Number 3 on our list of favorites from 2024 is Le Rivage. For two decades, this Boca dining room remains true to chef/owner Paul Collange’s vision of preserving traditional bistro recipes. Every a la carte item is on the $55 complete dinner menu. Starters include rich Lobster Bisque, velvet-y chilled Vichyssoise (cream of leek and potato), French Onion Soup topped with a thick pillow of gratinéed cheese, Escargot in traditional garlic parsley-butter, tangy, creamy Goat Cheese Crêpe, and pan-seared Foie Gras Pôele in a Port reduction. Executive Chef Paul has a knack for knowing how to turn out “sexy” plates: Seared Scottish Salmon draped in a gentle Mustard Dill Sauce; Fillet of Lemon Sole or Flounder Meunière, cloaked in nutty browned butter; and whole Bronzini, beautifully butterflied, dressed in a ribbon of Sauce Basquaise (tomatoes, peppers, onion). Tender, thinly-sliced Calf Liver with Sautéed Onions is drizzled with a light brown sauce. Veal Sweetbreads in lush Port Wine Sauce are quickly seared in the manner of foie gras.
Dessert? Two classic fruit parfaits created by the founding father of French cuisine, Auguste Escoffier: Poires Belle Hélène, pears poached in vanilla syrup, with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce; and an alternative version with poached peaches, vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberry puree, Pêche Melba. Orange Cheesecake and Île Flottante (Floating Island), a wedge of soft sweet meringue in a pool of sweet custard sauce are light and fresh.
