Deuxave

This place is perfect for kicking back and enjoying a long dinner with a glass of wine in hand. But, when we got there, even with our reservation, our table wasn't ready, so we hung out at the bar and tried a couple of their cool cocktails while we waited. Gotta say, those cocktails were pretty creative, but the wait felt a bit unnecessary.

We went for the Steak and Duck breast. No complaints there, both were cooked to perfection and super tasty. They've got quite the wine collection to choose from, but it's on the pricier side, just a heads up. And, to finish things off, we tried Chocolate Soufflé, which was seriously yummy.

I just went to Deuxave last night and sat at the bar. All I ate was the duet of prime beef which is carpaccio and tartare on one plate. I was in heaven. Service was excellent and the space is always lovely. But last year I went for a full meal and here’s what I had to say about that.

I began my Hall of Famer dining adventure at a restaurant I knew I liked, Deuxave. At least I liked it four or five years ago when I was last there. Named because it is at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue (known locally as Mass Ave and Comm Ave), hence “two” in French gets you “deux” and “two avenues” becomes “Deuxave.”

Deuxave has beautiful decor with dark tones, a gas fireplace, and large widows looking out onto Mass Ave. To the right of the entrance is a small bar area and to the left is the main dining room with a couple of alcoves making for romantic nooks in the elegant room. The service is attentive and friendly, a modern take on formal service.

The menu, like the name, is mostly French, with dishes like foie gras, duck confit, and Dover sole. The host commented to the table next to outs that the restaurant was “built on the back of the duck breast.” It has been on the menu from the beginning and will likely always be there. If you need to splurge, they offer Osetra caviar at $120 an ounce or white truffle pasta for $139. There’s really no way not to splurge here though.

I started with 9-Hour French Onion Soup, a slight adaptation of Julia Child’s recipe. You can watch it being made and see some shots of the outside of the restaurant in this video. This was actually the first French onion soup I have ever tried, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. It certainly was rich and decadent. It is hard to believe you could fill up on beef broth and onions, but it was a very filling soup.

If you are wondering why I hadn’t tried French onion soup before, when I was a kid I worked in a restaurant called the 11 Mile House. I was a dishwasher and busboy. I still remember throwing out the leftover French onion soup at the end of the night. It always looked terrible to me. It was probably good, but back then the thought of all those onions, and that soup had huge pieces of onions, made me queazy. I never got over that until dinner at Deuxave.

After the soup, my wife and I shared the Joues de Veau, a tender braised veal cheek served over perfect creamy polenta and garnished with a foie stuffed fig. This was my favorite dish of the night. Even though it was small in size it was exceeding rich and full of flavor. The veal was seasoned wonderfully, and the polenta was amazing. The only drawback was that like the soup, the richness of the veal made it incredibly filling. The two of them together had me wondering if I would get through my main course.

For that, I had chicken. It might not be the most exciting sounding dish on the menu, but anything served with spätzle and cabbage gets my attention. And the dish was finished off with shaved black truffles, so even their chicken is extra decadent. The meat itself was excellent, tender and moist with a beautiful crisp skin. I particularly enjoyed the chicken thigh crepinette, again very decadent. At this point, I was done. Dessert sounded delicious but was not even possible.

In addition to the wonderful food, we also enjoyed a few good drinks. I started the night with a Zenzero Amaro, a delicious gin cocktail blended with ginger, amaro, and lime. Wines by the glass were a step up from the ordinary, including a nice Pinot Noir and a very enjoyable Gamay. The waiter was happy to suggest pairings for the courses and did a solid job with his selections.

If you are celebrating a special event or just want to splurge, I think Deuxave should be on your short list. The environment is beautiful, the service is good, and the food is incredible.

Food
We didn’t like the main course selection, so we went full on with the appetisers, and they were fantastic. We even repeated the duck liver.

Everything else
The ambiance was classy and romantic. The service was superb. I honestly was surprised how empty the restaurant was.

Food was incredible and valet parking a plus. However, it was so warm inside that I was sweating and it made it harder to enjoy my meal. That being said, the dessert was the most complex and delicious I have had in a long time! Lastly, leave yourself time. We sat about 6:30 and didn't leave til 8:15.

For as many years as I have been living and eating out in Boston, for some reason it took me a long time to make my way to Deuxave, despite it being high on my want-to-go list for a long while. I did finally make it for an anniversary dinner and I had a good meal and experience, but I couldn't help but say after: "this didn't wow me." Maybe I went in with expectations that were too high to be met, but I don't think so. Overall everything was good; the food was tasty, the service was as expected and the décor and atmosphere was nice. However, for a restaurant that is on most "must go-to" lists for Boston, it felt very expected. Honestly it deserves 4.5 stars, but I can't do that with google, so we're left with 4. I would definitely go back, but I can't help but think there would be several other places I would go back to first.

This was an incredible experience, from the service to the food. We had very thoughtful service, including someone taking my coat and then bringing it out as we were leaving. The food was also appetizing. We had pate for an appetizer, and it was delectable, especially with the poached pear slices, and the server even brought out small meatballs that melted in our mouths. The entrees were surprisingly the most standard of all the dishes we were served, but they were still delicious. The price tag matched the service and the upscale experience, but it was an overall wonderful time!

Service was absolutely excellent, from the valet to our waitress, everyone was personable and helpful. We were recommended the spiced duck and it was delicious! Everything was well cooked and seasoned, honestly no complaints with the food at all. Only ding is the price, I know it's a fancy place, and I'm sure this is more to do with labor/supply shortages than what they normally price things at, but it was still a considerable amount even for a upscale restaurant. I think Season to Taste in Davis is still my favorite place overall in the greater Boston area, but Deuxave is a truly excellent place you cant go wrong with.

Also side note: we went for our anniversary and it was very sweet that after our dinner they brought out a little plate with "happy anniversary" written on it and some adorable cookies free of charge.

They asked me and my 25 year old friend for ID. There sound systems kept making the most explosive noises once every thirty seconds that were frankly scary, they should have turned it off. My fish was mostly dark meat and tasted foul. WORST OF ALL they have no complimentary bread and if you would like some bread be ready to fork out 3$ per person.