Dining In Brooklyn — at Autour Du Monde

The three-course meal at Autour Du Monde packs one heck of a punch.

While some restaurants participating in Dine In Brooklyn skimp on portions for the $25 deal, and others seem to only tease the palate with hints of more delectable — and expensive — options off of the standard menu, this French restaurant on Fulton Street goes for broke.

Dinner began with a hearty butternut squash soup that hit the spot in the cold weather. The soup had a strong peppery aftertaste that helped warm me up after a long walk in the cold weather.

I also tried the salad with Portobello mushrooms and roasted beets, which was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night. The slices of Portobello were bursting with flavor, and tasted as if they had been pulled out of the earth only moments before being served. The salad was lusciously spritzed with aged sherry and raisin vinaigrette dressing, making this appetizer a challenger to the entrees’ throne.

Next up was the duck confit with roasted potatoes and frisee sald. The duck fell off of the bone, and its slight dryness was nullified by the generous globs of gravy stylishly splashed around the plate. The potatoes were fairly standard, but also a welcome addition that made this main dish a meal in its own right. The frisee was a nice bitter, low-key compliment to the rich and flavorful bird.

The meal closed with chocolate mousse topped with slivers of almonds. Again, the mousse was a sweet — and simple — way to end a well-rounded meal.

Stunningly, this was my first trip to Autour du Monde, which has been open since 2007. It certainly won’t be my last.

Dine In Brooklyn ends March 31 (today!). Autour du Monde, 860 Fulton Street at Clinton Avenue, (718) 398-3500.