Hey folks - we stayed the course and dined at Le Virtu last night. They didn't have squash blossoms, so we opted for a fried artichoke stuffed with the same creamy filling. Served over a bed of puréed Roman (fava?) beans. Very, very good. For our pasta course, my wife had handkerchief pasta with sausage, porchini, truffle and saffron. Again, very, very good. My pasta course was the Ricotta cavatelli with pork ragu - it was outstanding!!! Sauce, pasta and pork were perfectly prepared and it was delicious!
My wife and I then shared the second course and ordered the Fiorentina lamb porterhouse with local mushrooms - served medium rare in a light peppercorn cream sauce. We were rewarded with another outstanding course. Excellent piece of lamb and cooked to perfection!
For dessert we had the cheesecake, and honestly, it was a little dry. Lacked the creamy texture we have come to expect similar to a NY style cheesecake.
The portions at this restaurant are the perfect size. We shared an appetizer and I had the full serving pasta dish (pork ragu) and my wife had a half portion. These portions are not huge; you can actually have a pasta dish and still have room to enjoy the second course.
Overall, I give this place 5 stars on my personal rating (out of 5).
Thanks so much for your advice - now we are off to John's Roast Pork for a sandwich before we jump on a plane for our vacation.
Thanks again everyone for your thoughtful advice!!
Randy

This year I went to Whole Foods and bought a Wellshire Uncured Corned Beef (First Cut). I soaked it in warm water for about 15 minutes, then placed it on a large piece of foil. I combined 2T stone ground mustard with 1T brown sugar, then spread it over the top (fat) side of the brisket. I placed 1T of water in the foil, then sealed it up completely and put it in a 275 degree oven for 5 1/2 hours.
When I took it out and cut it, it was tender, yet still firm. The taste, though, was spectacular. It made one of the best Reubens ever. I used an organic sauerkraut that was much less salty and with less of the vinegar taste than regular sauerkraut and used aged swiss cheese and Marzetti 1000 Island dressing on Brooklyn Rye for a traditional Reuben.
Make no mistake, it was still salty, but not overpowering. Everyone at the table agreed it was an outstanding Rueben sandwich. The meat was tender and moist.

Thanks so much all your help. So far we have have booked Zebulon, AG Les Halles and Les Climats; and plan to visit La Bourse et La Vie and Premices as well.

Right now I'm trying to figure out where to eat on the night of our actual anniversary - Monday. We wanted to eat at Les Climats for our celebratory dinner and they are not open Mondays, so we opted for Saturday night.

Now I am struggling for where to eat on Monday. I am wondering about ideas for an elegant lunch on Monday. I asked about Guy Savoy, but they are closed on Mondays and it appears La Tour d'Argent is as well. Your ideas would be most appreciated. Looking for nice ambience but it doesn't have to be over the top.

Again, many thanks for your input.

Thanks so much for your comments. We will replace La Regalade and Oysters Hutrerie Regis with something else (may try to visit l'Avenue for the fruits-de-mer).

We are also going to try to get reservations for our anniversary lunch at Les Climats and will probably save Guy Savoy or La Tour d'Argent for the next trip - hopefully a weekend next year...

i'll also try to spell Premices correctly next time...

Any additional thoughts or places to try while we are there? (and thanks so much for your blogs Mr Talbott, they are extremely helpful) Your ideas are most appreciated.

My wife and I recently found the best fish fry we've had in years at Bidwell Restaurant at Union Market (1309 5th St NE, right in Union Market). The parking lot is right at the Market. We've eaten there twice in the past two weeks and it was fantastic both times. Fresh cod in a nice, crunchy beer batter and some terrific homemade fries served with their own spicy ketchup. You get a single, very large piece of cod; my wife and college-age daughter can't finish theirs, but I can't leave my plate alone until it's finished. Cooked perfectly, served with tarter sauce and, if requested, malt vinegar. Terrific! They also sell fresh oysters that are difficult to turn down and have a very interesting menu.