Nosh Vermont

Quatre Bistro, 30 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont

The entryway to Quatre Bistro helps set the mood for what you are about to experience. You open the exterior door of the very business-like building and are greeted by a vase full of beautiful and fragrant fresh flowers. It’s friendly, and invites you to open the interior door, and enter a pleasantly intimate and warm environment, with low lighting, cream and red colored walls, hardwood floors, and a cushy red banquette down one side of the restaurant. There is a bar near the entrance, and it is charming and inviting, and if we were not there to eat a lengthy multi-course meal we would certainly consider the bar as a place to linger for an evening of drinks.

We were seated promptly and with a smile. Our server brought us water and menus, and was helpful as to any questions we had. We didn’t feel rushed or ignored. Quatre has a full bar, but we felt like we might like to enjoy one of the wines from their collection. Martin reviewed the wine list and felt that the selection was quite good. Martin lives in the Beaujolais region of France near Lyon, and worked in the vineyards as a summer job in the same way a teen the way American kids flip burgers, so we felt safe when he chose a Chardonnay, the Latour Grand Ardèche 2004 which was remarkably smooth and full-bodied, touting notes of oak and vanilla. From the kitchen, Chef Pace sent his compliments on Martin’s choice.

We decided to order three appetizers to start, and all three happened to be favorite selections of ours: a cheese plate, calamari, and escargots. In our opinion, these three dishes are like the touchstone for any French bistro. We can get a clear idea of whether a chef has good ideas or not and whether a kitchen can function based on the taste and consistency (not the texture, the regularity with which the kitchen can emit a good product) of one of these three dishes. We also hold these three dishes to be a mark of high standards because these dishes are so common yet seemingly so hard to master as far as the finer points are concerned. Above all, cheese plates, calamari, and escargots taste great when prepared and composed with skill. In the wrong hands, both escargots and calamari can be rubbery, calamari can be oily, and a cheese plate can be very boring or terribly unbalanced.

Our server brought us a basket of warmed Red Hen Bakery rolls, served with a small crock of butter. The rolls were crusty on the outside, and tender and moist when we bit into them. Unfortunately, the butter had been infused with a refrigerated taste that was completely impossible to ignore. As a butter lover, Tracey was nervous about the rest of the meal. Luckily, it did not inhibit the enjoyment of the rest of her meal.

Our cheese plate arrived soon after—a simple rectangular cutting board with thin slices of pear and green apple and three types of cheese from Vermont Butter & Cheese Company: a crumbling lump of Gorgonzola, a zingy peppered Chevre, and the table’s favorite, the heavenly Bonne Bouche. Everyone at our table appreciated the understated, yet clever, and distinctly country style in which the cheese board was presented on a cutting board with larger portions of fewer cheese and fruit selections. At $10, this is a fantastic value and a fine choice for anyone blessed with the ability to digest lactose. The VB&CC cheese board at Quatre Bistro is infinitely attractive and palatable in its simplicity when compared to a ceramic dinner plate cluttered with flavors that seem haphazard. We all absolutely loved this dish, and Tracey dominated this event, consuming more than her fair share.

The calamari was fantastic as well. The squid was not rubbery and the delicious breading featured ribbons of sage among other herbs, creating a fresh aroma and taste. It came accompanied by a spicy tomato aioli which was also delicious. We all enjoyed this dish very much as well, but our third appetizer was sort of a “bummer.” The escargots were “doubled snailed” (two snails in each cup of the traditional escargot dish) in each cup with some garlic butter and then covered with a sprinkling of melted cheese. They were tender, but they were not as flavorful as we had hoped they would be. We craved more garlic, more butter, more… everything. Tracey wonders upon retrospect if this non-taste of sorts was a result of the fridge-butter. This query leads to the larger question, which may rock the culinary world: Is the refrigerator taste the anti-taste? This was the first time Tracey and Yva have had escargot that was not finished. Usually, we’re so garlic-butter-hungry that we daub out the rest of the garlic butter with any bits of bread we can grab. In this instance, that did not seem worthwhile.

Our entrees were perfectly timed, something that Yva noticed. In fact, all of our courses came out at perfect intervals and we never felt rushed or a sense of “waiting” for the next course. All the entrees at Quatre Bistro are served with “starch and greens,” which in our case were sliced and roasted fingerling potatoes and a colorful mélange of red and Napa cabbages, green beans, and pearl onions. The potatoes were rich with a subtle sweetness, and the mixed vegetables were fresh tasting and perfectly cooked.

Tracey ordered the entrée special, the Poisson du Jour (Fish of the Day)—Roasted Scallops in Citrus Beurre Blanc. Tracey openly celebrated her decision to order this incredible special, and though the Poisson du Jour may vary, Tracey encourages all seafood-lovers to report directly to Quatre and order the Poisson du Jour because Chef Pace knows how to cook seafood! He had already proved himself on this front via the amazing calamari, but her scallops were truly exceptional. They were as tender as could be, and had a wonderful delicate, yet rich, flavor. The Citrus Beurre Blanc was perfectly balanced and complemented perfectly not only the scallops but the potatoes and the vegetables. As Tracey was beginning to be full after gorging on the cheese and everything that followed, standard operating procedure dictated that Tracey feed the rest to Martin, who is tall and eats 1.5 times the amount of food as an average human. Tracey only eats .8 times this standard amount, so it all works out and sometimes we have leftovers. Not this time; the entire entrée was consumed quickly and with joy. Yva did manage to get a few bites of scallop and felt this dish was sublime.

For Yva’s entrée, she immediately honed in on the roasted rack of lamb with a raspberry-pomegranate demi-glaze. It arrived beautifully arranged, with just the right amount of sauce so her vegetables did not suffer from any sogginess. The demi-glaze was a balanced blend of fruity sweetness and savory, and it complemented the buttery and tender lamb perfectly. Yva ordered her lamb rare, and it was served exactly as she requested. It was a wonderful dish and Yva had to restrain herself from grabbing it with her hands and devouring it in a most unladylike fashion.

Martin ordered the Canard a l’Orange, a “Vermont raised pan seared duck breast drizzled with an orange demi-glaze.” Sounds delicious, right? Martin felt that the sauce overwhelmed the duck, but said to the dish’s credit that the taste would be perfect if cooked to medium-rare temperature, rather than well done. Additionally, while all the other entrees and starters were presented in a carefully composed manner, his was a completely different affair. When this entrée arrived, the attention of the entire table was instantly drawn to it, ironically because it was not colorful or visually exciting in any way, making it somewhat of a paradox. It appeared to be a plate of brown. The vegetables did not have the colorful appearance they had with the other entrees and it seemed a little thrown together.

Despite the ample portions and a growing feeling of fullness, we pressed on in after reviewing a tempting dessert menu. Tracey ordered a raspberry sorbet, which came whimsically served in a martini glass with a curled wafer cookie. It was lovely, and a refreshing way to complete her meal. Yva ordered the apple tart. The tart had a lovely buttery crust and the artfully arranged apples were enhanced with cinnamon and perfectly cooked. The tart was accompanied by fresh fruit, including juicy, ripe blueberries and a chocolate-covered strawberry. Martin ordered the crème brulee, which was also accompanied by fruit. He felt the top of the brulee was not hard enough, and that he should have had to tap the crust hard with a spoon to access the custard within rather than simply digging into it with the spoon.

Martin and Tracey were happy to notice that an Irish Coffee and a Bailey’s Coffee are two different things at Quatre Bistro. All those that believe that an Irish Crème Liquor is the only ingredient necessary to “Irish up” a coffee are wrong; when rating the authenticity of a true Irish Coffee, it is the whiskey that counts. One can put some Bailey’s in there if one would like, but it’s still Irish without it—IF it contains at least one ounce of whiskey. Thank you, Manager Joseph Surrell, for refraining to take us for the fools we undoubtedly and now publicly are. Tracey’s Irish Coffee was lovely.

We spoke with Joe Surrell, Chef Pace, and our server, Tyler, after our meal. We were pleased to learn that Quatre is a member of Vermont Fresh Network, and they try to use Vermont products whenever possible. Besides Vermont Butter and Cheese, other Vermont suppliers include Arcadia Brook Farms and Misty Knoll. Chef Pace has been there for almost two months and has made some changes to the menu, and the changes taste good. They plan to keep the menu pretty much the same, but with seasonal additions particularly day to day specials with what is fresh and available. On the whole, we enjoyed our food and experience at Quatre, and would encourage you to stop in and give them a try.

Quatre Bistro, 30 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont (802) 865-9700

Closed Sundays

Parking: Free parking is available in the Gateway building parking lots. Ask for a token when you are at the restaurant.

Alcohol: Wine, Beer (bottle and tap), full bar

Payment: Cash, credit cards

Cost for Dinner for Two: $$

Ideal for: Dates, Quiet Celebrations. Not for kids.

Other Services: They currently offer onsite private events. Food is available to go.

Website: www.quatrebistro.com

 UPDATE: 4/23/08 We are saddened to hear that Quatre Bistro has closed.