Eat The Menu: Bienvenue, Bellecour

Bistro mania! For my previous dining column, I wrote about Thérèse, superchef Daniel Del Prado’s latest lovechild, new to the 50th & France neighborhood. This time, another kitchenmeister, Gavin Kaysen, stakes his own claim to the art form in the city’s North Loop. It’s called Bellecour, in homage to that epicenter of treasured, anti-fancy grandma fare in Lyon, France. And, in case you haven’t the time or patience to read all the details, the takeaway is this: it’s a winner.

The cozy, two-room setting feels like it’s been there for ages: invitingly warm, dark and clubby, scattered with wooden tables spared the standard starched whites. Service is just as down-to-earth, underlined with deep knowledge of what’s going on behind the kitchen doors. And the menu’s short and simple, calling on the classics you’d enjoy in those unpretentious but reliably rewarding bistros you might have enjoyed in France. And, just as in French bistros (but rare these days on our local dining scene), the meal begins with a complimentary basket of sliced baguette and a ramekin of sweet butter. Nice touch!

The menu leads off with a raw bar selection, which we skipped, drawn by the lure of the list of nine apps ($10-17): classic must-haves like escargot, onion soup, beef tartare and deviled eggs. (But deviled eggs with a twist, like crispy chicken skin.) And, of course, pâté.

The pâté grand mère proved straight-ahead simple, and fine: two slices rimmed in pearly-white fat yielding to a pink, pistachio-dotted slab rich with a brighter, zingier flavor punch than most. It’s served (of course!) with bitty, sweet-tart cornichon pickles and a dab of sweet, seed-rich mustard to layer onto thin slices of dark, seeded toasts.

Our second app was a new one to me, and one that’ll star in my dreams from now on: a trio of supersized duck wings, rich, juicy and deeply flavored, adorned in a light but potent, alluringly sweet yet far from cloying sauce a l’orange. Next time: the squash velouté, presented with spiced crème fraîche. (Who knows? Sounds like an outlier but a possible winner.)

The well-edited list of six mains ($19 for a burger to $30 for roast chicken) stars, of course, steak frites. The slender flat-iron cut proved tender and mildly beef-y in flavor, dressed with a classic sauce au poivre (peppercorn), classically rich and abetted by a haystack of slim-as-a-knitting-needle fries. Those tender, crisp spuds came dusted with parsley and rosemary, a subtle but nice addition.

Next, the cod. The ivory square of fish — super-fresh and mild — is served with a heap of tiny lentils dressed in a hint of curry and spritz of parsley oil: That’s all. And that’s fine. Next time, I’d go for the ocean trout, coutured with cauliflower, almonds, raisins, brown butter and capers. Vegetarians can savor the kitchen’s version of gnocchi, dressed with mushrooms, broccoli and parmesan.

The menu lists a veggie add-on, which I’d intended to summon, but — true confession — forgot to do: a composition of roasted brussels sprouts, pears, radicchio, walnuts and triple cream brie. More is more, all right.

Four desserts are on offer ($16): opera cake with espresso sherbet; crème brûlée with honeycrisp apples; crème fraîche ice cream; and our choice, a magnificent profiterole.

It’s a cream puff for the ages, plump with deeply-flavored orange Cointreau ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce, poured tableside. Our server, far more talented with a knife than I, graciously split the work of art in two.

My Between the Sheets cocktail (bourbon, rum, lemon and curaçao) warmed me throughout the evening, while my companion enjoyed the French 75 — a martini-like sipper (all cocktails $15). Wines BTG begin at $12. Plenty of non-alcoholic creations, too.

Bravo — no, let’s make that bravissimo — to the newest bistro on the block: a real winner.

Bellecour
107 N. Third Ave.
(612) 452-6700
bellecourmn.com/north-loop