This is sort of a combination of wine notes and restaurant review as we
had dinner last night at a pre-opening event at Mistral French Bistro,
which opens for business September 8th at 2585 W. Broadway in Vancouver
(right at the northwest corner). It is run by Jean-Yves and Minna
Benoit.

I got there early to take a look around - they have completely
redecorated the interior to reflect a sort of Provencal Bistro style,
with bare wood tables, nice artwork and bright young wait staff willing
to please. I spoke with Rob Feenie when I was walking to the
restaurant (I'm attending a Lafite vertical at Lumiere in a couple of
weeks) and he sent someone down with a gift of some chocolate goodies
made in-house, a nice gesture.

We started out with a local wine (the wine list is compact but well
thought out with many small production BC wines included).

2004 La Frenz Viognier - I've a half case of this but haven't got
around to pulling any corks yet, so it was interesting to try this
again. Papaya and banana hints in the nose, crisp and clean with
decent length.

with:

Trio of Duck - Rillettes, Pat=E9 in crepine and Smoked duck breast
garnished with cornichons and onion confit. The coarse pat=E9 was very
country French, the smooth rillettes very tasty and two slices of rich
red duck breast were redolent of smoke.

SWMBO had:

Warm Roblechon cheese on crouton with proscuitto, mesclun salad and
fresh pears, which she declared to be quite good.

Next up, to match the main course:

1997 Ch. de St. Cosme Gigondas Cuvee Classique - dark wine with a
knock-out bouquet of sweet plums, leather, pepper and mushrooms. It
just sort of leaps out of the glass at you. When I finally stopped just
sniffing this and tasted it, I found that the tannins were abundant but
softened, the wine quite full in the mouth and with really excellent
length, slowly tapering off with little hints of spice an anise. Almost
dislocated arm trying to pat own back at foresight in having tossed a
couple of cases of this into the cellar. If you have it, it drinks well
now and should continue to do so for the next half dozen years or so.

With:

Duo of Beef - Pan seared beef tenderloin with creamy green peppercorn
sauce,
Steak tartar with mesclun salad and Mistral French fries - oh YES!

Meateaters delight! First, it is unusual to order beef and actually
get it cooked the way you ask for it. For that reason I usually ask for
it to be done 'bleu', in the (usually vain) hope that it will show
up with at least some pink in the middle. In this case, I got it -
bleu! And you could almost cut it with a fork, and it was napped with a
creamy and not too assertive peppercorn sauce (easy to overdo that and
wind up with you own little pot au feu happening in your mouth.)

Second, to accompany this with a small cylinder of tartare, cut on the
slightly coarse side with a piquant mustard incorporated was
delightful, and the hand cut frites were of variable size and just as
you'd get them in a French Bistro, served on the side.

SWMBO had:

Casserole of lamb shoulder, duck leg confit, lamb sausage and white
navy beans - the sausage (not made in house, I think) interesting,
the lamb falling apart and the duck perfectly done. Very good.

We finished the Gigondas with a cheese plate (generous portions) and
for she-who-must-be-obeyed, a round of fresh apple tart with praline
ice cream.

A promising start without many of the usual first night jitters. I
intend to return and work my way through the menu, no matter how long
it takes me. I have already spoken to Jean-Yves about remedying the
lamentable absence of foie gras at present on the menu and he promises
it will soon appear as a daily special.

Sounds like a nice restaurant indeed!

Just for the record, (how often does one get to correct Maitre Spohn?

On 8 Sep 2005 07:43:26 -0700, "Bill S." > said:

] Warm Roblechon cheese on crouton with proscuitto, mesclun salad and
] fresh pears, which she declared to be quite good.

That's "Reblochon." This is a bizarre sounding dish to me, unless the reblochon
was perhaps _very_ ripe. It's not usually served that way here, and is rather
mild.

I have had to memorize this to avoid confusion with the well known chef,
first name Joel.

About the St Cosme: does anyone know what their production is? It
seems ubiquitous...

-E
--
Emery Davis
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