Recently Gabriele and I enjoyed dinner at La Fromagerie on King Street in Old Town. For some reason it wasn’t on our radar, even though I had bought wine across the street from the restaurant. Old friends and former neighbors Ann and Mike suggested we try it. It was a fun experience and this post is paying the heads up forward.
La Fromagerie is small and the vibe is laid back. They do not take reservations, but you can call when on your way. The food menu is small and the focus is on wine. The wine shop across the street, Le Vintage, is owned by the same people and offers many of the wines served by the glass in the restaurant. Unfortunately the arrangement here is not like Planet Wine/Evening Star in Del Ray. If you bring a bottle of wine from the store to dinner the corkage fee is $35 rather than $10.
We had an excellent steak tartare and some “gigante” beans to start. Gabriele had the cassoulet which was quite good. I had the striploin which was OK but nothing special. It made me wish I had ordered something more interesting. What was exciting was Gabriele finding a French Burgundy she liked, which can be a challenge.
The wine was a 2022 Domaine Deliance Givry Les Combes. It has a nose of cherry and tobacco, and combines a light body with some smoky meatiness. It had enough bright cherry and a little cranberry our more New World tastes. It’s a nice change from California and Oregon Pinot Noirs.
With my meal I tried the 2019 Chateau Guitignan Moulis en Medoc, from a small Bordeaux appellation. It had a classic Bordeaux style with rich, black fruit balanced by cedar wood and spice. I had some minerality on the finish, and the wine lightens up and gains some spiciness second day. (I followed the logical La Fromagerie business plan and purchased a bottle next door after dinner.)
La Fromagerie offers a schedule of wine events during the week. We’ll attend some and I’ll update this post.
I’d recommend La Fromagerie next time you’re looking for another Old Town option. Especially if what you’re drinking is as important as the food.