Chez Moi? Mais Oui!

By on April 5, 2012 8:53 pm in Food

Chez Moi, a French bistro that took over the former La Mancha space at Atlantic Avenue and Henry Street has opened its doors. The soft opening was yesterday evening, and it appears they’ll be taking a week or two to work out operational kinks and flesh out the “classic French with a twist” menu.

My wife and I stopped in tonight for a quick bite to gauge the offerings. The atmosphere offers low light, painted walls and background French jazz & blues playing. A young wait-staff was eager to assist and to take comments on the menu and preparations.

While the menu details are being fleshed out (a charcuterie and cheese offering is promised in the future), we decided to try two French classics: Roast Chicken and Steak Frites. The chicken dish was excellent with an extremely moist breast and leg served with pureed potatoes and seasonal vegetables in a flavorful jus. My wife’s steak was delicious, but the sides (steamed spinach and garlic fries) could have used some punching up. A side dish of haricot vert, however, was excellent: crisp and garlicky, and served quickly after a last-minute order.

We also enjoyed two of the desserts: a warm (not “molten”) chocolate cake on a plate drizzled with salted caramel, and a creme brûlée punched up with a nice taste of citron and served with fresh berries.

The rest of the menu is on the short side as Chez Moi gets up and running. Other options included Onion Soup, Croque Madame, Bouillabaisse and Mussels, along with a few salads and vegetable accompaniments.

One area that could use some improvement is the wine list. The owners (a French-Swedish couple) are planning an “affordable” neighborhood place, but the available wines (a mix of French, italian and New World offerings) were a bit on the high side. Some more affordable options in the low $30 range would be a nice addition.

Chez Moi is currently open for dinner until 11 p.m. (later on weekends). Plans are underway to add weekend brunch and a lunch menu. Looks like this will be another promising addition to the Atlantic Avenue scene.

Share this Story:

, ,

  • Matthew Parker

    Good luck to them. I’ll be trying it soon.

    I do miss La Mancha and Xose. Good food, quirky nabe crowd. Strong sangria. Nothing lasts forever.

  • JMD

    To be a French proofreader for a moment, you spelled “mai” as in the month of May. For “but yes” you need to add “s” — “mais oui.”

  • Steve R.

    Matthew P: hey, who are you calling “quirky”?

    We miss Jose as well but maybe we’ll try Chez Moi tonite and drink real wine.

  • Chewy

    @ JMD. I think he might need an English proofreader first. Low lit. Try two. Moist breast. An affordable.

  • chris

    That’s what you get when you write your reviews at 11 at night…

  • Anna Z.

    We went to Chez Moi for dinner last night and it was terrific! Lovely waitstaff, delicious food, cute atmosphere. We will definitely return.

  • LDNY

    FYI – Their “Grand Opening” is tomorrow, but we had dinner there tonight and it was very good. The service was solid and the food was great. We started with the Duck Salad with Smoked Goat Cheese. The duck was cooked perfectly. Hubby had the Pan Roasted Chicken. The chicken was plump, moist, well-seasoned cooked perfectly. The potatoes were pureed nicely, seasoned well and the veggies were very good. I, too, went with the classic Steak Frites. The frites were crispy, the spinach was garlicky (which i love) and my medium-rare steak was also perfectly seasoned with a nice crispy sear and again, cooked perfectly. Their only error was that I ordered the Au Poivre sauce, but they brought me Bernaise. Still, the sauce was excellent so I didn’t bother to ask them to correct it. I also had their signature “chez moi” cocktail, which was minty fresh :)

    I predict they will be around for a long time and I am looking forward to going back and trying the rest of the menu.

  • EHinBH

    Sounds great — dont know how I missed this post… Can’t wait to try. Wish them the best of luck.