Review content:
Even after having lived 5 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, dining at literally every high-end restaurant there, Bonne Soiree in Chapel Hill has redefined our standard of the perfect culinary experience. \r
I'll mention that Bonne Soiree does offer a $25/person wine pairing that seems an incredible deal given Tina's breadth of knowledge therein. We overheard her rattle off varietals and vintages with abandon appropriately suited to each and every dish that other parties mentioned. It was impressive and is just one example with the jeu de'vivre that Tina seemingly possesses in operating this restaurant. Her passion for fine cuisine was palpable.\r
Her husband Chip Smith creates some of the finest tastes my palette has ever encountered. For our first course, I started off with an endive salad with carmelized onions, a most delectably ripe pear, toasted walnuts, a few other goodies, and a light dressing ($8.95). Couldn't have tasted better. My fiancee ordered the ravioli filled with Carolina sweet potatoes and a broth comprising of Virginia ham, collard greens and pat liquor ($11.95). She was floored at its goodness. \r
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Second course: I wish I could remember all the ingredients, but my memory eludes me, so you'll just have to excuse my generalities. I ordered oxtail ($27.95), surrounded by a wonderful brown broth with delicious morsels of sweet potato and other chunks of goodness. All of this built upon one another is such a silken and unified manner that it was difficult to believe that something could taste so wholesome yet be wrought from such ingenuity. My fiancee ordered a braised pork tenderloin with a pork belly, with wilted greens, grilled sweet potato chunks, and some other really delicious stuff \r
The service was understated, smooth as silk, perfectly paced, respectful, and appropriately conspicious. \r
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I cannot imagine any dish that was ordered by either of us tasting any better, nor can I imagine how the service could've been any more impressive.
Pros: Ambience, cuisine, service, everything. Nothing that was served could've been better.
Cons: Restaurant so good that it'll undoubtedly take away from dining anywhere else.
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