Finding Philly

Although we here at Finding Philly try to avoid restaurant openings, almost as a rule, we were excited enough about this new French bistro opening that we decided to visit on opening night. We decided to try to scoop the major media and let it all hang out here on the blog. As you may know from our posts about Cafe Lutecia and some other posts we *love* french food. I used to work at Pif and she at Caribou. So while we may have experienced French cuisine from different starting points we’ve always been attracted to opportunities to explore it together. Read on for our kickass experience at Bistro La Minette, at 6th and Bainbridge.

[flickr matt.ohara 72157606956714119]
While we know there are other people who may be more knowledgeable about French cuisine there are not many who are more excited about it. We’ve both opened up a few restaurants so we know a few things about how it goes. On to the good bits…

The space is long and thin, with floor to ceiling pillars and tin ceilings. The walls are a soft yellow and banquets in a micro-fiber burgundy somehow manage to not make you think of McDonald’s-despite this being one of her least favorite colour combinations. The general decor is thoughtfully contrived and does not, unlike Parc, force you to think about how many workmen it took to recreate some fanciful ideal of an authentic French bistro.

The tables have white marble tops and clawfeet. There are photographs nicely framed on the wall and some authentic accoutrements are present without being overboard. The bar in the front has no seats but there are a number of two-tops at which couples can sit without being in the mix of patrons at the front door. It’s cozy and despite being completely packed at 60 diners in the main room manages to be very comfortable for normal conversation with your dining companion(s).

There was a crock for some nice dijon and a deeper one for cornichons which, though kind of silly to have to dig them out, was kind of fun. The bread is housemade. While it smells deliciously fresh and yeasty it was smallish and chewy. It was a bit hard to take apart. Slices of a bigger baguette would be easier but this was fun. It had a hard crust that I think may have been salted on the outside.

The pictures also depict her Lillet, which had too many icecubes but was nice to start, and my classic martini, which was perfect and served with a twist (Bluecoat). The butter was plain and not that mythical Pif butter (whose only difference was that it was served with the pink sea salt, by the way). We had arrived at 6:30, our optimal dining time unless you have the ability to dine at 8:00 or later.

The paté was wonderful. 2nd best I’ve ever had. It was moist and textured, mild and tangy from the pickle bits. Just about as good as it can get. Very obviously homemade and simply presented with the mustard and cornichons. The brioche was odd, to me, but also housemade, fresh and warm. The textures all went together very well and honestly if they’re going to continue to serve it with brioche I’ll be happy as a clam at high tide. Different to me but pleasingly so.

The tomato tart, much to my surprise (as a not-huge fan of tomatoes in certain forms) was the highlight of the evening. The crust was stunning. It had that perfect crust formulation where it goes from extremely crispy and flaky on the outside to sublimely lardy and moist below. Just above it was a layer of creme fraiche and on top of that were some skinned grape tomatoes. The tart went beyond my expectations by far and had a tangy and sweet and salty and buttery meld in every bite. Just as highly recommended as the paté but even more so. It was accompanied by a lightly-dressed green salad that was a perfect counterpoint both texturally and visually.

We took a look towards the open kitchen and noticed a beautiful array of (badly-photographed) copper pots. You could hear the cooks going back and forth from 12 feet away but it was more of a ballet than a caucophony; it blended in with the ambient music and the local conversation very nicely.

I have never had flammenkeuche (sp?) before so, being in the heady post-cocktail pre-prandial state of bliss that I was, I did not realize that it was a bit undercooked. It was a very thin pizza-style dough that was topped with boursin, caramelized onions and lardons. The lady was right in pointing out that the dough itself and the lardons were a bit undercooked but I didn’t notice myself. I thought it was sublime.

I should point out here that the bar was incompletely stocked. The restaurant decided to serve a white house bourdeaux and a red house bourdeaux free of charge. Both were fine table wines. The white was dry, tangy and crisp and the red was bold enough to stand up to the entrecoté and the rabbit without being too huge.

The rabbit was, for me, the least enjoyable. I found it a bit dry and the pasta too al dente for my tastes. It was to have been with a mustard sauce but I am a lover of the strongest of flavours and I thought there could have been much more mustarditude. She pointed out that perhaps some fresh tarragon could have helped it out of its mildness.

We asked for this MR but it came out R, which is acceptable in our book. Better R than M. But even though we know a ribeye tends to be fatty this seemed to me like it could have used some trimming. Honestly one of my favorites bistro dishes ever is a nice au poivre. If they could get a nice sear on a killer strip I’d be stopping in once a week. Still this was a really quality piece of meat and served with a good, though watery au gratin.

The clafouti should only be served to individuals, not couples. We had some Gran Marnier each and were fighting over it with our silly tiny spoons. They should serve this with swords so that the fighting can really get down to it or at least knife and fork. Caramel ice cream and plum clafouti on a homemade pastry? ReDunkULous.

Classy! Pernod bottles turned into soap dispensers in the bathroom?  I can dig it.  There is also a private dining room with a giant farm table that seats up to 24.

On a final note it should be pointed out that this place is on the high end of the price point when it comes to bistros.  You are definitely paying for the little red vests all of the staff wears, the fancy mirrors and the brass cookware that hangs as decoration.  Worth it, in my estimation, but not something I can do more than once every couple of months.

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