AlainHarvey | Houston, TX | 10 Reviews
My fiancée and I are regulars of this terrific small French café. Similar to cafés born in Paris, Bistro des Amis, located in Houston’s Rice Village/West U area, exemplifies the standards that have pleased diners in France for years. Following in this tradition, Bistro des Amis offers a relaxed and unassuming environment attracting diners who might wish to linger over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, or to enjoy a hearty meal. As in Paris, Bistro des Amis has become a social meeting place for locals and visitors alike. Bistro des Amis offers a pleasant dining experience any time of day. ' They’re open for lunch as well as a prepared prix-fixe three-course dinner that guests may complement with a fine bottle of wine from a great wine list. Offering favorite French dishes, Bistro des Amis recaptures the ambience and character of the traditional café culture. The bistro decor of earthy tones, dark wood, a gleaming pastry case, along with mementos and paintings from Chef Cullier’s hometown of Biarritz. Biarritz is located in the traditional province of Labourd (Aquitaine region) of the French Basque Country, the only part of France where chile peppers are traditional. The bistro is casual yet elegant. And the sunny patio is a perfect setting to enjoy food and drinks. Bistro des Amis is available for those simply wanting an excellent cup of coffee, or drop in for a generous salad at lunch or sit down to a relaxing three-course dinner. Bistro des Ami’s goal appears to be to create a memorable experience and bon appetit! The Bistro is also a great destination for a weekend brunch when the sunny garden patio is particularly popular, where one can relax with a café crème and a homemade French pastry. French Chef-Owner, Bernard Cullier, takes pride in the art of recreating and innovating traditional French recipes as he once did while cooking on cruise ships for most of his career. Bernard bakes all the pastries, which includes apple tarts in the shape of apples, and an outstanding gâteau Basque. Fresh seasonal ingredients are prepared with special imported French food products to create both classic and contemporary dishes reflecting his Gallic roots. The broad menu includes standouts like succulent escargot in garlic butter sauce served in a crock covered with puff pastry and a mesclun salad with Roquefort cheese, apples, grapes, croutons and tiny cherry tomatoes with the skins removed. On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, there's an amazingly cheap $20 dinner special that includes an appetizer, soup, entrée, two vegetables and dessert. A filet mignon in wine sauce was one of the best entrées I sampled. A seafood casserole with shrimp and scallops in mango cream sauce was a wonderfully delicate change of pace. An excellent duck in grapefruit reduction sauce is served with grapefruit sections tucked in between the slices of duck breast. And then there are the fresh shellfish platters, reminiscent of those served in the French brasseries. The savory crêpes at Bistro des Amis are stacked with a delicious béchamel filling in the middle. Personally, I enjoy the crepe stuffed with French ham and brie. I also enjoy the salmon Carpaccio sandwich, a mayonnaise-spread baguette filled with cooked salmon, lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Another favorite is the tapenade Niçoise, a tuna salad sandwich with olives and capers on a baguette with basil. Bienvenue et Bon Appétit! Alain G. Harvey
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