Sel de la Terre: Where the wild things are

I'm a pretty adventurous eater. I'll pretty much try anything.

So I was excited to be invited to a four-course "Game Dinner" at Sel de la Terre in the Natick Collection.

While colleagues warned me game meats can be an acquired taste and some told me it would "probably be dry, sinewy and full of buckshot" I knew Geoff Gardner, a Wayland resident who is co-owner and chef at the French restaurant, has a reputation for using creative ingredients in unusually delicious ways.

The whole idea for the dinner was cooked up by sous chef Benjamin Lacy, a 2004 graduate of Ashland High School who also attended Providence College.

"The fall is my absolute favorite season for food," said Lacy, who was sporting a Mohawk haircut and a colorful blue bandana for the evening.

The evening's menu did not disappoint, featuring three intriguing main ingredients: Scottish hare, North American wild boar and New Zealand venison.

Hors d'oeuvres began the evening and included little crispy pillows of Wild Boar Sausage Empanadas, airy Hare Liver Terrine with Aspic, a very interesting Venison Mahi Roll, and Deviled Duck Eggs.

The first course, a Hare Strudel with Dried Fruit Couscous, Roasted Nuts and Pumpkin Puree in a Red Wine Reduction, was my favorite dish of the evening with its rich variety of tastes and textures inside a papery, buttery crust.

Kristine Lundblad, a colleague and my dining companion for the evening, thought it tasted "like dark-meat turkey." Yes, it was turkey-like, but with a richer taste. Although Kristine found the tiny crunchy seeds in the dried fruits distracting, I thought they added an autumn taste and a layer of interest to this dish. And the sauce was to die for.

"I loved all the sauces," Kristine said. "I could have just eaten a bowl of sauce."

Dining at the next table, Cheryl LaBreck of Arlington and Anthony Hubbard of Ashland said they are big fans of wild game and of the restaurant.

"I love all wild game," LaBreck said. "I first had it in Italy."

The two, who were combining business with pleasure at Sel de le Terre, said they enjoy the restaurant's themed dinners, relaxed atmosphere and easy access at the mall.

The second course was a Wild Boar Cassoulet with Arugula Salad and Wild Boar Bacon.

You can never go wrong with bacon, I say. Topped with crusty bits of boar bacon, this dish, Kristine's favorite of the evening, had creamy white beans surrounding small pieces of tender boar meat. The peppery arugula atop the tiny casserole dish made for a great combination of textures and tastes.

I was a little nervous about eating the third course, a Grilled Leg of Venison with Foraged Mushroom and Chestnut Bread Pudding in an Elderberry-Port Reduction. I like my meat rare, but the venison was a very, very deep red. In fact, it looked a little bloody, Kristine said, as we cut into our meat.

People who like venison often rave about it. Now I know what they mean.

The meat was buttery yet lean, and the rich elderberry reduction that was drizzled around it was a nice compliment to the meat without being sweet.

Kristine, who doesn't like rare meat, wasn't so crazy about it though. "I liked the edges," she said, because they were more well-done. "It's a texture thing," she added.

We were both won over by dessert: Duck Egg Creme Brulee with Wild Huckleberry Compote.

The duck eggs, we were told, came from chef and co-owner Frank McClelland's Apple Street Farm in Essex. They just one part of a "field-to-fork" tradition that McClelland is reviving with the historic farm he's restored over the past year.

Sel de la Terre, 1245 Worcester St. in the Natick Collection, is planning a second game dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 2 featuring pheasant, elk and rabbit. Starting with hors d'oevres at 6:30 p.m. and followed by dinner at 7, the dinner is $48 per person. Call 508-650-1800.