The Experience
Très
Mignon...Love on the Plate
Paris during the '60s. Audrey Hepburn, Catherine
Deneuve, Andre Previn, hip American jazz aficionados
and students from the Sorbonne comprise a sophisticated, sexy new society.
The Left Bank bistros and jazz clubs located in centuries-old cellars
reflect the mood and vibe of the time.
Plano 2001. Today this
spirit comes to life at Mignon, a French Steakhouse that brings jazz and
blues back to dining, opening on November 8 in Lakeside Market at 4005
Preston Road. Mignon will offer the best of bistro cuisine with an
American twist. This lively boite has all the elements of the Left Bank.
If you see the ghosts of beat poets or legendary jazz musicians such as
Miles Davis and Chet Baker, then perhaps your imagination has run wild, or
not. Mignon is just the place they would feel at home spending long,
comfortable evenings, swaying to the sultry sound of American jazz while
fashionable young things frolic at the bar and on the patio.
Swank, civil and
seductive sums up the specialty drinks served at Mignon. Twists on classic
cocktails take center stage and set the tone. Try The Metro (née
Cosmopolitan), French Poodle (née White Chocolate Martini), Harry's
American Side Car (a marriage of Brandy and Margarita) or one of the
Mignon romantic drinks - Champagne Cocktail or Kir Royale. The wine list
features champagne as well as American and French wines. Mignon evokes
memories of such Parisian classics as Deux Magots and La Couple. Long
afternoons blend into evening, with crisp service inviting you to order
one more carafe of wine chased by steaming cups of espresso.
Just
as the spirit of the Left Bank infuses the cuisine of Mignon so too does
its décor. The long mahogany bar sweeps along one side of the restaurant
and offers an excellent vantage point of the dining room and private Black
Beret Room. In this temperature-controlled wine room, alongside bottles
from the Continent and New World, up to 12 can don black berets, dining "a
la mode." A trompe l'oeil mural over the bar, depicts a clock permanently
set just after midnight or noon depending on the viewer's perspective
while the soffit separating bar from dining room features hand-painted
classic highball and cocktail glasses, a colorful toast to the French
spirit of whimsy. Seductively curved banquettes upholstered in
salmon-colored velvet wrap diners in an intimate embrace and classic café
tables heighten the bistro effect. White tablecloths and Euro-size plates
and flatware add to the dining experience. Facing the water-side patio is
a 14-foot portrait of a Parisienne fille "sur une Vespa" bringing home
wine and baguette. Mondrian-style tiled walls, large classic
black-and-white gallery photos and a rich wood paneling give Mignon an
artistic salon feel.
Clearly, beats are paramount to the ambience of
Mignon. The foreground music sets the scene while allowing for ease of
conversation. Classic Jazz sounds of Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck and Chet
Baker fill the room, contrasting Bossa Nova, translates to "New Sound",
artists including Jobim, Stan Getz and Cal Tjader. Current artists such as
Nnenna Freelon, Kevin Mahogany and Dimitri from Paris complete the bill
with fresh, contemporary moods.
Diners will take particular delight
in the Mignon menu and find that this French steakhouse has plenty to
offer. A departure from the typical male-oriented steak restaurants that
have proliferated in recent years, the sophisticated range of classic
bistro items mixed with an American sensibility and flair give the Mignon
menu a well-rounded number of dishes, course after course.
Try
beginning your meal with the Duck Confit Spring Roll, a crisp Indo-Chinois
roll topped with apricot chutney and duck cider au jus. The Steak Tartar
prepared tableside, is paired with capers, thinly sliced onions, basil-oil
and served with toast points. If salmon is your favorite, the House-Cured
and Hardwood- Smoked Salmon has a rich, woodsy flavor. The piece
d'resistance features a stacked Iced Seafood Tower brimming over with
fresh shrimp, mussels, clams, crab claws, salmon tartar and a whole
lobster. The Duck Confit Salad is served with a slice of duck confit atop
mixed greens, poached egg, grilled apples and croutons drizzled with cider
orange vinaigrette. The Salad Mignon, a French staple, blends mixed
greens, bacon-infused croutons and Dijon vinaigrette.
Lunch plates
and main courses allow the imagination to roam. Whether you stick with an
omelet and the chef's soup du' jour or try the Cochon Sandwich, Monte
Cristo or Lamb French Dip, these indulgent sandwiches can be eaten in full
or half portions. Then you come to the main course and essence of Mignon -
steaks and frites. Steak Au Poivre, crusted with peppercorns and a
decadent brandy cream sauce, Filet Mignon, Bone-In-Shell Steak or Pork
Chop Paillard with horseradish mashed potatoes? the side order of pommes
frites is what makes this meal. Dipped in peppercorn brandy cream, mopping
up caramelized onion jus or Mignon Butter, the handmade frites rival any
served across the pond.
Of course, the Grand Finale to any French
meal is dessert. No meal is complete without choosing from the desert
menu's choice sweets. From France's countryside comes the Tarte Tatin, an
upside down apple pie piled high with thick slices of baked apples.
Chocolate Beignets, Lemon Doberge or the consummate Crème Brulee may send
you into ecstasy.
With an exaggerated awning, the outdoor patio
seating complements the Mignon interior space. Seating 80 alongside a
pretty lake and trickling waterfall, the Mignon patio is the ideal spot to
while away the afternoon or evening.
Mignon serves dinner Sunday
through Thursday 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. until
11 p.m. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bar service nightly
"til ,round Midnight. For reservations, dial (972)
943-3372.
