Petite Chou

Ginger Holloway

I love Petite Chou.  For the record, it is my favorite of the "Chou" restaurants (Cafe Patachou being its American cousin, and Napolese its Italian foreign exchange student friend).  I love the French bistro twist it has; while it's still overpriced, just like its brethren, for some reason I'm slightly more okay with it because I'm getting food that's more than just ordinary breakfast.  The Croque Monsieur, while not exactly like the one I ate in the streets of Paris on a high school trip, is still heaven (if heaven is ham, Gruyere, and bechamel sauce...and I think my heaven would be).

But I digress.  What I really want to talk about is dinner at Petite Chou, not breakfast.  I had never been there for that meal, and was happy to meet a couple of girlfriends there on a Saturday night.

I started with a cocktail (it was girl's night, after all).  The Ginger Holloway caught my eye because I'm a big fan of ginger beverages (like ginger beer), and this one had organic ginger liqueur, pear puree, rosemary, and Prosecco ($8).  The ginger definitely came through, and the pear gave it a subtle sweet fruitiness.   I didn't taste much rosemary, although I did come across a few tiny pieces as I drank through my straw.  Luckily, it wasn't enough to be distracting.  Overall, it was pretty good.

I couldn't pass up the French onion soup (aka "Onion Soup Gratinee" - $6.95).  I have a hard time ever passing it up, and when I know it'll be done well, it's a must-have.  They definitely did a great job--I'm still thinking about this one, and can't wait to go back for it!  The broth was beefy and oniony, the onions themselves melt-in-your-mouth, and there was just the right amount of gooey melted Gruyere on top (plus it was properly browned in spots--yum).

For my main, I had the chicken crepe ($13.50).  Encased in a delicate, thin crepe were chunks of chicken breast, mushrooms, a bit of arugula, and sherry cream.  It was divine.  The cream gave the whole thing a rich, addictive quality, and kept it from being too dry.  The dish also came with a side salad of lightly dressed field greens that was a nice compliment.  I finished the salad, but between that and my soup, I could only eat half of the crepe.  It reheated nicely for my lunch the next day.

Both of my friends got the Petite Chou Burger with Frites ($12.95).  It featured brie, caramelized leeks, and mushrooms, and while I didn't try it, they both seemed to enjoy the dish.  As promised, they came with frites and an aioli dipping sauce, which I did try and enjoyed (the frites weren't Brugge-level, but they were solid).  The burgers also came with a starter salad, which the menu didn't mention--it was more of the lightly dressed mixed greens--so that was an added bonus.

The dinner menu at Petite Chou features a lot of other items I'd like to try, so between that and the delicious meal I had, I will definitely be returning. 

Website:  Petite Chou