The Sister was in town recently and we (Mom, Matt, Sister and I) decided to hit up our long time family fave. While we all had a basic idea of what we were craving we had to be sure to check out the specials menu... it changes every day and offers inspired dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I decided on the Salade Frisee aux Lardons (a frisee salad with chunks of delicious thick cut bacon all topped with a poached egg). This is my favorite salad here. They use a very light vinaigrette on it, and the tang from the dressing mixes with the salt from the bacon making my mouth tres happy. Frisee is a bitter, really textural green and it holds the runny yolk from the egg in all of its bends and twists... so we have bitter, we have a little salty smoke, we have some tart, we have some mildness from the egg... the salad is a downright adventure. A perfect bite would have all of the components in it, but even the ones that are missing one ingredient or another are delicious and complex. Too good. Really.
Mom got yet another dish off of the specials menu. This was a crabcake and it was good. Not the best crabcake I have ever tasted, but good... more crab than bread crumb, seasoned well, nice crispy crust. It was over an interesting salad, though. Greens, beets, melon (both honeydew and cantelope) and corn made for an extraordinarily colorful presentation with a lot of flavors and textures going on. Again, not bad, but not amazing. Verrry pretty though (you eat with your eyes first, people!)
Matt had steak frites which, in my honest opinion, would be hard for anyone to screw up. Matt claims, though, that this was beyond good... it was 'perfect'. Well seasoned and cooked exactly to his request, it was a Matt pleaser for sure. My favorite thing on the plate, though, were the fries. Oh wowzers, the fries. They are thin, crispy, perfectly salted and mind blowing (hello FRENCH fries? I'd be mad if Sophie's made them anything other than spectacularly) Oh their fries. I eat these by the fistfull (side note: if your entree does not come with fries (what were you thinking!) you can order them as a side and they come in a delightful cone. Just so you know)Sister ordered the roasted chicken (poulet roti) which is usually her go to dish, but tonite it was dry. Really dry. She was truly disapointed, as she had been looking forward to the dish ever since we announced where we would be dining. Luckily for us the staff at Sophie's Bistro is not only attentive, but they care about their food, reputation, and customers. The owner came over to ask how everything was while doing his rounds (he is very hands on and can almost always be found on site, mingling) and noticed immediately that her dish was not up to his standards. A new plate was out to her within minutes, and THIS time the chicken was succulent and juicy... a real home run. Matt always says that the chicken here is so good because they brine (a mixture of salt and water used to plump and season meat) their birds, making them that much tastier, especially under the beautifuly crispy skin. Also it comes with fries so YAY bonus points.
All in all this place is a real gem. Its away from the hullabaloo of New Brunswick's theatre area, but close enough that you could still come for drinks and desserts after a show (or come for dinner... they're open late enough!) The food is good, and you can get a great meal for a decent price. The staff is crazy friendly (and clearly they care about your overall dining experience... so important). I want to say it's almost like visiting family, it's that kind of experience, ya know? Happy faces, reliable food, clean and open space, witty banter. Try it out. Get the fries, You'll love me forever, I swear.
This is Andie's friend Emily! I ate at Sophie's like 3 days before you did. It is sooo delicious and we had a great time. <3 your blog, but unfortunately, I moved back to MD, so I can't use it as much anymore.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you enjoy reading! Boo for moving away but Yay at least you're closer to our Andie!
ReplyDelete