Chef Raymond Ost sets a new bar for Boston-area French restaurants, sporting authentic Alsatian plates like flammekueche and baked escargot. - Contributor
Sandrine's evokes an auberge you might find outside Strasbourg--particularly for the giant hearth oven that cooks the rich, pizza-like flammekueche. Chef Ost manages to juggle a large menu with grace, emphasizing the hearty Franco-Germanic fare of his native Alsace with some broader French influences. Making choucroute always struck us as magic, akin to spinning straw into gold, and Sandrine's is a delicate delight accompanied by strapping portions of smoked pork and sausages. The winter food is hearty fare--roasted venison, stewed duck leg on tagliatelle noodles, roasted rack of lamb encrusted with powerful mustard. Sandrine's also features several vegetarian offerings.