I’m not quite sure when I first heard of Les Trois Petits Bouchons (L3PB), but it went from no buzz to plenty o’ buzz as a combination restaurant/wine bar specializing in local ingredients and natural wines. Good food and modern but casual decor were two other elements used to describe this establishment.

I also wasn’t quite sure what to expect as it’s primarily in the heart of the Plateau, which is not exactly my favorite neighborhood given my experience with the locals over a tub of Billboquet vanilla ice cream. But, since it’s one of the newer wine bars to open up on the Big Croissant, I thought it might be an interesting place to try.

Its location along St-Denis isn’t too bad but I was a little stunned to see that the building is covered by graffiti. Stepping closer, I realize that L3PB is actually a renovated basement. There are also Plateau-ites, but they were generally outnumbered by hip, slim eco-conscious wine-swilling locavores. Yeah! I fit right in.

Dinner

L3PB uses a carte, with the carte being a small chalkboard where the day’s offerings are written out. Smart move when starting out – apart from being a differentiator, it saves money as nothing has to be printed, and if something’s run out, it can be efficiently smudged out.

After orders are placed, bread and olive oil come to the table using wine case planks (bit of kitsch). The following is a combination of what I had over two visits (the second time with a group who looked relieved that the restaurant wasn’t all leather and chrome).

Pieuvre grillée: the smokey soft grilled octopus is the signature starter at L3PB. I like this tasty cephalopod (I’m even hoping to work with one), and this one was complemented nicely by the barbecue sauce and crême fraiche.

Tartine de champignons: tasty sautéed mushrooms topped with a mound of baby spinach. Capable dish, but I still like BU’s mushroom crostini better.

Soup: this was a standout. A purée of Jerusalem artichokes and cream with pieces of artichoke, bacon lardons and toasted pistachio offering savory and textural offsets. A very good effort that reminded me of Guy Savoy’s artichoke and black truffle soup (no, I am at least astute enough to realize the two are not in the same class).

Tartiflette: oh yes, the diet dish from the Savoie that was created by the Reblochon trade association to increase sales of the cheese. I made a micro-one for the return of Mai, but his one was full-size with plenty of new potatoes cooked with softened onions and bacon and topped with well, Reblochon. Also with a giant mound of baby spinach.

Surf ‘n Turf (bison ribs & shrimp): the signature dish at L3PB. Though relatively large, it’s not a Fred Flintstone-size portion of ribs. Two meaty tender pieces of bison short rib served with slow-cooked shrimp, a barbecue sauce, black beans, salsa, and crême fraiche. If the latter components sound suspiciously like a layered taco dip, you’re thinking the right way, because that’s exactly what it tasted like (it worked for the bison and was terrible with the shrimp).

Tartar de veau “vitello tonnato”: This is a smart update of an Italian classic, modernized in presentation and innovation by serving the veal as a tartar and not as thin slices of pounded veal. Unfortunately the taste didn’t quite match up as the tartar was somewhat disjointed flavor-wise. I like the idea but the execution needs a rethink.

Cheese: I liked this – a 50 g serving of Québec cheeses with honey and jam in the same spoons I own. Only problem was that they didn’t tell me what the cheeses were (the middle one I recognized as Pied-de-Vent).

Wine

The focus here is on organic and biodynamic wines. Unfortunately for me, that also means somewhat more limited choice since organic and biodynamic production also implies lesser known appélations or domaines that I don’t have experience with. And they try and offer only sulfite-free wines (props to them, but that severely cuts down on available choices). The wine list at L3PB is heavier on reds that whites and is predominantly French from the Languedoc-Roussillon and other lesser-known regions but there are some wines here and there from better know areas and the New World.

The wines by the glass are also written up on a chalkboard hanging over the kitchen pass and is a little hard to read from certain tables but it’s a handful of whites and reds. On my first visit I pulled a glass of Alsatian Riesling which was pretty so-so: high alcohol, high acidity – a disjointed offering that was probably 5 or 6 years too young.

The majority of bottles are closer to or exceed a Robert Borden and there are some trophies, but almost all bottles are from very recent vintages (yeah yeah, takes time to build a cellar). For the second visit, my original thought of going with a Morgon as a “group” red was shot down fairly quickly as Morgons appear to be a popular choice for their patrons. I eventually selected the following two:

• 2006 Mas Jullien Vin de Pays de L’Hérault, Coteaux du Languedoc. This was an interesting blend of Terret, Carignan blanc and Grenache blanc, and paired well with the halibut others had ordered as well as my vitello tonnato. What surprised me was that the wait staff stated that while they really liked this wine, they weren’t able to find information on the grapes that made up the blend (under 10 seconds with Google).
• 2006 Joseph Swan Vineyards “Saralee’s Vineyard” Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. A smartly-made small-production New World Pinot that’s more reserved in its use of wod and expression of cherries than others from Sonoma. Too cold immediately after being carafed but it opened up nicely in the glass over the course of dinner

Photos

[View with PicLens]

Impressions

So, Les Trois Petits Bouchons definitely goes on the list of “restaurants to recommend when someone asks you about where to go and have dinner”.

It’s a weird little place. The big stone walls, chalkboard and way the room is finished offer up a warm casual invitation to come in and sit down. Then again, I’m not exactly the typical hip, slim eco-conscious locavore that seems to prowl the establishment but the staff doesn’t seem to mind.

My square (as in “four corners”) Bartlett-like omnivore self did enjoy the food – some misses but the brigade has talent and they’re definitely thinking about new ways to do impressive stuff for the locavore mantra. The Jerusalem artichoke soup was a real attenion-getter, and a sweetbread starter and halibut main also caught my attention (maybe for next time). The team knew their stuff, service was unobtrusive and friendly and they took good care of the American guests in the group event.

Wine blips aside, I guess the only thing which really bothers me about L3PB is the seating. Yes, first time around was essentially the only remaining table available (which is what you get for a last-minute reservation) but I don’t like the long rectangular table they have for large parties – it makes talking to everyone invited difficult. “Round is good.”

Popularity: 16% [?]