tumbleweed of chicory comes with brush strokes of mustard dressing and precise snips of bacon. Gorgeous. Onglet honors that bistro classic with oh-so- tender hanger steak, pitch-perfect red-wine sauce and buttery chanterelles mixed in with golden potatoes. Unlike Cam’s last place, Bistro
Provence forsakes truffles and caviar. But the chef is still stocking lobster, and he serves luscious tail and claw meat on an equally rich bed of tiny lentils speckled with minced carrot and tomato. (“Proves anything is better with two sticks of butter,” cracks a lentil agnostic at my table who surprises herself by how many of the marjoram- laced legumes she dispatches.) The chef brands Provence a bistro, but his $24 foie gras appetizer and wines priced for moguls push it into the realm of a serious, and sometimes seriously expensive, restaurant: With wine, a recent midweek dinner for two set us back $200. So expectations
run higher, and flaws or oversights become more objectionable. Why, for instance, does the printed list of specials come without any prices? And why the missteps among the entrees? Dull bread plus a bland veal chop equals one dissatisfied diner. The meat is tender, its sauce glossy, but the chop has so little flavor, it might as well be tofu. My first and early encounter with chicken here was so positive that I insisted a table mate order it on my latest visit. The second encounter was far less memorable (the bird was overcooked), although the entree was somewhat redeemed by an airy disk of Parmesan-enriched polenta on the plate. The restaurant’s accompaniments and side dishes are terrific, by the way, foremost the lacy tian of spinach, tangy dried tomatoes, egg and olives: a frittata gone to heaven. When the thermometer isn’t
edging or surpassing 100 degrees, the
bistro’s patio, surrounded by stone and greenery, is where you want to dine. To reach the rear, diners pass a small granite bar and closely set tables in one of two narrow spaces. Inviting in brick and gold paint, the dining room ends with an open galley and a glimpse of Cam and crew in action. (Vincent Arnaux, the chef’s No. 2 at the late Le Paradou, reprises the same role here.) The elegance that distinguishes
the food burnishes the interior, which is dressed up with fancy metalwork and a silver duck press, among other appointments. A caveat: I never noticed the restaurant’s noise problem until the sweltering night in July when I sat in the forward dining room. All of the doors and windows were shut, trapping the sound and forcing my companions and me to read lips between sips of Gigondas and bites of boeuf (disappointingly flat, I should add, despite the steak’s topping of cracked pepper).
Bistro Provence’s
He’s still got it: Yannick Cam in his new roost.
sorbets and molten chocolate cake are similar to what you can find in dozens of other restaurants. More in keeping with Cam’s résumé is a delicate sugar crepe filled with almond cream that meets its contrast in a tart and brilliantly colored passion fruit sauce. White chocolate is a flavor that food professionals tend to poke fun of (it’s not
really chocolate, and it reminds some palates of wax); even so, I confess an affection for this kitchen’s fluffy white chocolate mousse sandwiched by elegant, wafer-thin tuiles. Already, there are plans to expand:
For fall, Cam is mulling a small private dining room on the second floor, which houses an office and apartments. This diner hopes Cam attends to some necessary polishing on the ground floor first. But even now, Bistro Provence is the brightest star in Bethesda’s galaxy.
Ask Tom will return. 202.543.9090
728 Pine Street Historic Herndon 703-318-7000
A historic Herndon landmark for 16 years. Serving fine Italian Cuisine in a romantic, relaxed, elegant atmosphere.
Best Veal Chop in Town!
www.zeffirelliristorante.com
Lunch | Dinner | Cocktails | Happy Hour Late Night | Catering
915 E Street, NW 202.629.4355
www.asianine.com
French Restaurant & Wine Lounge in Friendship Heights
www.lechatnoirrestaurant.com
4907 Wisconsin Avenue, NW 202.244.2044
527 8th St S.E. Washington, DC 20003
cavamezze.com
Sushi GO ROUND D.C.’s First Sushi Belt Bar!
& TAPAS (202) 393-2825 |
www.sushigoroundatverizon.com
Located next to Verizon Center & Regal Theater Gallery Place: 705 7th St., NW
214 KING ST., OLD TOWN 703-683-6868
www.warehousebarandgrill.com
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