Creepies
4/5
Despite the name, there is nothing creepy about either the space or the menu. Small, cozy, and loud, this bistro gets creative with a lot of traditional French dishes. There were three of us, and the amount of food we got was just the perfect. Wine lovers will find their wine list to be quite comprehensive, with something for all palettes. Cocktail drinkers beware, their cocktails are prebatched and they don't have a full service bar. Overall a great experience, perfect for small groups or date night (I hear those are still a thing for the non-single folks). OK, time for the good stuff:
PQB Bread & Butter: 4/5 - The real star here is the butter, which is soft, velvety, full of flavor. The bread is Publican quality, beautiful crust, soft on the inside. It is fairly dense though, so don't overdo it or you'll be full before anything else comes out.
Warm Brie Gougères: 5/5 - I love these with whatever is left of my soul. Choux pastry + warm brie, covered in a honey drizzle, they were perfect. No notes here, I'd like another 45 of them.
Saucisson w/Puff Pastry & Pistachio: 3/5 - Their take of a paté en croute, I found it to be very middle of the road. Flavor wise it felt bland compared to the other dishes on the table. The most interesting thing about it was the pistachio butter it comes with. Texture wise, the crust was perfectly flaky and buttery, but the saucisson paté left something to be desired.
Roasted Carrots w/Almonds, Sultanas & Fig Leaf: 4/5 - Multicolored carrots roasted to a tender crisp consistency, soft enough that you don't need a knife but crisp enough to remind you you're eating a vegetable and not baby food. The tastes on this one were fabulous. The sultanas and fig leaf bring out the sweetness of the carrots, the yogurt sauce on the base provides great, tangy contrast.
Tarte Flambé: 4/5 - The lovechild of a mushroom and leek tarte and a thin crust, tavern style pizza. Crispy crust, perfectly soft mushrooms and a leek base that was savory, and sweet at the same time. The thin crust's refined, French cousin, it's gonna definitely deliver flavor in every bite.
Parisian Gnocchi w/Swiss, Ham, & Egg Yolk: 5/5 - I don't know who thought of this one but I hope they got a raise. This was absolutely fabulous! It comes with a crispy, almost phyllo like cover to provide some crunch to what is otherwise a very soft dish. Flavor wise, this is what Alpine raclette was always meant to be. A deeply savory, umami combo of softly melted Swiss with crispy ham bits that were giving lardon level saltiness. Mix the egg yolk upon serving to create a quasi-carbonara feel that brings everything together. A luscious, velvety mouthfeel, you're going to want more of this I guarantee it.
Fjord Trout w/Salsify, Buttermilk, & Buckwheat: 5/5 - This has got to be the best trout I've had in a very long time. It basically melts in your mouth, the buckwheat and roe further amplify the softness of the trout by providing both flavor and texture contrast. The sauce brings a necessary level of tang to ensure that the dish is balanced overall. If you're a seafood lover, this one is a must order.
Salted Cherry Sherbet & Stone Fruit Meringue Cake w/Buttermilk & Mace: 4/5: Cherry lovers unite, because this is pure cherry flavor and I mean the real stuff not that Robitussin flavored nonsense. The sherbet to meringue ration is perfect, and the sauces provide a good sweet balance to what could otherwise skew towards tart. My only thing? The meringue isn't giving enough stone fruit to warrant it being flavored at all. Overall, a great dessert option.
