So I've been hearing how good the French Onion Soup is at Cluny, which meant it was inevitable that I would wind up at the Distillery-located eatery one of these days.
We arrived on a Saturday night and quickly took a seat at the bar. The ambivalent bartender notwithstanding, the service was quick and efficient.
Called Melted Gruyere on the menu, the French Onion Soup is described thusly: "Served French onion soup style, glazed onions, rich beef broth." It arrived in a hot bowl overflowing with broth, and the plentiful cheese was as melty and delicious as I hoped. The broth itself was absolutely incredible; rich and beefy, it ranks among the best broths I've ever eaten. Add to that the irresistible caramelized onion and crispy bread, and you've got what's undoubtedly the most magnificent French Onion Soup I've ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth.
The soup was so good that I'm still giving Cluny five stars even though the "Crisp Sesame Baked Asparagus Frites" were a disappointment. The sesame coating was too sparse to be effective, and the asparagus was underdone to the point where it was almost crunchy. A flop, to be sure.
But that French Onion Soup. I would step over all your mothers to eat another bowl of that deliciousness.