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French Bistro, Astoria Site
Bistro Les Minots
47-16 30th Ave., Astoria
(718) 606-2535
bistrolesminots.com
Cuisine: French
Hours: Lunch noon-4 pm, Dinner 5-10 pm Tue-Fri.;
Lunch 11:30 am-4 pm, Dinner 5 pm-11 pm Sat & Sun
Parking: Street
Credit Cards: All Major
The classic French bistros, in their purest form, serve as more than the local food joint. Traditionally, they are a community center, meeting place, unofficial court and institution, where familiar faces gather around food, wine, debate, memories and je ne sais quoi.
To attempt such an atmosphere in New York, where neighbors can go years - heck, decades - without knowing each other's name? That can be considered insane. Or brilliant.
In the case of Bistro Les Minots, it's the latter. Two Frenchmen have managed to create the atmosphere of the humblest of their homeland's bistros and the culinary delights of the highest haute cuisine.
The cozy wood-paneled interior, Spartan and romantically lit, smartly forces your attention upon the two most important things: the food and your date, though not in that order.
The menu itself comes in the prix fixe (that'd be one price - three courses) or a la carte forms. And yes, the bistro offers all the mythic French items less adventurous Americans mumble of, like escargots (snails) and crème brulee. And they're all spectacular.
My guest and I started our meal with La Salade de Chèvre Chaud, a refreshing and tasteful mix of baby spinach with honey Dijon mustard dressing, surrounded by warm goat cheese on toast. The dressing offered a sweet counterpoint to the goat cheese, which has a delightful tendency to reward each bite with a touch of tanginess.
Next came the main course, and I grew giddy waiting to taste a rich sauce accompanying my hanger steak, mixed veggies and fries, as well as my companion's pork mignon with a white bean stew.
The Bistro's kitchen didn't disappoint. On offer with my steak was a shallot Bordelaise sauce that provided rich coat of red wine reduction and subdued shallot flavor to the red meat, and complimented the ever-crispy fries. My date's pork mignon came bathed in a whole grain mustard sauce, an unusual flavorful blend that can't be reenacted by my spice rack.
Desert mandated crepes and crème brulee, as well as an apple tart, all served hot, sweet and rich.
Beyond the great food, the owners of Bistro Les Minots go to pains to strive beyond food and create a commonality among its patrons, a sort of brotherhood of foodies. There's the once-monthly movie nights, Sunday brunch with live musical accompaniment and the exhibition of local artist's works.
One true joy of Bistro Les Minots lies in its price, which at its gut-stuffing best still doesn't break the bank.
Stop in. Enjoy a glass of wine and some good company to accompany the food.