A French Bistro For American Tastes

…that is how Martel restaurant in Fairfield is described on its website.  The description could not be more accurate.  As soon as you walk in you feel transported into another world.   A very cozy interior greets you with warm country French decor.   Yet as soon as you glance at the menu, you see little hints of other cultures and cuisines.  Pork Milanese, Meatloaf, Pork Tenderloin Cubano and Hamburger sit proudly on the menu along with very French dishes like French Onion Soup, Trout Meuniere and Steamed Mussels Poulette.

My friends Elbo, H.A. and I were in the mood for purely French food, so we started with French Onion Soup.  Hearty and deeply satisfying soup with ooey-gooey cheese …. Prepared just like it should be.  My favorite part was the bread that hides beneath the cheese….crunchy at first bite but as I ate my soup, it soaked in all the onion broth until it almost became one with it.

For our main course we ordered Steak Frite au Poivre, Mussels with Curry Sauce and Grilled Calamari with Balsamic Syrup.  The Grilled Calamari was excellent - lightly crunchy on the outside and soft and perfectly cooked on the inside.  The light charred flavor was the perfect complement to the flavor of the calamari and tangy balsamic.   This was a gorgeous looking and delicate tasting dish.  The curry sauce in the mussels was to die for.  This dish was served with French fries, but we were craving bread to dip into it.  So we just had to ask for some bread as well as a spoon to slurp in all the goodness.  I just love steak au poivre.  The peppercorn based sauce has the perfectly creamy, and mildly spicy quality that goes so well with steak – don’t you think?

We could not resist dessert as we saw Beignets with Cinnamon Sugar and Chocolate Sauce.  TO DIE FOR!!! 

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