DineOut

French Kissing
Treats for your bouche at Bistro Provence
by E.J. Arnell

Take a trip to France this summer by visiting the newest location of Bistro Provence. Dried flowers and ropes of garlic hang in corners, dark stained beams slice through white plastered walls from which protrude patches of brickwork and ends off wine cases. Yellow and blue tiles and tablecloths complete the country setting, while the wood-fired oven adds to the coziness. Once inside, if you’re equipped with a healthy imagination, it’s easy to pretend that the restaurant sits in a quiet village deep in the French countryside.

Complimentary bread, called fougasse, comes straight out of the oven, crispy hot and soft in the middle–perfect for dipping into the herb-and-garlic-infused olive oil. Or dredge up the warm ample juices of the escargot or moules farcies–mussels served on the half shell–which come stuffed with garlic and parsley butter. Both are divine and get the appetite going nicely; a richly flavored Bordeaux accompanies well.

There are two pâtés on the menu, one the rillettes de porc et de canard, which is a roughly textured and somewhat dry combination of pork and duck livers, and the pâté du chef, which was sliced pork liver pâté on the day that I tried it. Even for those of us who prefer the truffle style of pâté, both are good and are enjoyable on their own or heaped onto the fougasse. I was not as fond of the tapenade provençal, a spread made of black olives and anchovy; it registered too high on the salty scale for gustatory comfort.

The salade bistro is a fabulous combination of flavors; as it’s too large for a starter, I would suggest having it for lunch. (The menu is the same for lunch and dinner.) Cured ham strips, tomato wedges, and rings of sautéed onions are laid across a delicious selection of greens; but the crowning glory is the round toasts topped with goat cheese and sprinkled with garlic, dried herbs, and sprigs of fresh rosemary

Of the four thin crust pizzas that come out of the oak-burning oven, I especially enjoyed the Pizza Bistro, topped with tomato pulp, ham, mushrooms, and goat cheese. (I can’t get enough of this cheese.) The heat of the oven produces a nice crisp to the crust; the moisture of the ingredients makes for a soft center. It makes a perfect lunch or light dinner.

The stews and confits are also fired in the wood-burning oven, which adds a smokiness to the already flavor-packed dishes. The civet de lapin, sauce poivrade, a rabbit stew in red burgundy pepper sauce, takes me back to my childhood when I first visited France and was excited about trying rabbit for the first time. The meat is succulent and the sauce delicious. My only complaint is that there are no vegetables in the stew, and the baked potato served on the side seemed too odd to qualify. The cuisse de canard gras confit aux haricots panachés (duck confit with mixed beans) is a hearty meal; although both the rabbit and duck seem out of season in the summer, I’ll be craving them in November.

Somewhere out back of the restaurant lurks a charcoal grill, which is why the grilled items are fantastic; with the hot fire, meat gets a good sear, trapping the juices and sealing the flavor. The côtes d’agneau are the tastiest lamb chops I’ve had in Houston. The chef must use a dry rub before the meat hits the grill; at medium rare the chops come off the fire with a crisp flavorful edge, tender inside; and in true French style, Béarnaise sauce and French fries are served on the side with some token vegetables. Along the same lines, I highly recommend the entrecote grillée, a Black Angus ribeye steak that comes with herbed potatoes roasted in the wood oven, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and more dreamy béarnaise for dipping the savory meat. You probably don’t think of a French restaurant when you’re craving steak, but reconsider. The cooking method combined with top grade beef is a combination that you rarely find. The grill is also used to cook salmon, pork chops, Cornish hen, tripe sausage, veal, and swordfish.

The only French dessert that I ever get excited about is chocolate mousse; it is sometimes featured at Bistro Provence–but not when I eat there apparently. Choose from fresh berry and custard tarts, crème caramel, sorbets, or simply have a cognac, brandy, and/or an espresso.

Bistro Provence, "une cuisine du soleil au feu de bois" (a reference to the wood-burning oven), is an ideal way to sample true French cooking in a relaxed and casual setting without the usual expense. Aside from the items on the menu there are usually five daily specials. Stop in on a Thursday night and you’ll be serenaded by two talented gentlemen singing French and English folk songs. Visit their website (www.bistroprovence.net) to see the full menu, wine list, prices, and the addresses of their two other locations. Bon appétit!

2316 S. Shepherd

713/529-4259

Mon.-Thu., 11-10; Fri.- Sat. 11-11, closed Sundays.