after dinner sneeze

a says:   Vday Dinner 2013, Party of 2. We had heard many good things about Bistro La Minette (BLM) and were very excited to try it. A cheesy Hallmark holiday like Valentine’s Day seemed like the perfect opportunity. With a bottle of French red in hand (corkage), we trekked toward South Street to see if they could rock our romantic socks.

We were seated promptly (in the back, event room) and quickly transported to a French state of mind. BLM does not have the kitschy, Parisian feel of Parc but it does feel decidedly French bistro via Philly BYO (though it’s not). I started with the foie gras special and v the poached egg with mussels. The foie was lovely and comes in a close second after Fond’s. The bread crumb crust added a nice crunchiness/texture and the blood orange cut through the richness of the fat – a well balanced dish. The mussels were also rich, but complex and balanced. It reminded us both of a Cochon brunch dish (not a specific one, just in execution).

We then split the Bibb lettuce salad to pace our meal and get some greens on our plates. The dressing was perfect, very refreshing. Our waiter then surprised us with their escargot dish. (I had mulled it over against the foie while ordering.) The plating was innovative – little ceramic containers just big enough to fit butter, one escargot, and a toast bite, in that order! The contents, poured on their homemade bread was very satisfying. While they weren’t Bibou caliber, they were very good and an innovative interpretation.

Both entrees were well portioned and less delicate than one might expect at a French bistro – hearty without being excessive. v had the beef cheeks, which were tender and tasty, with (French) gnocchi that could stand with many-an-Italian style. However, the accompanying jus was off, a flavor slightly out of place. I had the rabbit and tagliatelle which was also very good. The meat fell off the bone and exceeded my expectations but the tagliatelle was lacking. The dish needed something to bring it together (More jus? A sauce?). It being Vday, we ended our meal with a shareable dessert, puff pastry with cream and raspberries. The presentation was clean and it was a nice balance of sweet/savory, crunch/cream, and freshness from the raspberries.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and actually became more excited when the check came (Say wha??). Our very competent waiter didn’t charge us for the escargot (#obvi), mussel appetizer (#winning), or corkage (#biwinning)! I guess amour was in the air for everyone at BLM that night. We will definitely return to try more of their bistro riffs and specials, hopefully with g & t in toe!