Well the wait is over. Brasserie Provence open, and it is wonderful!
Catching wind that they were having “soft opening” (thank you James for the heads up), I stopped by Saturday afternoon to confirm that fact and make a 6:30 reservation for the evening. And I must profess, I have not had such a delightful, delicious and downright fun evening in a very long time!
First off, the place has absolutely nothing in common with its former life (thank the good lord)! It’s bright, fresh and very, very French in design, décor and subtleties! A lovely environ for dining. They have included an niche with a fireplace for a bit more winter time enjoyment (which I will, for sure) that is beautiful!
The menu is unbelievable! The one Deb Hall got ahold of was probably a rough cut as some of those items haven’t made the final cut, however, what is on there is something that will appeal to the tamest of diners to the whole hearted adventure diner, of which I was blessed to be a party of last night.
The appetizer menu is diverse with escargot, onion tart, and other usual suspects…I can report first hand that the escargot is some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of having. It was not swimming in butter and was very plump and firm with a full, earthy flavor. A treat to behold. One of my dining companions, Margie L. from the forum, had the onion tart and let us sample. In a word, DIVINE!
They have a nice, brief selection of salads that I will probably sample during a lunch visit (yes, they are open for lunch!).
Now, the entrees on the menu are plentiful enough to make a diehard foodie drool, and drool we did.
I had the roast duck entrée, which was finished to perfection. The fat was rendered perfectly and it was very flavorful, served with an earthy cous cous side plus a side of a braised artichoke mixture that was divine.
Margie L. had the steak frites and proclaimed them a success. Chef Alan had the lamb chops and scarfed them down with no complaint. Our other dining companion had the roasted chicken that was served with a traditional chickpea side that looked like frites on steroids and tasted incredible.
Now, two of the four in the part begged off on dessert, however, Alan and I both ordered something delicious. I had the apple tart consisting of beautifully laid out apples on a tart of pastry, brushed with butter and baked with pine nuts. Alan had a chocolate (surprise, surprise) torte that was very light in texture and heavy in flavor. Both were incredible.
Now, for the wine lovers, you will LOVE the wine list, or should I say BOOK! We had our waiter suggest a “French Red table wine” that was absolutely incredible. No complaints at all, however, I really must say it is a bit daunting for the novice.
Will I be back? Most defiantly. Dinner, with wine, apps, entrees, dessert for three came to $185 with a $30 tip (you could tell he was trying his hardest and found out the answer to our questions immediately and politely). As I have always told my friends, including my chef friends, I don’t mind paying for good food that is a good value. Well, Brasserie Provence was well worth the wait and I can’t wait to go back and indulge myself even more. I encourage all my foodie friends to do the same (although I will say it was wonderful running into Mark and Madeline Peters there last evening)! Just be sure that you make reservations (they are on Open Table) because this foodie is going to predict that it is going to become THE place in the east end to go and have a wonderful French experience in very short order! I’m already trying to get my next dinner there planned in the upcoming week!
And the best part is, it’s just down the street!
