Most everyone has a favorite restaurant—an Italian bistro with wonderful pasta, a Thai restaurant with exotic sauces, or some friendly bar. But when it comes to La Crémaillère, you find more than a superb restaurant, you indulge in a remarkable dining experience that transports you, moments after you arrive, to France...France the way it is in legends, in dreams.

A memorable destination for five decades, located in an historic 1750 farmhouse Photos Courtesy of La Crémaillère

Located in a two-story white building that was a 1750 farmhouse, it was re-designed with regional murals and soft lighting, cloths, and crystal to achieve an atmosphere of “cuisine classique” where the reverence for food preparation and presentation are paired with wine selected from 14,000 bottles in the wine cellar.

Robert Olivier Meyzen, the owner and your host, was a busboy in this very place when his father owned the restaurant. Mr. Meyzen has a way of making his diners feel that their pleasure is his purpose. He is attentive to the smallest detail, without a trace of meddling.

His suggestion of mussel soup with saffron cream as a starter was delightful, soothing, and delicately flavored. With a Puligny-Montrachet Chardonnay, taste buds were awakened and satisfied.

The variety of hors d’oeuvres to follow was enticing. How to choose between Scottish smoked salmon with blinis or gratin of lobster, sea
scallops, and shrimp? The answer was a warm sweetbread salad with seasonal greens and balsamic vinaigrette. I had always avoided sweetbreads, without ever quite knowing why. Something about their anatomical origins! I had obviously never tasted La Crémaillère

At La Crémaillère, every plate is arranged like a painting. Presentation is everything. Photos Courtesy of La Crémaillère

sweetbreads, crunchy and succulent. The wine to sip with them was Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc.

In between courses, take some time to chat with Mr. Meyzen. He’ll tell you about his father, who owned La Caravelle in New York, and how the restaurant business became the world he grew up in. Perfection doesn’t occur haphazardly.
La Crémaillère’s wine list is outstanding. It is over 50 pages long. It’s not a list, but a book whose offerings vary from simple, traditional Bordeaux to heirloom “investment” wines. But don’t be overwhelmed. If you decide you just want a glass of a memorable Pinot Noir, that’s fine!

There is an affection for food here that is quite extraordinary. For instance, I didn’t know whether to have the roasted loin of lamb with white asparagus, carrots, potato, and foie gras or the roasted duck breast with a puree of turnips, but then I saw someone having the roasted organic chicken with hand-cut egg noodles and truffle wild mushroom cream sauce and that was it.

Inside, the atmosphere is unique; elegant, romantic, authentic. Photos Courtesy of La Crémaillère

La Crémaillère is the place for momentous occasions, the sort that start with a wonderful champagne and conclude with a delectable dessert finale. Their luscious soufflés, Grand Marnier or raspberry, and Crème Crémaillère ice cream are celebrations themselves.

Of course, you’re thinking: “Is it terribly expensive?” Well, not really. Think of the adage: “You get what you pay for.” The chicken, for instance, is $34. Worth every penny. A complete three-course lunch is $36, which is a splendid idea for a corporate meeting or birthday.
It is quite simple to get there. Take exit 31 on the Merritt. Go four miles towards Banksville, New York. They are open for lunch, Thursday through Saturday, noon to 2:30 p.m. Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 6 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday, from 1 to 8 p.m.
La Crémaillère, 46 Bedford-Banksville Road, Banksville, New York; 914-234-9647; www.FrenchCountryRestaurant.com.