It might surprise you to learn that some people make a living importing frozen French bread into this country. If that violates everything you hold dear about the baguette, consider that prebaked and preproofed frozen French bread is not infrequently superior to fresh, domestically baked loaves hot from the oven. And in places that don’t have master bakers, it sure beats Wonder Bread.
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Nevertheless, the mini baguette that initiates a meal at Bistro Voltaire, his snug, congenial new River West North cafe, provides an auspicious sign, its crackly, chewy crust girding a slightly moist, tangy interior. I was surprised it hadn’t been baked from scratch. But it wasn’t. And in fact, you could say much of the vibe and menu at Bistro Voltaire is frozen and rewarmed to meet the American ideal of what an actual French bistro is supposed to be.
Chef Colin Beaumier’s menu, for the most part, is a predictable collection of benchmark bistro food that would surprise Francophilic eaters only in its uneven execution. Several appetizers are just as encouraging as the bread: A black-truffle vichyssoise is cool and rich, drizzled with judicious squirts of truffle oil and sprinkled with grated black tuber. An oxtail terrine, an amalgamation of beefy bits in gelatinous suspension, has its richness surgically cut by horseradish cream and sweet grapes. A pair of sweet, jiggly scallops drizzled in saffron cream like an early-80s abstract isn’t exactly on script, but it’s not a bad departure.
226 W. Chicago 312-265-0911bistrovoltaire.com
