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Pot au Feu

The Salon at Pot au Feu is not receptive to the trends of the culinary world. This is traditional French fare, served in a simple space. The drawback, of course, is that a restaurant of this ilk can suffer from the whims of fickle diners and those who eat to be seen rather than who live to eat. On the flip side, connoisseurs of classic cuisine have found their mecca wedged into the side streets of downcity. 

Wine is a big draw in French restaurants, and Pot au Feu is no exception. The list is deep in both selection and affordability. Prices regularly fall below the expected double markup, and there are a great many vintages available that you may no longer be able to find in the retail market; here’s your chance to enjoy a 2000 Louis Jadot Nuits-Saint-Georges (Pinot Noir).

There are more than a dozen first courses, although some do lack contemporary pizzazz. The lobster bisque, with its finely sieved texture, displays more technique than taste, and the country pate is dry, although it balances a combination of four meats (veal, pork, cured ham and liver) quite well with the addition of pistachios. I will never tire, however, of the perfect Dijon vinaigrette, which coats artichoke hearts and mesclun, or a well-composed salad of cold shrimp with a homemade saffron mayonnaise.

Entrees range from good (a slightly nondescript veal scaloppini with red wine, demiglace and mushrooms) to very good (the pork loin stuffed with a fresh apple compote served atop an apple cider reduction) to superlative simplicity (lobster baked with breadcrumbs, white wine and butter, which highlights the sweet shellfish without overwhelming it). The whole rack of New Zealand lamb is breaded with a basic but satisfying crust of whole grain mustard and clover honey. You can find more detailed or unexpected preparations elsewhere, but those who yearn for the days of Julia Child and Escoffier will settle in quite nicely.

It’s difficult for the food-obsessed not to respect a cuisine that has made an impact on nearly all contemporary European and American menus. And with restaurants such as Ten Prime Steak and Sushi capitalizing on the newly legal crowd, much of Rhode Island will take comfort in knowing that there’s a place to dine without throbbing music and flashing lights. Even the side dishes hearken back to decades past when diners could expect a vegetable and starch with their entree (formal duchess potatoes have made an appearance as well as roasted asparagus and acorn squash), rather than purchasing everything a la carte.

Sure, the decor could use a facelift. Potted plants and an Eiffel Tower on the east wall do little to proclaim the restaurant as a destination for special events. It’s only open Thursday through Saturday nights, though, leaving little doubt that it’s a place for strictly discerning palates and not the casual diner. (There’s always the bistro downstairs for weeknight and lunchtime dining.) It’s the European classics— including a somewhat nontraditional pot de cremeserved in a small glass flute rather than a ceramic cup — and greetings from venerable owner, Bob Burke, that are part of an experience only to be had (and appreciated) in Providence.

Pot au Feu (Salon) - -1/2
44 Custom House Street,
273-8953, www.potaufeuri.com
Years in business: 35
Chef: John Richardson
Cuisine: French
Dinner for Two: $135

GET: Rack of lamb, baked lobster and a bottle of wine.
DON’T GET: A too-smooth lobster bisque and a vegetable terrine with an excess of gelatin holding it together.