Today, I finally got roast chicken (which I'd been craving for days); unfortunately, it was boring chicken masquerading as roast chicken. We ate at La Madeleine, a chain based mostly in Texas that purports to be "French bakery, European cafe, and cozy bistro" in one. In general, I do like the place- they have tasty salads, quiches, a mean tomato soup, and lots of cozy fireplaces and French country decor. They even dump bourbon cream sauce on their fruit, which I really can't argue with.
We had the misfortune of coming in about 3pm. Their pre-made food (quiches, galettes, croque monsieur) looked like they had been sitting around too long, so I elected to pick something off their longer menu. I ended up with a rosemary-encrusted roast chicken half with a Caesar side salad. The meat was kept moist by the thick layer of rosemary, and the skin was crisp in places and dried out in others, but it still lacked flavor throughout. Salt it did not lack. I was mystified by the chicken's flavorlessness, considering the thick layer of herbs visible. I tried dipping the chicken in butter and even strawberry jam (verdict: pretty good), before settling on lemon juice. The acid greatly improved the flavor, but not enough to want it again. The salad was tasty and filling. I guess it's interesting that a "French bistro" serves an incontrovertibly American salad, but there was otherwise nothing remarkable about it.
My typical meal at La Madeleine is a potato galette and a field salad with interesting house-made vinaigrette, sometimes with bourbon-cream strawberries. Next time, I think I'll just stick with that.
http://www.lamadeleine.com/
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