Has anybody been to LM since Chef Brad left? I really enjoyed his cooking, but would like to know more about the new chef before I return.

I've been meaning to go since hearing a very positive report from a family member (plus, I have some Restaurant.com coupons for them). If you get on their email list, you'll be bombarded with a lot of promotions, events, etc.

Recently LM has opened on Sunday evening with a $30 Sunday Supper Club menu. There web site has no details beyond the price. My wife thought this might be interesting and called them for more information and ended up making a reservation for last Sunday. There is a special limited menu with one or two options for the three courses as well as several wines at $20/bottle. The regular menu is not available on Sunday evening.

The menu changes frequently and may be used for some experimentation by the chef. There is a choice of one soup or one salad. Since last Sunday was cold and rainy we both opted for the soup, which was a velvety cream of potato with a small onion and a few bits of bacon in the center of the bowl. Two main dishes are offered, normally one meat and one fish. We both had the red trout served on a bed of lentils with some small onions, assorted mushrooms and bits of red bell pepper in a brown sauce. The other option was pork tenderloin in a cider glaze with Brussels sprouts and squash or sweet potato (my memory fails me here). We have had quite a bit of pork, winter squash, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts lately, so this option did not appeal. The sole dessert was a lemon curd tart (pate sucre) with a bit of creme anglais on the side. The previous week the dessert was creme brulee. None of these dishes appear on the regular menu in exactly the same form. Our wine from the bargain list was a crisp French sauvignon blanc that cut though the richness of the trout. This menu is a real bargain. Some big eaters may not be thrilled with portion sizes, which were quite reasonable for us. Some restaurants are quantity over quality. This menu is finesse over quantity.

If this is representative of what the new chef is doing, the future looks good. The regular menu is at the top of the list for my birthday next month.

I'd been looking for a post on LM since the new chef came on board, and finally decided to try it last night. My husband and I had a very enjoyable meal. He did the tasting menu - $45 for 4 courses: Foie gras mousse, salmon with salsify, filet (I don't remember the preparation), and brown butter financier. I tasted everything but his dessert, and it was all delicious.

I started with the brandade which was enjoyable, if not totally fabulous. I progressed to the duck breast with lentils, ratatouille and leg confit. I found this to be overly salty, to the point where I had to send it back. However, the staff were wonderful about this. They sent me a whole new entree - which was truly delicious - and also comped my dessert, a really wonderful chocolate creme brulee. I can really overlook an error like the salt when a restaurant takes responsibility for it. In fact, we left LM feeling like we'd been treated so well, and will definitely return. They're a class act.

Major fail tonight at LM. The dishes are so...boring. Salmon, chicken, scallops. Preparations sound interesting but in the end, the execution results in what my partner and I both thought were remarkably bland, boring dishes. When one thinks "I could have done better at home" there's a problem. Waiter left 2/3 through the meal (probably around 9:30) with no comment and a new waiter took over as if nothing was amiss. Exactly how does one "overcook" a sous vide salmon? It was a real disappointment. When we left my partner (who tends to be very forgiving) said "I'm not coming back here."

DutchMuse wrote:Major fail tonight at LM. The dishes are so...boring. Salmon, chicken, scallops. Preparations sound interesting but in the end, the execution results in what my partner and I both thought were remarkably bland, boring dishes. When one thinks "I could have done better at home" there's a problem. Waiter left 2/3 through the meal (probably around 9:30) with no comment and a new waiter took over as if nothing was amiss. Exactly how does one "overcook" a sous vide salmon? It was a real disappointment. When we left my partner (who tends to be very forgiving) said "I'm not coming back here."

I said the same thing back in June after my first meal there, which was a major disappointment. Haven't been back, either.

=R=

I was a really big fan of LM when Bradford Phillips was there . . . but I believe he left for the Pump Room near the end of June. I wanted to give them some time to let the new chef adapt, so I returned at the end of October and was disappointed in both the food and prices.

Prices definitely increased - I recall there being dishes under $20, now there's nothing under $25 and half the entrees are $30 or more. And I wasn't excited by much on the menu - chicken breast, salmon, beef tenderloin . . . not an interesting protein in the house. Preparations were even less impressive, particularly a duck confit that while acceptable, paled in comparison to almost every other version I've ever tasted. And at the prices they're now charging (and I wonder where they're sourcing their goods if they need to be charging these prices), I expect to be very impressed. I really hope they get their act together, but until I hear people glowing again about LM, I'll sadly be staying away.