Find the finest in French cuisine at Fleur de Sel

Approachable and close to home, Fleur de Sel brings the best of French dining to the area.

Perched above Post Falls in a space shared with Highlands Day Spa, the restaurant is unassuming and yet elegant. It may seem an unlikely place for such a fine cuisine.

As we savored the impossibly smooth milk chocolate gelato while watching night fall through the tall windows, it gave me the unexpected feeling that I could be almost anywhere in the world.

Owners Laurent and Patricia Zirotti are used to surprising people with their classical French fare.

The couple met in the early 1980s while they were both in culinary school in Nice, France. They first came to San Francisco but opened their first restaurant in the United States in Billings in 1985 – “way before its time,” Patricia Zirotti says.

They later returned to the French Riviera, where Laurent worked at the Hotel Majestic in Cannes and Patricia worked as a consultant. In the late 1990s, they returned to Billings with their two small children to open Enzo Mediterranean Bistro with friends.

That friendship and partnership later fell apart, which led the Zirottis to seek a new home with dreams for another restaurant. Friends had mentioned the beauty and scenery in the Coeur d’Alene area and they fell in love when they visited.

“It reminded Laurent of where he had gone to culinary school in Thonon-les-Bains,” Patricia says.

They opened Fleur de Sel in 2008, but after almost three years of business there is still no sign to point the way to the restaurant. That’s not really necessary; they have developed a loyal following in the region.

Laurent Zirotti begins each day the restaurant is open by arriving at the kitchen by 6 a.m. He prepares almost everything on the menu from scratch, gathering many ingredients from area farms and growers. The menu changes four times a year with the seasons.

While Laurent is working meticulously in the kitchen, Patricia gracefully works the front of the house and does whatever else is needed to keep service flowing smoothly.

The care they take with technique and flavor showed in each of the dishes we tried. During a spring visit, my husband savored the creamy, satisfying chicken and truffles ($20). The natural chicken breast is served with Laurent’s mushroom and truffle stuffed ravioli. The flavor of the cream sauce is enhanced with Oregon white truffles.

I ordered the ever-changing fish special, which at that time featured walu topped with an intense house-made tapenade. The smoky, briny flavors of the tapenade paired well with the buttery texture of the fish, which is caught near Hawaii and is also called escolar. A salad featuring paper-thin curls of fennel offered a light, crunchy contrast to the entrée.

Fish is served as a special at Fleur de Sel. Patricia says they have been working with a broker for more than 15 years and have the freshest catches shipped overnight.

I opened two recent meals at Fleur de Sel with the Chilean crab and potato beignets ($7). Each time the dumplings were served hot, with a golden, crunchy exterior contrasting with the soft potato and crab inside. Diners at my table carefully angled to get the last of the cognac dipping sauce each time.

During a dinner with girlfriends, we could have left satisfied after dining on salads alone.

The salad nicoise ($14) was the perfect summer meal. Served topped with a simple lemon and olive oil vinaigrette, it allowed the quality and flavor of the ingredients to shine. It included chilled ahi tuna that had been lightly seared, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, mixed greens and hard-boiled egg.

I’ve since tried to re-create the shrimp, avocado and fresh mozzarella salad ($11) at home. It was beautifully presented and I must admit to keeping it close to my fork, though I had promised to share. Again, top-quality ingredients made the difference, with basil oil and a balsamic glaze to tie the flavors together.

The duck confit ($19) is a must for anyone who loves duck or just wants an introduction to classic French cuisine. The duck leg is braised for three hours in its own fat. Laurent serves it with sun-dried tomato and fennel ragout, along with a green peppercorn demi-glace. My dining companion scarely shared, although I was able to savor some duck and a bit of the duck sausage served alongside.

That was fine, because I was pleased with my prawns madras ($23). The generous, boldly spiced prawns came with a zucchini rice soaked with coconut curry sauce that created a nice balance.

I’m going on and on, but save room for dessert … or just go for dessert sometime.

The texture of Laurent’s milk chocolate gelato is a revelation alone, but there’s more. The gelato is served with a flourless chocolate cake, lightly sweetened Chantilly cream and jalapeno coulis.

The expert wait staff advises the best approach to balancing the flavors with each bite. Patricia says it is also like a little game of dessert as diners discover just the right balance of spice to chocolate.

The Parisian macarons ($1.50 each) are worth discovering. They’re not the coconut macaroons more familiar to Americans, but light meringue cookies sandwiched around a sweetened filling. They were bite-sized bursts of summer raspberry flavor the night we visited.

The caramel candies ($1.25 each) offer a classic ending, without further pushing the limits of your appetite. The bite-size chocolate caramels are topped with fleur de sel. I wish I had made mine last for two bites.

Fleur de Sel offers a few wines by the glass and some bottled beers. For the best experience, ask the server for help selecting a wine to pair with your meal.

The Zirottis import wine from southern France that is specially selected to complement their traditional cuisine. Servers are familiar with the selections and can help guide diners to a match.