After several weeks of checking out a stew of new restaurants -- some good, some not so, one a bit wacky, one a bit wondrous -- I needed a palate cleanser in the form of comfort food. French bistro came to mind, and with that came my plan to revisit Bistrot Zinc on North State Street. Bistrot Zinc is classic bistro in just about every sense of the word: menu, atmosphere, consistently good food, comfort, very French wine list. The only thing missing are old cranky French waiters that might sniff at a stupid question or two.
Indeed, the menu at Bistrot Zinc (the "Zinc" part of the name has to do with the handsome zinc bar that commands a good portion of the south side of the dining room) flies the French culinary flag from start to finish. Escargots, assiette de charcuterie, poulet, steak au poivre, steak frites, foie de veau, profiteroles ... Even the menu specials were doing a respectable cuisine Francaise by offering brandade, bouillabaisse and grilled poussin, among others.
Is there any dish more French than escargots? I say not. Served in a traditional six-hole escargot plate, the snails all dressed up in an herbed-up garlic butter with a hint of Pernod for good measure, were tender and delicious. A glass of Riesling Reserve from the Alsace was the perfect pairing.
The brandade of cod I ordered from the specials list wasn't up to the standard I set for this dish. It needed a touch of olive oil and a bit more garlic to round it out. Having said that, I ate the whole thing, slathering it across the slices of toasted bread that came with it.
Assiette de charcuterie was a fine appetizer in every respect. Red grapes served as a centerpiece for the rounds of garlic sausage, liver pate, hunks of Brie and chevre, cornichons and toasted walnuts. It could easily serve as a light dinner (along with a glass of white wine).
The entrees that followed were nicely done. Vol au vent en croute is so French you imagine Edith Piaf sitting next to you and singing in your ear. A round of puff pastry was baked, cut in half and arranged on the plate with the "filling," which in this instance was chunks of tender lamb that mingled in a light herb sauce with carrots, onions, celery and a dice of tomato. Sidled up to the puff pastry was an incredibly good pile of creme fraiche mashed potatoes.
No respectable bistro would be caught dead without steak frites on the menu. Bistrot Zinc does this classic proud. Thin pieces of tender steak ("butt" our server said, but I think it was hanger), cooked perfectly medium-rare, got a disc of matire d'hotel butter to gild the lily. And the frites part held up their end of the bargain as they were excellent in every respect. Wine pairing: half bottle of Fronsac, Chateau Les Roches de Ferrand.
Desserts at this outing included a trio of profiteroles, all gussied up with vanilla ice cream and a bittersweet chocolate sauce. Not the best profiteroles ever, but quite good. The chocolate cake was the way I like chocolate cake, which means a bit denser, the crumb tighter and with a rich chocolate flavor. With a puff of whipped cream and a sluice of chocolate sauce, BZ got it right.
I went back for lunch, where it was nice to see the French tradition of an omelet for lunch was still in force. However, I passed on the omelets (two are offered) for one of the sandwiches and some soup. A simple lunch, but quite filling. The soup was tomato/basil, and it was rich with flavor and substance, the consistency of a tomato puree. The fresh basil definitely kicked up the flavor a notch.
If I had to pick a favorite bistro sandwich, it would be the croque monsieur. It's nothing more than a hot, grilled ham and cheese (thinly sliced French ham, Gruyere cheese) sandwich, but it gets to me. Even had the sandwich not been first-rate, I would still be talking about the crispy gaufrette potatoes piled alongside the sandwich. Made fresh in house daily, these spuds were outstanding. I couldn't stop eating them.
