September 2004

The proprietors of La Cote D'Or have moved their restaurant to larger surroundings around the corner and opened a less formal place in the old location. The new place is called Le Bistro des Célestins, after an order of nuns and the source of healing water from Vichy. It fits nicely into the mold of French bistros, with informal artwork, a short but appropriate menu, and moderate prices. Service is friendly and generally attentive, but on a couple of occasions the server was not well-informed. On Friday and Saturday evenings, there is live music from pianist Roosevelt Smith, who would be a plus at any piano bar.

Topping the list of appetizers is escargots de Bourgogne, a half-dozen snails in a ceramic snail plate. The snails are pleasingly tender in their powerful bath of garlic, butter, and parsley--and a bargain at $6.25. Other good starters are the crumbly pâté maison, the smooth chicken-liver mousse, and the slightly chewy clams Casino. Fried calamari, served with a good rémoulade sauce, have been tiny and tender. Soups are winners, including satisfying onion soup gratinée, fish soup, and potage Parisian, a combination of potatoes and leeks in a fine broth.

Salads serve as appetizers, post-main-course interludes, and light main courses. The frisée salade Lyonnaise with bacon and poached eggs is a good small salad; the grilled chicken Caesar salad works as a main course. Sandwiches, omelets, and crepes occupy a prominent place on the menu, and all are satisfactory. Sandwiches of Bayonne French ham or pâté, the omelet du jour, the quiche du jour, and the assortment of crepes are all competently done, although the wild mushroom crepe worked better than the seafood crepe with a cheese topping. If you want your omelet other than firm, tell the server.

The main courses are the most successful, with one caveat. The grillades are less than generous for prices ranging from $11.95 to $13.95. Seafood has been good. There's a fine version of frog's legs with garlic, parsley, and butter. Swordfish au poivre was fine, with crunchy whole white peppercorns, cooked a proper length of time and served with a pleasing wine sauce. The generous portion of mussels approached the best around.

No one can complain about the preparation of the tender minute steak, the pork chop with a wine reduction, or the lamb steak, only the size of the portion. The Toulouse sausages and lentils were a perfect match, just like the more familiar combination of liver and onions. For carnivores, there is a tangy steak tartare. With most dishes come exemplary frites, thinly cut and crisp.

The desserts are old fashioned but good. Chocolate mousse, profiteroles, fruit tarts, and crepes are all nicely done, with most choices under $5. The wine list is short, with a baker's dozen bottles listed. Prices range from $27.50 to $41.50. The assortment is not bad, but a few more reds would be welcome, especially good values from the less-familiar regions of France. One complaint: A server unfamiliar with the short list advised patrons that a Spanish wine came from Chile.