Sometimes Less is More.

I bet when you read that headline, you thought that this posting was going to be about some meal that used beautiful, fresh ingredients and was spectacular by the very virtue of its simplicity (think: Insalata Caprese). Nope. It's about money.

A few years ago, Paul took me to L'Espalier for our anniversary and - there is no other way to say this - it was a huge disappointment. I think that it is fair to say that L'Espalier is considered to be Boston's finest restaurant. Zagat's has rated it it's number one choice in Boston for eight years running; chef Frank McClelland just won a James Beard award for Best Chef in the Northeast. To say that I was excited to go there was the understatement of the year. Here's the interesting part - I don't remember a thing about the food the first evening that we dined there (not a great sign). What I do remember is how painfully uncomfortable I was the entire night. It was stodgy and stuffy and ridiculously formal. The service was perfect, but in that highly refined way that makes you feel as though the servers are looking down their nose at you. I could not wait for the night to be over and I was never so sorry about a few hundred dollars spent on a meal.

I really had no intention of ever going back. Then, one night, I was talking about food & restaurants with some friends (surprise, surprise) and we found our way to discussing L'Espalier. After recounting my less than satisfying experience there, another friend piped in, "I go to L'Espalier all of the time - I love it." Sorry? I thought that the only people that were "regulars" at L'Espalier were seventy-year-old conservative bankers that lived in townhouses on the Ritz Carlton-end of Comm Ave? It suffices to say, this was not a description of the friend that had just uttered this line. Ok, I was intrigued... so I pressed for more.

Turns out, that our friend was devotee of L'Espalier's "Wine Mondays" and "Cheese Tuesdays." I had no idea such a thing even existed (the foodie shame was written all over my face)! Every Monday night L'Espalier offers a four course prix fixe menu, paired with wines, for $55! Every Tuesday they offer a four course prix fixe menu, paired with wines and finished with a robust cheese course, for $68! OMG. We were so going back. Now, as you might imagine, these events are super popular and you need to book early. Luckily, the friend that let us in on this little secret is very organized and we got reservations for four for this past Monday night.

I am the first one to arrive and I notice immediately that the tone of the staff is completely different on "Wine Monday" - the hostesses are young women who are friendly and easy going, and one personally shows me to the ladies room while I wait for my friends to get there. I decide to get seated solo at our table, since there is really no place to comfortably wait at L'Espalier. If you have not been there, L'Espalier is housed in this gorgeous Back Bay townhouse built in 1880. It makes for a spectacular atmosphere, but it is small. Rumor had it that the restaurant is set to move to much larger, much more modern digs in about a year. It seems a little sad to lose such a Boston institution from this uber-traditional setting.

Once again, the tempo in the dining room proves that Wine Monday is a totally different experience at L'Espalier. There are five groupings of tables for about ten people each, giving the room a communal, "family dining" feel. The room is about three-quarters full when I sit down and there is a loud din of talking and clinking of glasses. The diners are a wide range of ages, but everyone is well-dressed and fashionable, though not particularly formal. My friends soon arrive and we add to the increasing chatter in the room.

Wine Mondays always have a theme and this past week it was Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere! As you might be able to tell from the goofy name, our meal is paired with four different sparkling wines, including one bona fide champagne. As the first course is being served and our first glass of bubbly is being poured, the restaurant's wine director Erik Johnson introduces himself. Johnson is younger and significantly more approachable (funny, even!) than you would ever imagine him to be. Before each course, he comments for a few brief moments about the wine we are about to drink, complete with a few details of its provenance, terrific anecdotes about the growers and vineyards from where it came, and simple, down to earth tasting notes. At one point, I had chance to ask him for advice for my upcoming wine tour of Long Island's North Fork. Unfortunately, he was not familiar with the wines of the region, but encouraged me to return to a future Wine Monday and report back on my findings - will do!

Our first course is cantaloupe with wild greens and prosciutto matched with a glass of Louis Bouillot, "Grand Reserve" Brut. The salad is simple, but a tasty balance of flavors with the sweet melon, bitter greens, and salty prosciutto, punctuated by just a scatter of tart pomegranate seeds. The wine is crisp, a good match for a salad course, but also sweet and soft on the tongue, pairing nicely with the cantaloupe.

The second course is "autumn rabbit cassoulet with braised red cabbage." Before tasting this dish, I have mixed feelings. Having lived in France on two brief occasions, I learned to love cassoulet - an earthy, peasant stew using local meats and seasonal veggies, all slow-cooked to fall off the bone deliciousness. However, I generally don't eat rabbit. I think it's something about eating an animal that I've actually owned (yup, two bunnies in my long roster of childhood pets - Houdini and Dudley). Plus, the one other time I did try rabbit, it was a bit gamey - one of my least favorite tastes with certain kinds of meat. This dish, however, is nothing short of spectacular. The rabbit is sweet and tender - almost smoky - and shredded to a confit-like consistency. The stew also contains small white beans, root vegetables perfect for an October dinner, and the tangy cabbage. This course is served with a Beaumont des Crayeres Brut Rose, which is apparently a tiny French producer who sources grapes from farms that average only an acre and a half. I love pink wine. 'Nuff said.

The next glass we're served is a Westport Rivers, Cuvee RJR Brut. Westport. As in Westport, MA. Raise your hand if you knew someone was making sparkling wine in southeast Mass. Please note, my hand did not go up. Not only are they making it, it is unbelievable. It is the kind of dense, dark sparkling wine that gives cream soda a run for its money. I'll be making a trip to Westport as soon as I am done typing. Johnson has become friends with the Russell family who owns the winery and, last time he visited, they served him a fried chicken dinner paired with their wine. So, we follow suit and eat fried chicken and gravy with kale and a buttermilk biscuit. It's all delicious, especially the flaky biscuit which is seasoned with a whole bouquet of herbs.

The prix fixe menu finishes with three small tastes of cheese, including Telme, Vacherin Fribourgeois, and a Gouda. The restaurant's cheesemonger takes over at this point and gives a short description of each. I believe he said that the Telme is Greek and somewhat similar to Feta. It has a clean taste like Feta, but less tang. The Vacherin Fribourgeois is a semi-soft stinky cheese which is full of ripe flavor - fantastic. The Gouda is well-aged and had really full flavor and crumbly texture. They are served with thin rounds of crisp French bread and a dollop of macerated golden raisins and nuts. The course was paired with a Beppe Marino, "Muray" Moscato d'Asti, which is only slightly effervescent and honey-sweet. It was good, though I've have muscats that I've enjoyed much more. This one was a little heavy.

In a valiant effort to prevent this lovely evening from ending, I order dessert to cap off the meal - creme brulee with orange-hazelnut biscotti. It is a large serving of creme brulee, with a nice, thick burnt-sugar crust. The "grapefruit salad" served alongside is a great citrus burst that cuts through the creaminess of the brulee. The servers also bring a complimentary selection of petits fours to each table. They are mostly indecipherable and forgettable, with a shining exception of a lightly sweet and tender mini-Madoline.

I'd give "Wine Monday" a L'Espalier at 30 Gloucester Street in Boston an A. Skip the traditional dining experience at this Boston legend. You can go to three Wine Mondays for the same expense and you'll have a much better time. What's more? You'll definitely remember the food.