4 minute read
A Perfect Place to Meat
Jean-Robert’s Le Bar A Boeuf
Written by Bridget Williams / Photography by Andrew Kung
Beloved Cincinnati chef Jean-Robert de Cavel’s latest venture, Le Bar A Boeuf (“the beef bar”)¬–located in the Edgecliff building in Walnut Hills overlooking the Ohio River–came from a “silly idea” that had been percolating in his mind for a decade. “I had noticed more and more the rise in popularity of burger places and even put one on the menu at [John- Robert’s] Table,” he explained. Knowing that trends come and go, he pondered a gourmet burger experience for dinner that was a little more civilized. “Something you can eat with a knife and a fork so you don’t have to open your mouth so wide to eat it,” he said with a chuckle.
As a child growing up in France, Jean-Robert recalled that like many families trying to stretch their budget, his mother would grind up steak for patties and top them with a sauce. In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child introduces her recipe for Biftek Haché à la Lyonnaise (ground beef with onions and herbs) by writing,
This simple concept, excellently and expertly executed, forms the backbone of the menu at Le Bar A Boeuf, though to stop there would be a pity as there are so many other culinary delights to savor. “You can get ground meat topped with cheese anywhere, but to add a Jean-Robert sauce is a game-changer,” said Richard Brown, the restaurant’s affable general manager.
A playful intermingling of nostalgia and modernity weaves through the décor and the menu. An ardent collector and frequent visitor to flea markets both domestically and abroad, Jean-Robert found many of the vintage posters, artwork, and bovine-themed bric-à-brac that adorn the space himself. Just inside the entry, bold wallpaper on an iridescent background by Christian LaCroix is juxtaposed with a fascinating vintage light fixture. Outside, red umbrellas dot the large terrace. “It’s an odd but interesting location,” said Jean- Robert of the Edgecliff space, who added that the ease of parking and the great river views make it a dining destination.
The menu, conceived by Jean-Robert and carried out by Croatian native Mirko Ravlic, reintroduces and reinvents several classic French dishes. “I tried to bring back old foods. Once in awhile you just crave it,” Jean-Robert said of classics such as snail en papillote, which will be foreign to some and quite familiar to others. “Tere are no trends. We have been eating the same meats, vegetables, and grains for centuries. What is new are the techniques and technology used to prepare them,” he explained, adding that old is not necessarily bad, but that it is vital to take those old recipes and readapt them for today’s tastes and health consciousness.
Fans of Jean-Robert from his Maisonette days will be pleased to see Shrimp Maisonette Style among the appetizer selections. “When I saw this on the menu when I first came to the Maisonette I thought it was more suited for a country club, not a five-star restaurant,” said the chef, who added that one has to remember that when the restaurant opened in the mid-1960s, fresh white mushrooms were a luxury. His present-day version remains mostly true to the original with just a few tweaks. “It’s fun to bring an old dish to a new generation,” he said. Other standouts from the starters, which would make a fine meal when paired with one of the beautifully dressed Field Greens options, include the salmon tartare, served with an “egg mimosa”, which most of us would recognize as a devilishly delicious deviled egg and one of the most popular menu items, artichokes served with mushroom ragoût, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. “Everyone gravitates to the artichokes,” said Brown.
The biftek haché section of the menu is a fun exercise in DIY dining. Choose your 8oz selection of meat (beef, bison, lamb, fish, or wagyu) and then butter or sauce, cheese, and additional garnishes, from seared foie gras to confit tomato. Te extremely capable wait staff is also able to make excellent recommendations on the ideal configurations. I ordered the Wagyu decadently topped with forestiere sauce (a red wine reduction with mushrooms) and Boursin cheese. The quality of the meat, which would have been quite tasty without any garnish, served as an ideal foundation for the nuanced flavors. The presentation was also quite fun, with a fag of Japan in miniature placed in the center of the patty, which was served alongside a generous portion of mashed potatoes on an Arthur Court silver tray fashioned in the shape of a cow.
A fine selection of additional main course options from land and sea, including golden trout and duck leg confit, along with two crave-worthy béchamel mac and cheese variations and a host of sharable throwback side dishes firmly establish Le Bar A Boeuf as way more than a humble burger joint. “From the beginning, it was our intention to keep costs reasonable and make it a fun experience,” Jean-Robert.
