Don’t look now, but French cuisine might be making a comeback.
Okay, so maybe it’s not your daddy’s French cuisine—five or six courses of cream and butter-laden, unpronounceable dishes that cost as much as a solid-gold Rolex. But rather modern bistro fare—accessible, (relatively) affordable, with a soupcon of inventiveness and utter lack of pretension.
Case in point: Fabien’s Bistro (6063 S.W. 18th St., 561/347-1117), an upscale bistro from French native Fabien Paroutaud and his Argenine wife, Silvina. From a longtime French restaurant family, Paroutaud opened an Italian eatery in Montreal in 2001 before moving to sunnier climes to debut Fabien’s.
The restaurant has a warm, classy but comfortable look, done in soothing earth tones with lots of dark wood, brick accent wall and spiral crystal chandelier.
As for the food, it’s a blend of family recipes and slightly tweaked traditional favorites, from mussels in saffron cream sauce and coq au vin to braised lamb shank with port wine sauce and crispy half duck with sweet plum sauce. Prices are on the high side of bistro tariffs, with entrees ranging from $27.50 to $35.50. But there is a three-course, prix fixe early bird menu for $22.95.
