Terre Et Mer
Enjoy the finest of land, sea, and charcuterie at Café Dupont.
By Jan Walsh
Tonight, we are welcomed to Café Dupont by owners Chris and Angela Evans. Chris is also the executive chef, and Angela whips up some delicious desserts in the summers when she is not teaching at Clay-Chalkville High School as a Culinary, Hospitality, and Tourism Teacher. Bringing both savory and sweet to the table, the Evans are quite a match.
Tonight, we start with handcrafted cocktails from The Bar. Kev has the Strawberry Fields, and I opt for Evans Old Fashioned. Kev’s drink is a beautiful blend of vodka, Domain de Canton, strawberry shrub, lime, and mint: the sweetness of springtime in a glass. Chris’ signature old fashioned’s flavor profile is built of Bulleit Rye, muddled orange, and cherry. Demerara adds a hint of deep and rich, toffee sweetness. And it is finished with Angostura Bitters for balance.
One of the most delightful traditions at Café Dupont is the amuse-bouche. French for mouth amuser, amuse-bouche is a single, bite-sized, hors d'œuvre offered at the start of a meal to wake the palate and showcase Chef Chris’ culinary style. Tonight’s amuse-bouche is a cherry tomato with pesto cream cheese, and applewood smoked bacon lardon with a balsamic glaze on the plate. This small bite is beautiful, creative, and big on flavor.
We pair dinner with a bottle of Meunier Perpetuel Extra Brut Champagne. This single varietal Blanc de Noirs Champagne is produced by the grower-house Famille Delouvin in the Vallée de la Marne, France. This food friendly wine boasts notes of pear, apple, white flowers, with persistent effervescence and a lovely minerality.
For our first course we share Café Dupont Charcuterie of proteins: pork belly, bressola, dry chorizo, salame, and Broadbent Country Ham, along with pickled okra, pickled onion, and English cucumber. View Cafe Dupont Charcuterie Tour by our server, Bishop. Next, we enjoy intermezzo of tasty and tart apple cider spiced rum sorbet, with pressed apple. Much like we woke our palate with amuse-bouche, intermezzo is a palate-cleansing course served between heavy main courses. Big bites come in small packages. And both abuse-bouche and intermezzo are always complimentary.
For entrees we take the advice of Chef Chris and put together the ultimate surf and turf. Kev orders from the land, terre, Grilled Smoked Ribeye. And I catch the Grilled Gulf Red Snapper, of the mer. Kev’s steak arrives sizzling to the table. It is topped with black garlic compound butter. The juicy, melt in the mouth ribeye is cooked to order and to perfection. Oh, my! From the product to the execution, we have never tasted a better ribeye. Expectations are always high for fine dining potatoes. Yet some do disappoint. But not Café Dupont’s creamy and comforting and cheesy, infused Boursin infused scalloped potatoes. As for broccolini, the fad du jour of fine dining sides in 2026, I typically find the stems not worth eating. Chef made a wise move serving the flowerets only. Someone just asked me last week where to go for a steak. Right here to Café Dupont! Order the turf.
Nor have I ever seen or tasted a more pristine piece of fish than tonight’s snapper at Café Dupont. This elegant plate has it all… The white, flaky fish is mild and sweet. The rich, creamy risotto elevates the fish physically and rounds it out flavorfully. Its rice is punctuated with spring peas adding color, crispness, and grassiness. Dainty micro greens garnish adds texture and aids in digestion. And the meunière puts this dish over the top with its plump crawfish and velvety notes of citrus and spice. Order the surf!
For dessert we share the Strawberry Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. The ice cream melts and melds into the fruity, crusty goodness. It takes me back to picking strawberries with my grandmother in our bonnets as a child on warm spring days. And later watching her strawberry cobblers bubbling in gas oven. I savor the flavors of these fleeting spring berries along with my memories. And before we go, there is one more bite, Chocolate Mints.
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