 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soleil Bistro by Christine Woodhouse Soleil Bistro in Buckhead, now under new ownership, is aiming for something a little more casual than fine French fare. This is good news for those of us who shy away from a traditional French menu full of heavily sauced, creamy concoctions. Soleil is expanding to include a wider array of Mediterranean dishes. Among the escargot and homemade terrine, you’ll find prosciutto with melon, lamb osso bucco and penne with roasted eggplant, garlic and tomato. With a large sloping porch and colorful, cheery interior, Soleil’s sunny disposition is reflected in both its décor and the staff’s attitude. The quaint old home, long ago converted to a restaurant, is painted in yellow and orange with bright blue trim, echoing the starburst/sun theme repeated throughout the space. Multiple ceiling fans labor above mismatched tables adding to the relaxed bistro atmosphere. I chose to sit on the porch where I was comforted by the wooden planked flooring and wide canopy covering. The informal setting lent itself to a meal of salads and small plates, so my companion and I partook of many. We started with the escargot. The Snails Provencal came piping hot in a dish with six mini cups where each meaty morsel was immersed in a buttery broth of shallots, garlic and herbs. This French delicacy is one of Soleil’s signature items and remains outstanding even after the original French owner Jaques Hortel's departure. Hortel's apprentice chefs have learned well after years under his expert tutelage. The terrine of the day was a light duck liver mousse served with sliced hard boiled egg, olives and salad greens. The salad’s vinaigrette paired well with the paté, adding some zest to the liver’s distinct, pungent flavor. I forgot how much I like the hardy flavor and rich texture of liver and found myself reminiscing about liverwurst sandwiches shared with my dad, the original food critic in my life. (It’s not his profession but restaurateurs up and down the East coast fear the man.) Next we tried the highly lauded mussels, another of Soleil’s signature items. The steamed shellfish are piled high in a light curry, saffron and cayenne pepper seasoning that results in a neon green broth. Smirk if you like but they are quite good. According to loyal patrons, the salad with scallops is another winner but, unfortunately, it’s only available at lunch. We tried the salade de crevettes balsamic instead. Large, grilled shrimp top leafy greens with goat cheese, hard boiled egg and pine nuts. The unusual combination of goat cheese and shrimp works well, and the addition of a little shaved parmesan garnish adds another sharp dimension to the salad. Moving on to dessert, I ignored the owner’s recommendation of the house-made chocolate mousse or crème brulee. I wanted chocolate mousse cake, made on site or not. In retrospect, this was a mistake. The cake was decent with its spongy chocolate bottom layer and chocolate mousse topping, encircled by a fence of wonderfully dark chocolate. But overall, it was remarkably light for an all-chocolate dessert and it didn’t quite satisfy. Next time I will do as I’m told and order the homemade mousse. Future visits should reveal even more choices as Soleil continues to update and expand a menu that, until now, hasn’t been altered in years. Former Ritz executive chef and close friend of the original owner, Robért Joel, is Soleil’s consultant in this endeavor. Keeping in mind the restaurant’s French/Italian Mediterranean concept, he has developed a book of new recipes to include some lighter, low fat and low carb options for the increasingly health conscious American public. I look forward to tasting his gourmet interpretation of the tuna wrap, as well as more fish entrees like the now debuting red snapper special – always a sell-out. He’ll also be adding more vegetarian items to supplement the popular vegetarian panini and the assiette de legumes, otherwise known as a vegetarian plate. Already an adequate little bistro, Soleil promises to get even better. Soleil Bistro is located at 3081 Maple Drive, Atlanta. For reservations, call (404) 467-1790. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| From top: Grilled Chicken Caesar; Angel Hair Connoise; Owners Tate Clements and Destiny Sanderson; Pecan Tart, Tropical Mousse, Chocolate Mousse cake and more. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
