Bistro Du Midi
On my run this morning I noticed that Bistro Du Midi (Old Excelsior spot) looks almost ready to open. Any news on an exact opening date?
The Kitchen Staff looks pretty promising: http://www.chefdb.com/pl/17639/
http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com...
By Matt H
on Nov 17, 2009 03:54 AM
I don't know any official date but it's got to be soon. I walked by last night and the staff was sitting at a long table.
The bar is on the opposite side of the room as before; and there's a serving " window" at the back wall. I wasn't crazy about the room, but I imagine the lighting will be different. I was a big fan of Biba, Excelsior..not so much.
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exec chef was sous chef at le bernadin for 7 years. group that owns it also runs 2 highly rated places in nyc (both called a voce) and another very successful london spot. super serious wine program.
i also heard monday. friends and family was the other night.
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Robert worked at Le Bernadin for years, but for most of them as a line cook. BTW, interesting first post, inluv. A Voce just got a great review in New York mag. Friends and family has been going on all week, mixed results, like all trial runs. Bouillabaisse rumored to be good.
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I too heard they would be opening Monday from someone who went to one of the pre opening dinners there last weekend.
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Bistro du Midi is open as of Monday.
Phone number and Open Table link at http://www.bistrodumidi.com/
Anyone go yet? Any opinions?
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I went Monday night and was unimpressed. Most of the dishes missed big time: a stale onion and anchovy tart (stale on the first night?). The rabbit rillettes was from the refrigerator cold and all you could taste was the raw onion. The Bouillabaisse consisted of four turned potatoes and two pieces of white fish, very disappointing especially for $29. The wine list by the bottle was very over priced, I could not find a bottle that was the least bit interested in for under $40. The list looks exactly like the Excelsior list but even more expensive. I was expecting a bistro and I did not see very much that resembled that, overpriced and mediocre.
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Took the words out of my mouth. The Bouillabaisse was a disappointment. I lived 20 minutes north of Marseille for a year and both the manager, the waiter, and another employee (a second manager?) made a big deal of letting me know how authentic they are striving to be with the food. Two small pieces of the same fish? Bouillabaisse should have contrasting fish. That's what makes it interesting! At least three different types, but according to a Corsican friend of mine, it MUST have six different types of fish. Portion was small. The rouille was lacking in flavor, definitely not enough garlic or heat. Also, three of the tiniest crostinis I've ever seen are not sufficient enough for a bowl of Bouillabaisse. At $29, some bread is not going to break the bank. Atmosphere was warm and modern but somewhat "fake" looking, if that makes sense. It was too sterile for the warm, refined yet rustic look I think they were going for. Cocktails were good. I had a sidecar, and my gf had a original riff on a gimlet. The deep fried artichokes with Aioli were delicious, although the Aioli definitely needed more garlic.
Last and probably biggest complaint. Service was clumsy and way over the top. We had six different people come and talk to us during the meal and the amount of ass-kissing was way over the top. The best part about really great service is that there is someone there when you need them, yet they know when to leave you alone so you can simply enjoy your conversation.
I might return once they've worked out the kinks, but I won't be expecting a "bistro." Granted Petit Robert and Gaslight do deliver solid French food at affordable prices. But why is it that restauranteurs can't seem to understand what a bistro is in Boston?
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Yep, bistro and trattoria are both mightily abused terms in the States. But BdM's prices do seem much saner than what Excelsior was getting away with (or ultimately didn't get away with, I guess.) Not a bistro, exactly, but not a bad deal for a place with its level of food and overlooking The Common.
I haven't experienced the overly butt-smoochy service you describe: pretty much one quite competent server, attentive but not intrusive, and perhaps a service waiter clearing and attending to water. A friendly, helpful sommelier who steered me to exactly what I was looking for, plus a wine list with far more range than its ridiculously top-heavy predecessor. I'm going back.
http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/
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Do you recommend any dishes, Slim?
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Pissaladière, octopus, roast chicken for two (wicked), barbajans, charcuterie, gnocchi, ratatouille.
http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/
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my goal this month is to get upstairs because so far i've been only to the downstairs bar. why is it so f***ing bright? it looks/feels very unwelcoming and cold.
the bartenders have been enthusiastic and friendly, but poorly trained. each time i have ordered a bottle of wine, they were preparing to open it without ever presenting the bottle to me.
the bread service is also odd: a GIANT wooden box that held only 2 small slices. 1 for each of us.
i have liked the apps so far, so will try it again. it's 10,000 times better than its neighbor post 390.
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We were there Monday as well and it was overall ok for a first night ...I had the pork terrine and it too was right out of the fridge. It was tasty but it was served with pickled celery, onions and carrot and they looked sort of forlorn on the plate It needed something else like a dab of good french mustard on the side. DH started with the oysters and said they were very fresh and briney..dont recall their origin. He had pan seared halibut and I had beef daub and both were fine in fact good The beef is unadorned and very rich. The only thing that really sticks out in my memory is the ( small) cast iron pot of mashed potatoes served with the beef .They were very delicious ...we shared a dessert and again it was fine...I was surprised that service was as good as it was for the maiden voyage. Agree mark ups on wine list are dear although we did find an excellent 2005 Burgundy for 99 which isnt half bad...nothing was bad , nothing except the spuds really caused me to pause...What surprised me as well is that the only fowl on the menu is roast chicken for 2...and no duck . It wasnt a " I can't wait to go back" kind of place for us But it is WAY early so we will wait a bit and try again later ..oh and yes it was pricier than I expected for a bistro but not pricier than I expected for the real estate
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So my wife and I stopped off Saturday afternoon for lunch when we were walking by looking for a place to grab a quick bite. We ate downstairs in the Cafe area and did not have to wait for a table.
I started with a Steel Rail Pale Ale on Tap, the Tap list was 3 beers long and the bottle selection a few more than that. Not really a beer place though, but I am a fan of Steel Rail so that was a nice option.
We both ordered the Burger. I asked for it as close to Rare as possible and the kitchen said that they had no problem cooking it rare for me, which wins instant points in my book. The Burger is served with Caramelized Onions, Horse Radish Mayo and Ketchup. The Onions and Mayo were a nice touch. The Burger itself was cooked perfectly rare and had a nice flavor since it was filled Thyme and other spices and topped with Emmental Cheese. I wouldn't say it was the greatest Burger ever, but I was happy with the product.
It is served with Garlic Fries and you can tell this is not really a focus on theirs. They had a decent flavor, but were much too salty (and I love salt).
Service was exceptional though, our server was attentive, friendly but not overwhelming.
I will definitely be going back to try out other parts of the menu.
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Eight of us had an excellent dinner here a week ago Friday, and the upstairs dining room was hopping which was heartening to see in this economy.
The standouts were chestnut soup, rabbit rillette, fried artichokes (half of a fresh artichoke cut in 2 quarters with much of the long stem peeled and intact and fried in a light crispy batter with tasty aioli); venison which was cooked rare and was perfectly tender, and the anis pot de creme. The steak was filet mignon and delicious, although it's not something I'd order when rabbit and venison share the menu. The things I wouldn't be inclined to order again are the rabbit terrine (a special that night), and the iced almond & orange cake which didn't have much flavor. The carpaccio and boullibaise looked tasty but didn't draw raves the way most other things did, so I didn't try them.
My one minor issue is also a pet peeve: the waiter does his spiel about the specials, which includes informing us that the chef has a black truffle which he can shave on any dish, but doesn't give any prices unless you ask, and ask again after each item.(btw truffle is +$20, what you'd expect, but not info that they'll offer unless requested). I'd prefer that I ask once, and he gives the prices going forward rather than forcing you to ask after each item.
But I definitely plan to go back, especially if they have the same appetizers and a la carte sides at the bar.
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I agree, I find it highly annoying when specials are listed without the prices following them. I dislike having to ask, esp after each one. If you're putting the prices on the menu with the regular entrees, then do the same when you list them as specials.
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$20 seems a little high for black truffle, no? That's almost white truffle pricing. Isn't it?
Agree that prices should be given. They have prices on the menu, right? What makes them think we don't want to know what a special costs?
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Not stating prices for specials is a pet peeve of mine, especially if the dish is extraordinarily expensive. It puts you in the same class as North End clip joints like Dolce Vita, which has perfected the practice of selling unpriced specials hard, then surprising guests with a check that includes entree specials that are more than twice the average cost of what's on the menu. If they don't tell, ask, always.
http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/
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I'm surprised there isn't more written about this place. We sat at the bar upstairs last night and were quite pleasantly surprised. The only letdown for me was the rabbit rillette - it was one note in taste and desperately needed some acid. The pork terrine was the standout as well as the barbajans (especially the goat cheese and honey variety) and the rabbit ragu over gnocchi was quite good as well - the gnocchi were perfectly light pillows, though I would have preferred a richer ragu, but that's quibbling. Our bartender Matt was knowledgeable and definitely won us over with his spot on recommendations of wines. Not much traffic upstairs, but downstairs seemed to be filled with the drinking-champers type crowd.
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Maybe some folks are expecting higher prices, thanks to Excelsior. I reviewed it favorably in Stuff Magazine, but the big boys and girls haven't weighed in on it yet: I expect to see those Globe, Herald, Phoenix, and BoMag reviews soon, which should help.
http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/
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I've had great experiences at Bistro di Midi and it is quickly entering my frequent-visit rotation.
I recommend the barbajuans, bouillabaisse, gnocchi, and any fish special. I also really like their wine menu--particularly the detail and selection to their white Burgundians--but, as such places tend to be, the best value is in the upper prices.
MC Slim's comment about Excelsior biasing folks' views is likely spot on; Bistro di Midi shares the space, but not the menu, vibe, or price point.
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I have dined there 3 times (midweek) over the past month and the upstairs space has been fairly full, with the food overall being very good and the service great. I much prefer the space (bar and dining) upstairs vs down. Although sitting by the fireplace can get a little hot. On an additional visit to the downstairs bar, the service was just ok (somewhat slow and the bartenders not paying a lot of attention to the customers) with the space being @ 1/3 full.
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