Editor’s Note: Carmon’s Bistro recently announced it will be closing Aug. 26
By Megan Gillette
When Carmon’s Creperie closed during the summer, my husband and I were lamenting that such cool Art Deco signage is so rare. Oh, who could bring in a restaurant that could live up to the culinary flash and savor of a bygone era? Then the rumors started to swirl, the teasers on Facebook began, a stenciled rooster here and a vintage cheese safe there. My curiosity was piqued. After some interweb scraping I learned that this was none other than an endeavor by Thad Morrow of Bacaro.
The French culinary scene embodies the purest forms of devotion to food and most fundamental of experiences. Opening a French bistro in a town where foodies are abundant and the bar is already set quite high with Bacaro takes no small amount of imagination and fortitude. I had high expectations and a hunger for the gustatory comfort of a real bistro. Carmon’s Bistro did not disappoint.
We were welcomed into a softly lit room with a jovial atmosphere. Touches of copper and gilded mirrors adorned the bar and walls. We sat down to a butcher-block table with the rooster logo burnished into the top and were given antique, iron and wood clipboards, which held the menus. Deco lighting fixtures with a peacock stained glass motif hung from the ceiling. The napkins were hand towels covering steak-worthy carving knives, the baguette thinly sliced on the antique slicer atop a well-worn butcher block, water served in stopper-topped glass bottles and unassuming tumblers.
The aura is rustic yet elegant, and the setting intimate yet comfortably jovial. The apothecary vessels behind the revived bar awaited authentic Absinth from France! I could already feel that leaving the kids with a sitter was the right way to enjoy this place.
The menu left really nothing to be desired. As a starter I shared the delectable Malpeque Oysters on the half-shell in Pernod Mignionette with Orange and Tabasco Caviar. Try them, as these will go head-to-head with any oyster you will ever have. Never eaten oysters on the half shell? This is the place to start. True the texture is tricky for some, but the taste and sensation of eating just a few will make your mouth (and libido!) hungry for more. The mixed greens with fresh Chevre from Urbana’s own Prairie Fruits Farm, lightly dressed with a subtle, classic vinaigrette with a touch of mustard was the perfect palette cleanser.
While tempted by the roasted trout, I had to try the Steak Frites, medium rare. I felt a primal urge for classic bistro fare, although I’m not usually a red meat eater. Served on a wooden carving board to catch the juice, there was a perfect char on the tender meat from the open flame over which it was cooked. Caramelized onions and blue cheese butter floated atop to compliment but not smother or overwhelm. The savory, mustard Frites (French fries) were stunning on their own, but even better as the juice from the meat soaked into them over the course.
As we savored every mouth-tantalizing bite of our steaks, we mused about what a perfect addition this restaurant is to our town. With the breadth of restaurants in this town, it takes someone with vision to see what’s missing. Not many would take the chances on our community loving the fine, classic cuisine Morrow has brought here and styled into modern, comfortable settings. Assuming the attitude “If you build it, they will come” Morrow has given us incredible experiences that we certainly deserve but may be surprising for a town of our size and longitude/latitude.
I did take a gamble on ordering the chocolate pudding, because, I don’t really like chocolate and I felt like my 3-year-old ordering it. But I was delighted by the parfait glass filled with dense, semi-sweet, chocolate creaminess, finished with rich, house-made caramel whipped cream and roasted, salted pistachios. Far from cloying, it was simple, clean, perfect and cozy. This pretty well sums up the whole dining experience.
The head chef, Joshua Boyd, was by the door when we left, graciously accepting compliments and thanking us for coming. While the temporary BYO policy was great for our bill, I cannot wait to see the wooden French wine storage that flanks the bar filled with some of the organic wines waiting in distribution. Another feast awaits that culinary adventure.
Would I bring the kids? Perhaps if it was early on a weeknight, we could sit outside and then strap an iPhone filled with Pixar movies in their little hands. But really, this dining experience deserves to be savored, drawn out, expounded upon, and relished for every bite and experience the senses will encounter.
As of this writing, Carmon’s Bistro has obtained a liquor license. Salut!
Verdict: FEAST! Leave the kids at home with a sitter, pizza and a movie.
Megan Gillette is a mother of two active little boys — FIT kids (Foodies in Training). In her “spare time” she is a senior graphic and web designer at Wolfram, a real-estate broker with TeamKay at Keller Williams, and a real-estate maven for the family holding company. Megan is in constant pursuit of perfect food, exciting dining experiences, and farm-to-fork meals with her husband and personal sous chef, Kurt.