The Bowdoin Gourmet

The two main courses at Thorne tonight were “spicy Thai steamed mussels” and “grilled steak au Poivre with Dijon sauce”. Both were delicious.

Starting with the steak, I particularly enjoyed the presentation and taste of the Dijon sauce. The sauce was piped in a neat criss-cross over the steak, which was then sprinkled with some sliced green onions – very appetizing. I can’t recall ever having steak with a Dijon sauce, but now that I’ve tried it I realize that it makes perfect sense. I have Dijon mustard with roast beef sandwiches all the time; why not apply the same savory, spicy condiment to steak as well? I should also mention that the steak itself was very good (it was so tender that I was able to cut it with the standard-issue, safety-first knife, which is essentially a butter knife.)

The mussels were also very good. I enjoyed both the spicy Thai sauce and the generous sprinkling of onions and tomatoes in with the mussels. The sea-water brininess of the mussels, the spiciness of the sauce, and the bright, fresh flavor of the vegetables were all made more delicious by their suggestion of the coming summer.