North Side Restaurant Review: Cotes du Rhone

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Mar 19, 2007 3:00PM

Let’s get one thing straight: Don’t expect this review of Cotes du Rhone to include any verbose visual descriptions of the food. Not that we can’t wax poetically with the best of them, mind you, it’s just that this bistro is really really dark. So much for eating with our eyes. But don’t let that stop you from checking out this recently opened Edgewater restaurant. While there are still some kinks to work out — the ventilation system needs work — this French boite shows promise, especially if they continue to be BYOB (hey, nothing wrong with saving some green now and then; save even more when you come on your birthday and receive an entrée for $5 with a valid photo ID). We were told they were giving it some serious thought. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

After straightening out a minor glitch with our reservation — the hostess was very apologetic — we were seated. The small restaurant is divided into two rooms, each with approximately 10 tables. The décor is minimal, with brown walls — well, at least we think so —modern-art paintings and fleur de lis accents scattered about. Chef Brian Moulton previously logged many hours at Café Bernard, so it’s no surprise that his versions of classic French bistro fare are spot on. On the appetizer side, the duck liver pate with black truffles ($7) is a winner, as is the escargot with garlic butter ($6.50). While not a typical French preparation, the sautéed calamari with tomatoes, garlic and calamata olives ($6.50) had us clamoring for more bread to sop up the flavorful sauce. We enjoyed the balsamic vinaigrette served on the spinach salad ($7), but there was just too much of it. A heavier hand would have been appreciated, though, with the salad’s portobellos and lardons.

On the entrée side there are 12 options to choose from, in addition to nightly specials. We’ve heard good things from foodie friends about the cassoulet, a casserole of white beans, lamb, duck, pork and sausage topped with French bread crumbs ($16.50), and the bouillabaisse ($20). Instead, we opted for one dish from the regular menu — the pan-seared sea scallops with a beet coulis, citrus brown butter, bok choy and garlic mashed potatoes ($21) — and another from the specials — a filet mignon (pictured) with a tasty peppercorn sauce, roasted seasonal vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes ($25). Both were quite good and more than ample in portion size. So ample in fact, that dessert — crème brulee and cheesecake — was out of the question. Our friendly and attentive server backed up our decision when he told us that his favorite dessert, the chocolate bread pudding, had run out earlier in the evening, and he wasn’t crazy about the cheesecakes. Too bad all service-oriented people can’t be so honest.

Cotes du Rhone is located at 5424 N. Broadway Ave.; 773-293-2683. Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 5-10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5-11:30 p.m.; and Sunday 5-10 p.m.; closed on Tuesdays.

Thanks, Lisa.