When most people reel off their favorite Connecticut restaurants, they tend to forget the casinos. Perhaps it’s an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing. Perhaps it’s a feeling that, given that most are replicas of flagship restaurants located elsewhere, there’s not a lot of Nutmeg blood coursing through their veins. Or perhaps it’s a feeling that they’re not really part of Connecticut, given that whole tribal-sovereignty-over-tribal-land thing.
But the truth is, restaurants like Paragon, Alta Strada and Craftsteak at Foxwoods Resort Casino and BALLO, Michael Jordan’s Steak House and Todd English’s Tuscany at Mohegan Sun
are located in Connecticut. They’re not that hard to reach and a number of them rate among Connecticut’s best, especially Bobby Flay’s Bar Américain,
which we enthusiastically reviewed in 2010. A return trip to Bar Américain a couple of weeks ago (most of my photos are from this visit, but a few are from 2010) confirmed that it’s still offering a Manhattan-style dining experience that would put it on a par with some of Connecticut’s top dining destinations.
Certainly, Bar Américain’s surroundings are gorgeous, including the view from just outside overlooking the Mohegan Sun waterfall and Dale Chihuly glass sculpture.
Its interior is equally refined.
Its menu
cleverly Americanizes certain European classics, surprisingly improving them in some cases. A perfect example is the (not-French) Vidalia onion soup with Parker House crouton and blistered Vermont Cheddar cheese. It may not have been much to look at, but it was wonderful.
But before we ever got to that, there was wine to choose. A nice Sottimano Dolcetto d’Alba did the trick.
Served with good butter,
there was housemade bread to nibble, including addictive cornbread sticks.
Bar Américain found ways to put imaginative twists on standard items. All of them worked—not once did we find ourselves saying, “I just wish they wouldn’t tamper with the classics.” Deviled eggs were served with smoked shrimp and rémoulade.
Our taste buds confirm it was a great idea. Pieces of crawfish were added to escargots served in a garlic sauce with brioche toasts. Another winning idea.
A ceviche also proved welcome.
We could hardly wait to see what this kitchen could do with our entrées.
Well, we didn’t have long to wait. How about Florida-style mahi-mahi, with ingredients that evoked the Caribbean?
Or three porterhouse lamb chops in a Pinot Noir barbecue sauce with charred carrots, snap peas and mint?
Great choices, but the dish that had my companions jealous was my duck confit and duck breast with pickled peaches, Bourbon haricots verts and spicy peanuts.
I’d walk from Georgia for this dish.
But it was time for the desserts,
and our minds were about to be blown one last time. Coffee, tea and cappuccino first.
A red velvet cake sundae evoked the South
and peach and blueberry crêpes also proved a lovely choice.
But neither was a match for a blackberry soufflé with candied lemon whipped cream.
When we first reviewed this Bobby Flay eatery, we gave it four-and-a-half stars. Honestly, if I were reviewing it now, I’d give it five. Bar Américain is better than ever.
Bar Américain, 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, 203-862-8000, www.baramericain.com