Restaurant Week Visit #3: Bistro Bis

For over a year now some friends have been telling me that I've just got to try Bistro Bis, near Union Station, in the Hotel George. So I thought, what better time to try it than during Restaurant Week? I had also recently read that Bistro Bis is one of the best restaurants to visit during RW because they offer choices that are actually representative of their regular menu. In addition to the offerings at the RW lunch and dinner prices ($20.08 and $30.08, respectively) you can try other items from their regular menu by just paying a few more dollars, so you really are able to get a taste for the restaurant. I went there for dinner and it was quite good.

My fellow diner started with Onion Soup Les Halles, a "rich broth with sweet onions and sourdough croûtons topped with gruyere and emmenthaler cheese." It was very tasty, not too salty, and the cheese was delicious. After the soup was finished we were still trying to find pieces of crusty cheese baked onto the lid of the soup bowl. Yum!

For the first time in my life I ordered snails. I've never had anything against them, but I've just never been curious enough to try them. But I figured, we can't both have the onion soup, and so I ordered the Fricassée d’Escargot, "sautéed wild burgundy snails with roasted garlic, chanterelle mushrooms, pearl onions, lardons, parsley butter and veal jus"

~ this cost an additional $3 and it was worth it for the experience. I'd say I have a fairly adventurous palate, but I think I may have a mental block against eating snails. I managed to finish them, but it wasn't easy. The mushrooms were delicious, as was the sauce, and my companion declared the snails delicious, but I don't think that I'll order snails again.

For an entree I ordered the Côte de Porc Sardalaise, "pan roasted rib chop with garlic, bacon lardon, fingerling potatoes, swiss chard and honey thyme vinegar sauce." As someone who does not eat much meat, I generally make an effort to eat meat when I go out to make up for the lack of it in my daily diet.

And I'm so glad I did. This rib chop was delicious. Tender, savory, with perfectly cooked little potatoes and a sauce that complemented the flavors in the meat and the chard. Highly recommended.

My friend ordered the Salmon Aux Lentilles,
"seared mustard crusted filet with bacon
lardons and red wine braised beluga lentils." This was a big hit for both of us. I cannot remember the last time I tasted such fresh salmon!

I also love lentils and lardons - how can you go wrong with this dish? Needless to say we were both more than pleased with our entrees and the appetizers. No I wasn't crazy about the snails, but I think that's more about me not liking snails than about Bistro Bis not knowing how to serve them.

We were so excited when it came time for desserts. My partner gourmand ordered the Chocolate Toffee Bread Pudding "served warm with hazelnuts and toffee anglaise." This was good, but I prefer bread pudding without chocolate. The hazelnuts were toasted and delicious, and there is almost no way to err when combining them with chocolate. The toffee sauce was also tasty, and in all the dessert was not heavy, but still rich and tasty.

I ordered the Bistro Apple Tart with
"caramelized apples, crisp pastry, vanilla bean crème fraîche and calvados sauce."

This was probably my favorite dish of the night. I love apple tarts and this one was delicious. A perfect light and flaky crust, not too much sugar in the tart, just the right drizzle of calvados sauce to give a hint of flavor without overpowering the tart with sweetness, and the creme fraiche was a delightful addition both asthetically and flavorwise. Please order this if you go to Bistro Bis.

*Not remembering much about the restrooms but that probably means they were up to my standards. I do remember that they are down a flight of stairs. I'm sure there is an elevator, since it's a hotel, but that was a little out of the way. Great service, great space with high ceilings and an open kitchen, and I love the ties that the servers wear. I will be back here, definitely.

Bistro Un Deux Trois!

Bravo to Bistro 123 (un, deux, trois) in Tyson's Corner! I had dinner there a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. A cozy restaurant located in Tyson's I near the parking lot for Lord & Taylor, Bistro 123 can only be accessed from the outside. You almost forget you're in a mall because there are no shoppers walking by the window staring at you and your food.

The decor was nice, simple and intimate. Except for the large flowery curtain (that looked more like a bedsheet) hanging from the ceiling that separated our dining room from another room. The waiter/maitre d' (one and the same) was French, and was very friendly and knowledgeable. He was always attentive and would stop by our table if it looked like we needed something.

This restaurant has some great deals! I had the Pre-Theater menu, which actually does not have a time restriction, for $29.95. You get a choice of appetizer, entree, dessert, and coffee or tea. Considering the prices a la carte (not terrible but not cheap either), this is a steal! They also have a Prix Fixe menu for $39.95, where you still get a choice of appetizer, entree, dessert, and coffee or tea, but the choices are "better" than the Pre-Theater menu.

For my meal I had the Mesclun Green Salad with the house vinaigrette, delicious and very fresh, although there was almost a little too much dijon mustard for my taste. For my entree I had the Chicken Breast with dried plums, walnuts, apples and celery - DELICIOUS! And I don't even like chicken! The chicken was so moist and tender, and the combination of tastes with the plums, apples and walnuts was to die for. My only suggestion is that this dish is better for colder weather, and it was still hot that day. But I still loved it. And for dessert I had the Cherry Clafoutis with whipped cream, again, delicious. I think the drizzle of caramel sauce on top of the clafoutis and cream was almost too much. It would have been just as delicious, or perhaps even more so, without the caramel.

My co-diner ordered the Vermont Goat Cheese with beets, greens and chive vinaigrette for a salad, and it was wonderful. The goat cheese was very creamy but not too strong, and the salad was quite fresh. For her entree she ordered the Arborio Rizotto (for some reason they spell risotto there with a "z") with wild mushrooms, parmesan and white truffle oil. This was a tasty dish, however the mushrooms were very garlicky and almost burned. When I first put a bite into my mouth I got a hint of truffle, but it was not strong at all and did not leave an aftertaste. We shared the dessert.

The coffee was fresh and served with cold cream. Now, I usually prefer cold cream, because I like to cool down the coffee a little so I can drink it. My co-diner prefers the cream warmed up, and thinks that is a special touch that many restaurants miss. You decide...

I would return here without a doubt. It's a great place to dine with friends, or for that romantic dinner for 2. Bon appetit!