Front St. Brasserie puts Okanagan spin on French staples
As soon as I stepped onto the streets of Paris, I fell under its spell. A food lover’s paradise, each day marked another delicious discovery.
From the traditional country breads from Boulangerie Poilâne to the chaussons aux pommes from Patisserie Lenôtre to the artisan meats from renowned charcutier Maison Vérot, culinary magic was at every turn.
When not indulging in impromptu picnics, my husband and I turned to the historic brasseries for comfort and sustenance. Born out of the Belle Époque, the most romantic of periods, brasseries were, and are, casual neighbourhood places, an everyday kind of restaurant for beer, or wine, and small plates of hearty Alsatian-influenced fare.
Brasserie Lipp, one of the city’s oldest, on Boulevard Saint Germain, became our go-to for afternoon respite. A meeting place for many literary types and artists – including Picasso, whose photograph adorns the wall above his favourite seat – we would unwind over drinks enjoyed with country pâté set with a pot of cornichons, garlicky escargots or steak tartare, while absorbing the room’s historic décor and patina.
We were welcomed like the many locals we saw on repeated visits, and were comforted by the food and service.
Vowing to return to the City of Lights and Brasserie Lipp one day, our Parisian yearnings are sated by visits to Penticton’s Front Street Brasserie.
French-inspired with an Okanagan accent, the intimate 12-seat brasserie is one of the city’s most casually elegant rooms. Sunny yellow and light blue walls welcome you along with owners Lisa Baxter Burke and chef John Burke, who view their restaurant akin to “opening up our house every night.”
Open for just two years, the couple has garnered a loyal following with their meant-for-sharing menu, fueled by local ingredients and transformed with panache by chef Burke.
Find hearty standbys such as the signature duck confit. A classic French dish based on herb and salt-curing, then slow cooked in duck fat, Burke’s version is luscious and aromatic served over lentils with dried apricots, kale and leeks with an orange and white wine reduction, and does not disappoint. (In winter, it’s served with white beans and bacon.)
Prawns Provencal is another signature dish luxuriating in a sundried tomatobasil butter and red wine sauce topped with fresh tomatoes, with baguette slices to sop up that wonderful sauce.
Other standbys include a beet and walnut salad with chevre cheese, a Caesar salad in a yogurt dressing adorned with garlic butter croutons and Grano Padano, and the pan-seared halloumi cheese served with a fig tapenade vinaigrette for savoury depth.
The lunch menu also includes a daily tarte de jour and savoury crepe. I recently enjoyed the tarte of mushrooms duxelles. Duxelles, a French term, refers to minced mushrooms sautéed with onions and garlic, deglazed with white wine and finished with a splash of heavy cream. The resulting mixture is served in a flakey pastry accompanied by a salad of local greens for counterbalance.
And the mushrooms en croute, another special, is a medley of mushrooms sautéed in butter and sherry with fresh tarragon, topped with shavings of pecorino cheese.
Burke layers flavours with skill and balance, turning each dish on the menu into a culinary adventure.
The Burkes have a longtime history in the restaurant industry. John worked in various high-profile kitchens in Vancouver, and Lisa as a wine rep, before the two met and moved to the Okanagan seven years ago. They worked together at the Hillside Bistro before opening their own place, with Hillside winemaker Kathy Malone joining them as their “not-so-silent partner.”
Like a true brasserie, Front Street is a relaxed space attracting a coterie of regulars, from all walks of life, and has a reputation as a wine industry hub. It’s not uncommon to rub elbows with the person who made the wine you’re drinking for example, and the intimate quarters often incite conversations between diners, creating a spirit of camaraderie.
The small but focused wine list chosen by Lisa pairs well with the food, balancing the Okanagan with ace French picks by the glass or bottle, and French and Quebecois beer to keep things authentic.
Patio seating expands the space during good weather and entices for a late lunch over charcuterie and cheese and glass of rose, or an early dinner before a sunset walk. (Reservations are a must.) So until we meet again Paris, here’s to Front Street Brasserie.
With fork and pen in hand, and a passion for culinary adventure, Shelora Sheldan, writer, cook and curious traveller, goes in search of the delectable.