We hope you never have the misfortune of being stood up for a date. But if you do, Chef Greg Baxtrom's new French Bistro in Prospect Heights, Petite Patate, is the perfect place for it to happen.
The mood lighting is dim enough to hide your disappointment; the cocktails are on tap (and as cheap as $12 for a Spritz); the staff has great banter; and-- most importantly-- you won't want to share your Coq Au Vin Cavatelli.
Petite Patate opened two weeks ago today in a do-over of Baxtrom's Maison Yaki, a bar and restaurant serving French-inspired snacks and skewers.
It comes just two months after Baxtrom — who owns three restaurants on Vanderbilt Avenue — made his first move into Manhattan where he debuted the fine-dining restaurant Five Acres in Rockefeller Center.
On the back of that whirlwind, Baxtrom immediately got to work to improve his Prospect Heights restaurants: Olmsted, Patti Ann's and Maison Yaki.
"Initially we were very distracted with the opening of this Manhattan restaurant," Baxtrom said. "And now we are assessing each restaurant on Vanderbilt and just pouring a ton of attention into each."
One of the first changes was to turn Maison Yaki into Petite Patate, which is French for "little potato" and an homage to Baxtrom's dog, Spud. Baxtrom has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years and said he felt the area didn't need another bar.
For the revamp, he brought in more tables, took the high-tops out of the back patio; and went classic with white butcher paper tablecloths and a menu of French bistro favorites like onion soup, steak frites and crepes.
"What's so crazy and so rewarding is, the day we opened, we went from being a place that served people in their mid-20s to late-30s, to like, people aged 30s to 80s," Baxtrom said. The entire revamp took just 66 days. "My previous record was 99 at Olmsted-- from when I got the key, to when we opened."
When BK Reader visited Petite Patate on Feb. 22, the space quickly packed out with a diverse clientele of walk-ins and reservations, from dads and babies sitting under a neon "Oui, Chef" sign in the front, to older couples on dates; from friends having after-work-bites, to solo diners at the bar chatting among themselves and with bartender Pat.
"Jump Around" by House of Pain is playing: One rap track in a very intentional soundtrack of classic hip hop that shakes up the classic bistro vibes.
"I want it to be a place where you can come and have an early bird dinner... And it's pretty dark, and maybe you're on a date, sipping negronis and eating french fries and keeping it sexy, and the music is important," Baxtrom said.
Music is so important to the restaurateur that he admits he's had the same playlist at Olmsted for seven years.
"Our neighbors love us, but they can hear it, and their only request is, 'For the love of God, please change the 'fricken' playlist!," he laughed.
At Petite Patate, all of the cocktails are available on tap and are $14 or under. The cocktail menu is curated by beverage director Andrew Zerrip, who also oversees the beverage programs at Olmsted, Five Acres and Patti Ann’s.
Cocktails include Brooklyn takes on classic cocktails with French twists, including the $12 Suze Spritz: A delightful take on the classic featuring the French bitter aperitif Suze and bubbles. The Old Fashioned, $13, is with Ragtime Rye and bitters, which Zerrip said is the same one he drinks at home.
To start, try the Tuna Crudo: Two generous slices of tuna served in a neon-green swirl of the restaurant's deconstructed "French vinaigrette" and tiny, crunchy croutons. The Salade Lyonnaise has a Petite Patate twist, with the egg encased in a panko-and-almond shell. If the perfectly-crisped piece of bacon isn't enough, don't worry, a staff member will happily drizzle a warm-bacon vinaigrette over your lettuce for you at the table.
So far, one of the most popular entrees-- most of which range from $24 - $38-- is the Coq Au Vin Cavatelli: A large, steaming bowl of pasta served with a decadent duck confit ragu, a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh parsley. Also available and recommended: Steak Frites with porcini and bone marrow, Mussels a la Bouillabaisse with toasted sourdough, and a burger and fries with blue cheese.
Finish up with the Profiteroles and ice cream or the Frangipane Tart with juicy red cranberries, almond cream and chantilly. Server Tara reported an older couple telling her it was the best tart they'd tried, and they had tried many. BK Reader attests.
Bon appétit!
