French connection

Beaujolais Bistro chef and owner Bill Gilbert understands French gastronomy. He spent 12 years wearing his heart on his chef’s coat and doing what he loves, cooking French food. He apprenticed with one of the best, Jean Pierre Doignon of Le Bistro at Incline. Beaujolais Bistro’s new location on the Truckee River sports a dozen stools at a proper bar, shaking nine custom cocktails ($10 each) and four trendy draft beers ($6-$10), but still small enough—45 seats—to maintain the bistro ambiance.

“It’s always been a special occasions place,” Gilbert said. Now, walk-ins for drinks and appetizers at the bar are a new approach, and Gilbert is seeing a new crowd.

A menu ($6-$45) that changes daily attests to Gilbert’s desire to entice people to try his cuisine. Starters include seared foie gras with port wine sauce ($12), skillet smoked mussels ($15), and I tried the tapenade terrine ($12). It was a tri-colored round loaf stacked with a tapenade, an olive-based spread common in Mediterranean cuisine made with olive oil and seasonings mashed together into a thick paste. It's placed atop roasted eggplant and finely chopped beets on a base of goat cheese. It was a cascade of flavors in my mouth and so very elegant. From the salty expression of the olives on the savory eggplant to the sweet-tart of the beets finished with the creamy, opulent goat cheese. A couple of baked Littleneck clams ($15) were set in front of me, almost obscure in presentation. One bite and they were totally relevant. The clams are removed and finely minced with some onions, carrots, thyme, Pastis, an anise-flavored liqueur, and house-made bread crumbs added, drizzled with butter, and then baked. It has almost a meaty texture rather than a whole clam feel, savory with a slightly sweet, aromatic butter-rich flavor.

Other menu offerings include seared albacore tuna ($28) with a Romesco sauce, a nut and red pepper sauce from northeastern Spain; crispy rabbit loin ($29), with a hazelnut crust and dried fruit; and sweetbreads and bacon ($29) in shallots, sherry sauce with potatoes. And a long-time signature, liberty duck breast ($33) with kumquats and tangerine.

The duck is from the Sonoma County Poultry Co., the lamb is from Niman Ranch, and the beef is from Durham Ranch, all the highest quality in product suppliers. Served on a bed of mashed potatoes, the duck was cooked to perfection with a crispy skin and moist meat that melted in my mouth. The tangerines and kumquats provided a sweet acidity adding another texture, delicately cutting the minimal fat the duck produced. The natural au jus married with the warm, lush fruits finessed the taste buds with a savory sweet indulgence with every bite.

There’s a well structured wine list ($34-$300) with great French values among the New World wines and a dozen offerings by-the-glass ($11-$14). With the rich duck, I saw 2010 Château du Pin ($11) a Bordeaux. Upfront, there's lively fruit tastes, but with a satisfying length of flavor. This predominantly Merlot-based wine has all the charm and hallmarks of a Bordeaux. It shows juicy ripe cherry fruit with a smooth elegant wrap of fruit tannins. The wine has not been aged in oak barrels, so the pure fruit is a great example of the quality and style of the vintage—ripe, healthy grapes usually equal juicy wines.

Yes, thick sauces still exist—thank goodness—as do venerated haute cuisine kitchens. But French cuisine has also become more accessible, and increased access to exceptional local product means that a place like this dishes out high-quality French fare in more down-to-earth environs.