REVIEW

We’re impressed: Brasserie L’Oustau de Provence does reasonably capture much of the French brasserie experience. The bright, country-French Provencal-styled restaurant hits most of the old French country classics; this is not the spot for cutting edge cuisine. That’s not what a brasserie is about.

Onion Soup Gratinée boasted a deep, rich flavor. Unlike so many American versions of this dish, the soup was not plastered with a thick raft of cheese. Broth, onions, crouton, and cheese are in nice balance.

If there’s an old-fashioned French dish you’ve always heard about, chances are you’ll find it on this menu. Steak frites, beef Bourgignon, cassoulet, onion soup, escargot, pomme frites, bouillabaise (Saturdays only), coq au vin (Mondays only)… they’re all here, mostly well-executed. You can also enjoy a selection of cheeses, from France AND from Vermont, and if you’d just like to make an evening of Osetra caviar with all the accompaniments, oysters on the half shell, and foie gras, washed down by bottles of Champagne, well, if you’ve got the dough, they’ve got the goods.

Frisée aux Lardons: the crisp, slightly bitter greens are dressed with a sherry vinaigrette, dotted with chewy bacon and crisp croutons, and crowned with a nicely poached egg. Wonderful!

Just want a burger? They can take care of you as well, provided you are fine with the addition of foie gras, gruyere, onion-bacon-bourbon chutney, and a brioche bun, for $24. Sounds good to us!

Pomme frites are hand-cut, hot, crisp, and salty. We asked for the optional aioli, supplying a heady punch of garlic.

Service can be “leisurely” on a busy evening, so be forewarned. On a very rainy night, we were the last people to leave the restaurant. Unfortunately, someone else enjoyed the use of our doorman umbrella on the way home – it was either mistakenly handed out by coat check or someone helped himself at the not-always-attended check closet. Don’t know what we really expected of the restaurant, but their c’est la vie attitude didn’t sit well with us. A sincere apology would have gone a long way. Nonetheless, the Brasserie is a lot of fun, and one of the more festive restaurants in the Manchester, VT area.

Roasted Salmon: served over black rice and caponata, with a citrus buerre blanc

Cassoulet was a relative disappointment, although it looked good, especially that confit of duck leg and thigh. The duck was crisped up beautifully. The garlic sausage and pork belly were not in evidence, however. The beans were surprisingly dull and under-seasoned, although their bread crumb topping was nice and crusty.

LAF TRAK: 

FOOD: 

BEST THING TO EAT: Frisée aux Lardons

When the menu listed Braised Garlic Greens, we, perhaps foolishly, assumed this would be garlic scapes. In December? Probably should have realized we’d be getting greens braised with garlic. Southern soul food, and fine, but…

Tarte Tatin, featuring caramelized apples, is practically guaranteed to satisfy.

They call it “Le Cirque” Crème Brûlée, in honor of the New York City restaurant that turned the dish into an American dessert menu staple (Le Cirque did not, however, quite invent the dish). L’Oustau’s version is top-notch.