French Bistro In Italian Philly
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Cuisine Style: French bistro
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in July 2014
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Kenneth Bush
Peter Woolsey
The July 4th weekend in the United States is always a special time to celebrate freedom, enjoy time with family, barbecues, and travel. What better way to celebrate the 4th, then with your daughter, and go to the birthplace of that American freedom, in Philadelphia. Then eat at Bistrot La Minette, A French restaurant, to pay homage to the only country to help us during the Revolution, and even funnier is that it was in the Italian section of the city. While on the three-day tour which included such sites as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the “Rocky” Steps, my daughter and I dined at some wonderful restaurants.
Menu:
- Les Entrée Froids
- Cochonailles
- Salades
- Plats Principaux
- Les Plats Lyonnaise Traditionnel
- Accompagnements
- Fromages
- Desserts
Bistrot La Minette is an authentic French bistro in the heart of Philadelphia with a menu prepared entirely from scratch, and changes with the season. The restaurant is tucked away in the corner of the street surrounded by older 1800 style brick buildings in the old Philly neighborhood near the Italian district known as Queen’s village. We arrived by taxi and had early reservations so we were among only three tables seated, but by the time we left, the restaurant was nearly full. This was to be my daughter’s first experience eating at an authentic French restaurant. Unfortunately, her mother doesn’t explore the realm of basic American foods, so my daughter rarely gets to enjoy the foods and restaurants I enjoy on a regular basis.
One thing I enjoyed when I read up on the restaurant was that all the items had no preservatives, were farm-to-fork, and sustainable grass-fed meats, which for me added to the experience. To begin, I ordered a bottle of wine from the full French wine menu, from the Domaine Vincent Ricard Poutine Sauvignon Blanc Touraine. Touraine is the district at the very heart of France's Loire Valley wine region, both geographically and in terms of production. Named after the city of Tours at its center. The 2013 tasting notes from the website show the wine to be fresh and vibrant from vineyards on the southern bank of the Cher River in the Loire Valley. The vines are tended organically in the calcareous soil which lends a freshness and minerality to the wine. All aged in casks, not for oak aromas, but for oxygenation. 1/4 in new casks, and the following 1/4s in 1 year, 2yrs, 3yrs old casks.
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| Caviar amuse |
As the wine was delivered, so was the French baguette, sliced, and placed into a tin pan with holder, and butter on the side, a neat presentation. An amuse of caviar was also brought to us to sample, and being that it was my daughters first time trying it, I told her what caviar was after she ate it! We decided on three courses, the starter, or les entrées, the main course, plats principaux, and dessert. For the starter course, my daughter got the noix de St. Jacques poêlée au Champagne, or pan-seared scallops in English, with braised leeks, trout roe, and Champaign sauce, topped with a garnish of crispy leeks. Before my daughter moved back to North Carolina, she lived near Charleston, where over a period of a few years when I visited, I introduced her to a lot of seafood, which paid off.
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| Noix de St. Jacques poêlée au Champagne |
For my starter course, I had the terrine de foie gras, served with brioche, roasted plum, aged balsamic, hazelnut praline, and frisée greens. My daughter knows the rule when we dine out, whatever I eat, she has to try, and vice versa. So she took a bite, yet didn’t like the texture. When I told her that it was stuffed duck liver, she gave me a very evil look. The funny thing is that she had it before when we dined at Grill 225 and she liked it, so I’m not sure what turned her off this time.
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| Terrine de foie gras |
Besides those two selections, the starter menu also consisted of grilled sardine filets, tomato tarts, Œuf du Pêcheur (mussels), and the one French word that my daughter did know, and refused to order which was the escargots à la Bourguignonne, or Burgundy snails, in a garlic herb butter. For the plats principaux or main course, my daughter had the poulet rôti aux gratin de pomme de Terre et poireaux, aka the roast chicken, with the potato-leek gratin, sautéed Swiss chard, in a white-wine chicken jus. My daughter was taking her first year of French in School, so she thought that until she learned more, she would be safe ordering chicken.
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| Poulet rôti aux gratin |
For my main course, I had the lapin rôti à la moutarde, or mustard-braised rabbit, with a house-made tagliatelle pasta, sitting on a rabbit jus. The first taste had me close my eyes thinking back to eating at La TABLE de Joël Robuchon in Paris back in 2010, where I thought I was dreaming it tasted so good. At first, my daughter refused, and said that she would not eat a rabbit, because she liked rabbits and it didn’t help when I said try a piece of ‘Bugs Bunny’. Eventually, she tried a small piece, and her eyes lit up and begged for me to give her more. She was a little ashamed and said: “I’m sad but that rabbit was good,” sometimes I can be evil, but I love it all the same.
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| Lapin rôti à la moutarde, |
Dessert:
For dessert, my daughter and I had some coffee, except she decided to try an espresso for the first time. I tried to let her know that one of them equaled 5-8 cups of strong coffee. She didn’t believe me until her first sip, and hours later when I was ready to go to sleep and she was wide awake bouncing up and down. For the dessert course, she had the gâteau mousse au Chocolat, which was a cake with roasted pistachios, and a pistachio ice cream. I enjoyed the assiette de Fromage served with salad and toast points. My selection of three cheese consisted of Pont-l'Évêque, a soft rounded cow’s milk cheese, Ossau Iraty, a firm sheep’s milk cheese and St. Marcellin, a soft unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese. Upon conclusion of the meal, we received some chocolate petit fours, then returned to our hotel. This was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend you stop in when you visit Philadelphia.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
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| Assiette de Fromage |
Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
European Union:
France:
Other Noteworthy Bistro Articles & Restaurants:
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Bridge Street Bistro Third Floor terrace Seafood Centric New American dining, Bradenton Beach, Florida
Cook'n' With Gas Bistro High end bistro with modern New Zealand cuisine in Christchurch, New Zealand
Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro - Laid-back dockside spot for global eats in St. Petersburg, Florida
Gilroy’s Bistro serving traditional Irish cuisine at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland (NOW 1837 BAR)
Josty Bistro Eatery serving German regional cuisine at the Potsdamer Platz Sony Center in Berlin, Germany
Laurent Tourondel / BLT Swanky French-American Steakhouse chain with 14 restaurants
Le Grand Chancelier Countryside French Bistro in Cheverny, Loire Valley, France
Lobby at Twelve Boutique hotel bistro, New American, and Southern favorites at Atlantic Station, Atlanta
Prato Rustic Italian bistro with modern takes on classic dishes in Winter Park, Florida
Restaurant Le Gabriel Haute Gastronomique French restaurant & bistro in Bordeaux, France
Spinners Rooftop Revolving Bistro Buzzy seafood spot & 360-degree views in St. Pete Beach, Florida
Terroir Seasonal South African cuisine bistro in Stellenbosch, South Africa
The Brasserie at the Café de Paris A Parisian style bistro rendez-vous in Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Tirquaz Bistro and Garden Lounge W. Asian, N. African, & European dishes in Bur Dubai, UAE
Zinc Bistro and Bar Southwestern-inspired New American fare in San Antonio, Texas
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Philadelphia restaurants and articles on Wine, Dine, and Play:
Pat’s King of Steaks Home of the original cheesesteak in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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10
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10
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0
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Food quality
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10
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8
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2
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Plate presentation
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9
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8
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1
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Customer service
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9
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8
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1
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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8
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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47
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42
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5
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.893617021276596
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0425531914893617
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.936170212765957
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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5 of 5 Stars:
94% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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4 of 10
Old World selections:
France
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine Style:
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French
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-Free, Local, Low Carb, Organic, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan and Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual to Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Good for special occasions, Beautiful décor, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Street meter parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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Alcohol prices:
$60.00 USD
Bistrot La Minette:
623 South 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19147
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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(215) 925-8000
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Online Reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sat
5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sunday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Taste of tribal Zimbabwe cuisine
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
|
Vibrant Pan-Indian Cuisine
Colnbrook, Slough, Berkshire, England, UK
|
Stylish modern Spanish and global cuisine
Dubai Creek, Dubai, UAE
|
Other Pictures:
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| Independence Hall |
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| Independence Day fireworks |
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| Table setting |
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| Kitchen |
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| French baguette |
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| Gâteau mousse au chocolat |
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| Petit fours |
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| The Rocky steps |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
