking through the small dining room and talking to the guests, lend Le Gourmand a patina of grace missing from such like-priced establishments as, say, Canlis. A night at Le Gourmand is just that; you should expect to stay for a couple of hours. You pay for the food, to be sure, but included is the intimacy--dining as shared experience. And that, as a certain notable felon reminds us, is a good thing.