Last night proved to be an evening of many firsts. Chef René Peeters – of Watel’s fame – realized a 15-year-old dream and opened the doors to his new restaurant, A World Piece. An engineer and a music teacher became engaged. My husband and I had our first ever ’nice’ dinner together. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

In my far more halcyon days, I regularly visited Peeters’ now defunct Watel’s, so when I read that A World Piece was finally opening I was thrilled at the promise of affordable fine dining. Gathering up a friend, my husband and the birthday money I’d squirreled away for a rainy day, we headed to the restaurant a little before 7 last night.

Easy enough to find, A World Piece is housed in the former Gachet location on Greenville Avenue, just a few steps from Good Records.  Stepping inside, we were immediately greeted by a grinning René who led us through the dimly lit, cozy space and to our table. A long banquette lines the north wall, plush with pillows, while the rest of the restaurant’s nooks are filled with just a handful of tables. The setting was intimate and quite lovely.

As René brought us our menus, he assured us that if we had any questions, just to ask. As we began deciding the evening’s fare, it became immediately obvious why the restaurant was named A World Piece. There were Mediterranean, Moroccan, Indian and European influences everywhere: Grilled Halloumi & Sweet Belles, Chicken Breast with Olives and Lemon, Flemish Beef Carbonades and Grilled Shrimp with Muamba Sauce (a childhood favorite of Peeters) to name a few.

We decided to start off with the Seared Herbed Rare Tuna & Ratatouille ($7) and for entrees Josh selected the Beef Tenderloin Medallions Pregos ($16) while I opted for the Crisped Slow Cooked Duck on Black Eyed Cassoulet ($17).

The tuna and ratatouille arrived quickly on a cheerful, hand painted plate and we immediately tucked into the dish. Thinly sliced, the tuna’s crispy edges gave way to ruby colored heaven. The tuna was obviously fresh, clean in flavor, and the smoky flavor of the seared herbs was never bitter. The ratatouille was comprised of fresh tomato, zucchini, onion and eggplant and once the tuna was devoured, the leftover veggies made for a delicious, impromptu bruchette when added to the bread at our table.

Within minutes of whisking away our very empty plate, René arrived at our table, entrees in hand. Not only were the dishes beautifully presented, the portions were far more than generous. My husband, the duck hater, crinkled his nose at my exclamations of awe over what sat before me, a dish Peeters lovingly refers to as, “Euro-Tex.” The duck quarter was huge and sat atop a cassoulet thick with black eyed peas, bacon, ham, sausage and onion. Just looking at the dish I was almost certain that it was the perfect fare for a cold winter night, after one bite I was convinced. Though the duck’s skin was crisp, the perfectly brown barrier gave way to moist tender meat that simply fell off the bone. Devoid of the fat that gives poorly cooked duck that gamey flavor, it was easy to create the perfect forkful: one part black eyed peas, sausage and ham, two parts duck. After cajoling the duck hater into taking a bite, he actually asked for a second one. A few minutes into my dish, our late arriving dinner companion took one look at my duck and ordered it for himself.

The tenderloin Josh ordered looked incredible and its aroma was irresistible. Fortunately he allowed me a bite. Don’t let the name Pregos fool you. Rather than serving you the traditional Portuguese steak sandwich, Peeters just borrows the accompanying sauce for this dish, which made for a wonderful companion to the perfectly seared, medium rare fork tender medallions of beef. The sliced fresh carrot, zucchini and potato were tasty, too. The dish was flawless.

If the meal itself wasn’t magical enough, a jazz trio arrived during our meal and began playing standards. Oscar and Crystal, a couple seated near us, turned their chairs towards the trio to enjoy the music for a while and then, without warning, the man rose from his chair with a small case. Josh mused, “Wait. Did that guy just get up from the table and pull out a flugelhorn?”

Sure enough, he had and began to play with the trio. He played for a bit – like a total badass, I might add – and rejoined his lovely companion at their table. But that’s not the end of the story. A little while later, he pulled out the horn again and, though seated still at the table, began to play with the band again for a bit until finally putting the horn back in its case. Moments later the restaurant realized what all the flugelhorn fuss was all about: flugelhorn cases are perfect for hiding engagement rings. It was the most romantic proposal I’ve ever seen, in fact I’m tearing up as I write this. The magic continued to build as the restaurant erupted in cheers and applause, the diners all getting up to congratulate the adorably excited couple.

We all decided dessert was in order. Brian ordered the Thai Tea Crème Brulee ($5) while Josh and I ordered the Belgian Chocolate Truffle Tart ($5). The brulee’s shell cracked, Brian offered us each a bite of the eggy, spicy concoction. It was deliciously unique and quickly polished off. The tart was made with dark chocolate housed in an almost cookie like crust. Smooth, dense and paired with the last of the tempranillo we’d ordered, it made for the perfect ending to an extraordinary evening – or so we thought.
Somehow after paying the bill, we found ourselves hanging out at the bar with Terri Peeters, René’s wife. She regaled us with tales of René’s childhood, the couples globetrotting adventures, raising a teenager and the nervousness that comes from cooking for René at home. She was absolutely charming and it was quite evident how proud she was of René for finally realizing a dream he’d had for over 15 years. A few glasses of wine later, we found René himself chatting with us and I discovered that not only is food a passion of his, so is playing jazz guitar. The four of us talked late into the night until we discovered it was close to midnight and we locked up the restaurant together, stopping to chat a bit further on the sidewalk.

I never imagined yesterday morning that I’d be sharing so many firsts with so many wonderful people. I’d forgotten how magic can happen in the most simplest of ways. It was an honor to take part in two new beginnings, one for René and Terri, the other for Oscar and Crystal. And while I’ve always known that a great meal shared with great people is the perfect prescription for happiness, I never imagined it could also be a reawakening of my optimism, faith and hope.