"...a dozen New Zealand oysters on the half shell and a plate of buttery escargot Chablisienne ... these simple indulgences were prepared perfectly. Duc gave us an approving nod when we decided to try a special of Kobe beef tartare. Again, appropriate seasonings partnered with the unctuous, raw chopped beef mingling into a melt-in-your-mouth dish. These three classics were a tour-de-force of starters. They injected newfound meaning into the word, igniting passion for whatever followed next. We agreed that the trio could have been a completely satisfying meal if it had stopped right then.

Duck supreme Grand Marnier was tart with Valencia orange slices. Rack of lamb, accompanied by gorgeous mashed potatoes, had two bones per chop in a Bordeaux-Chivry sauce. Filet of bass nonpareil was the plate into which all of us tried to get our forks. Nonpareil Spanish capers sprinkling the dish were the biggest we had ever seen. Without dominating, they added a perky bite to the delicate lemon-butter sauce blanketing the tender, moist white fish. Dessert here was the kind of affair that stretches out the lingering notes of a good meal. At Duc's Bistro, day or night, it's about the ambience, which calls you back like a past lover."