6 minute read
French Crust Cafe & Bistro
Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel Continues to Delight our Senses
Written by Sheree Allgood / Photography by Rachel Lutz of Andrew Kung Photography
I confess that I’m a bonafide Francophile. I love the people, the museums, the boutiques, the views, and the leafy strolls along the Seine when it freezes and when it sizzles. Especially, though, I love the food, from cuisine found in cozy cafés that allows you to savor the deep l’amour that inspires every dish, to the little bistros where you linger just long enough to think your Midwestern patina has fallen away and you are in fact, juste un peu Francais. And, in this era of limited travel, where that sheen of Midwestern mid-winter hangs heavy like dreary old curtains, we can satiate our wanderlust at French Crust Café and Bistro, Jean-Robert de Cavel’s exquisite restaurant across from Findlay Market.
Known until recently for its weekday lunch and Sunday brunch crowd, Jean-Robert and the French Crust team have expanding their vast culinary gifts to include weeknights as well, offering an impeccable (what else would it be with such talent?) dinner menu that is beautifully honed to include haute cuisine as well as less complicated fare. To be sure, French Crust is still offering its daytime menu, and its outstanding bakery and coffee bar are open for all your pastry cravings.
Escargot: Garlic Butter, Bread Crumbs
The French Crust wine and cocktail menu is impeccable and leans beautifully on its romantic City of Light origins. It is not a gauche American display of beer, beer, and more beer with lime and pineapple and kumquat or whatever the flavor de jour might be, although I can recommend the Kronenbourg Lager for an authentic French quaff from Strasbourg. An elegantly refined selection of lush French red, white, rose, and sparkling wines is available, and there is a nicely priced Cremant du Jura Brut for the authentic street café break when a golden glass of bubbles is what the day calls for.
In fact, the restaurant’s cocktail menu offers a mélange of mostly champagne cocktails and mimosa upgrades: the Audrey offers bubbles with a splash of elderflower and orange, while the Georgia is more the classic champagne cocktail with bubbles, bitters-soaked sugar cube, and lemon. This Manhattan gal couldn’t pass up the house concoction, which features de Cavel’s special bourbon blend whipped up by the Chef himself at Brain Brew Custom Whiskey in Newtown, Ohio, just east of Cincinnati. His custom bourbon speaks to…well Bourbon, aka, the French Dynastic Royal family, as the unique bourbon whiskey regal blend has hints of 200-year-old cognac, sherry, maple, and European oak. It is a beautiful mélange with a complex profile, tasty for both cocktails and straight sipping.
It is not at all by accident that French Crust is across from Findlay Market. Much of the menu comes from the fresh finds at our worldrenowned market, the oldest in continuous use in the United States.
Steak Tartare with Dijonnaise, caper, cornichon and cured egg yolk
The dinner menu is delightful and very finely tuned, approachable yet sophisticated. Appetizers include a fabulous Beef Tartare, served with a tangy dijonnaise, capers, a sprinkle of parsley, cornichon, and a beguiling cured egg yolk (my notes had four “nom nom nom noms next to this entry”). It was so fresh and tender, yet creamy and briny from the cured egg. The quintessential French offering of escargot was also amazing, served in the precise amount of garlic butter and perfect for sopping up with the crusty grilled baguette that accompanies the dish. Appetizers also include a Charcuterie and Cheese Board and Truffled Parmesan Frites, served with ketchup and harissa mayo.
From across the room, I spied what looked to be just about the absolute best French Onion soup I’d ever eyed, and the patron sampling this gorgeous soup seemed enchanted. While we didn’t partake, it is definitely on the list for the next visit. It looked decadently cheesy, and its rich dark broth and caramelized onions looked perfectly prepared. A perfect match for the soup would be the tantalizing Lyonnaise salad…a flavorful combination of frisee, arugula, lardons, red onion, croutons, lightly poached egg with a red wine vinaigrette.
The entrees are sublime, expertly prepared, and presented as traditional a bistro would. The Cod en Persillade is a work of art in presentation and flavor… flaky, tender, with its mild sweetness married to the nutty wild rice accompaniment and the fresh green bed of pureed spinach. A tangy mustard cream complements the fish, which in true French fashion is sauced tableside. In fact, all the French Crust entrees have that personal touch of being sauced tableside, akin to a lovingly ribboned gift from the Chef. The other glorious entrees include a perfectly prepared robust duck breast with creamy mushroom barley, apple, endive, parsnip, and a sauce poivrade. The Steak Frites is the perfect bistro staple, and it is prepared to perfection at French Crust, complemented with compound butter and beautiful crispy tender pomme frites. Be aware that the menu changes seasonally to offer the freshest and most impeccably prepared dishes. It is also well to note that the French Crust is offering a three-course prix fixe meal on Thursday evening, a delectable plating of its more popular dishes. It is a delightful way to experience this lovely space, food, and warm personal hospitality.
Red Snapper with Parisian gnocchi and wild mushroom
Executive Pastry Chef and Chocolatier Jean Philippe Solnom artfully presents this city’s most delightful assortment of French pastries and confections both as French Crust desserts and through their charming café. Our beautiful meal ended with a raspberry macaron accompanied with fluffy chocolate mousse, vanilla sponge cake, and a splash of vanilla cream. It was perfectly portioned and the best finale for this most heavenly dining event.
He speaks of restaurants’ camaraderie in downtown Cincinnati, especially considering lockdowns and limited hours and the challenges of the recent pandemic. He is a legend in Cincinnati who has elevated our Germanic palates as he rose from the Maisonette’s chef de cuisine, to the executive chef at Pigall’s, and then onward to his many restaurant endeavors. He has, to his credit, a procession of second- and third-generation chefs spanning our city’s best restaurants today, and we should all be grateful for his generous tutelage in our local culinary trade. French Crust Café and Bistro is indeed another superb achievement, and we are truly blessed to have such talent here. And thank you for bringing the l’ambiance de Paris to our corner of the world.
French Crust Café and Bistro is located at 1801 Elm Street,Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. (513) 455-3720 for reservations. Hours:Wednesday 11 am – 3 pm,Thursday and Friday 11 am – 8 pm, Saturday 10 am – 8 pm. Note that dinner is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
