I have never had an enjoyable meal at Amarante or its previous incarnation Christophe in multiple visits (usually not of my own choosing but because friends wanted to go). The ambiance is indeed “triste”. Nor have I ever experienced the sort of personable service that Pilgrim talks about and I’m usually quite good at softening the formality obliged by our norms of politeness. I have liked some dishes a lot because I’m an offal lover but, for me, the food on the plate is only a part of equation. And the last time there to sample the very hard to find and new to me fraise de veau was a total bummer. I now know why so few restaurants have fraise de veau on the menu.
Among other things, I have had ris de veau at Amarante … it’s very good but not better than many other places, including my own particular favourite for sweetbreads, Le Cornichon which comes with a great vibe and very neighbourhoody buzz (completely lacking at Amarante).
I take Pilgrim’s point. A simple human interaction with a waiter with whom we click can transform a meal into something memorable. “La politesse” and good manners oblige us French to be extremely formal with strangers (especially waiters and customers) and the dance towards something less formal and more human is delicate. Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t find Americans to be especially good at the non-verbal signals and the almost flirty charm that are so important in this delicate dance almost always led by the customer. Obviously, Pilgrim is an exception and can deploy her charm to great effect. But I have also seen a waiter whose charm and personality elevated my meal to a memorable experience treat a neighbouring table with well disguised disdain and glacial formality because they transgressed the French norms of politeness.
