Bordeaux: Au Bistrot
In France, there is always a corner bistro a stones throw away in any direction. Bordeaux is no exception when it comes to the bounty of beaucoup de bistros. However, there is something truly exceptional happening on 61, Place des Capucins near the Capucins Farmer’s Market. Au Bistro may look like most corner bistros from the outside what with the outdoor seating, special of the day written on a chalkboard, and unassuming sign. It is when you walk in do you realize that something special is going on here.
Modern yet rustic décor greets you at about the same time as the prompt and exceptionally helpful server— the only front of house staff in the entire restaurant. The clear view of the open kitchen complete with high top seating invites you to take a glance into the world of a chef. Au Bistro is small in seating, but whenever a chef designs the floor of a restaurant to include the kitchen, it says to me; “Hey, watch me work. I’ve got something special in store for you.”
Instead of ordering multiple courses of local delectables, we dove into the one pot wonder braised pork shank for two (Jarret de porc braise en cocotte for 2). When it was finally braised to perfection, the chef presented that all too familiar Le Creuset to our little section of the bar. As the lid was slowly pulled off, a sort of hush of silence on our part was lifted as the beauty and simplicity of this dish seemed to scream “Voila!” Yes it was fall off the bone, but not entirely. This is a good thing, because it allows you to dig into this shank in a kind of medieval style of knife and fork play. There is something so satisfying as ladeling unctuous perfectly seasoned broth over potatoes, haricots verts, carrots, cabbage, and of course, a pork shank that would make Henry the 8th giddy with anticipation. The surprising addition of stewed tomatoes lent a welcomed sweet acidic pop to this timeless dish.
Au Bistro is unassuming on the outside, but a true foodie find of Bordeaux on the inside. With dishes like roasted then braised pigeon, a grilled côte de bœuf that is wrapped in caul fat, or roasted rabbit thighs, the chef methodically cooks to fulfill and satisfy. They’re putting their own modern twist on classic French fare that is both timeless and inventive. Au Bistro truly does bare some similarity to the Le Creuset that our meal was prepared in. There are many bistros like it on the outside, but you have to lift the lid, step inside, and taste the exquisite cuisine within.
