Memorable dining at Antoine's

Have you ever eaten food that tastes like a memory? I had that experience Monday night.

The summer before my sophomore year of college, I studied in Brussels, Belgium. I was living in the student district of Ixelles, totally broke and living off baguettes and Nutella. But, whenever I could, I’d splurge on a cone of frites (french fries) from the local friterie (french fry stand) – Maison Antoine. A glorious paper cone filled with golden-fried, potatoey goodness, topped with a blob of mayonnaise.

So, Monday, Oct. 28, when Olivier, the maitre d’ at Antoine’s Restaurant, walked out with cones of frites, my heart was a flutter with fried memories.

“You can’t have mussels without french fries,” he said. “We call them ‘moules frites.’”

But, they were missing something.

“Where’s the mayonnaise?” I demanded.

Seconds later, Olivier was walking out of the kitchen with the chef’s homemade blend for every table. I found out later, he had worked in two restaurants in Ixelles.

While the frites were fabulous, they were only a mere part of this glorious night that was my dinner at Antoine’s “A’s” Restaurant. This is the "Transformers" of restaurants – more than meets the eye. Not long ago, the location on Fruitville Road, just west of Honore Avenue, was a Kentucky Fried Chicken — and it’s not

hard to tell from the outside. You can even still see the old drive-thru. But all is forgotten once you walk inside. The dining room is intimate and cozy – aka, small, but in a nice way. Service is delightfully personal, all thanks to the knowledgeable and amiable maitre d’, Olivier Georges. The decor is simple, warm and sophisticated; it makes the space feel bigger than it is. And, it’s all the more impressive when you learn the team of three people who run the restaurant did it all on their own.

Restauranteur Christian Zebier, chef Karl Deneubourg and Olivier were a team previously, at Brasserie Belge on Main Street at U.S. 301 (now MADE restaurant). I moved here just before the place closed last year, and I was disappointed I never got to try it. I heard great things about this one goat cheese salad ...

Which brings me back to the food. With all the impressive things going on here at Antoine’s, from the staff to the space, the real star is the food. Never in my life would I have expected to enjoy raw beef, but Antoine’s steak tartare is amazingly flavorful, and the texture balances perfectly with the accompanying croutons. That salad I mentioned before, well, you really can’t go wrong with something that incorporates a “pillow” of cheese (goat cheese encased in phyllo pastry). The balance of flavors in this salad – tangy goat cheese, tart apples, fresh cucumbers and sweet honey – is so unique and unlike any other salad I’ve ever had. My favorite, though, was the “scallops and shrimps” – shrimp and seared sea scallops with baby bok choy and candied tangerine white butter sauce on a parmesean cheese risotto. This dish boasted the best-cooked scallop I’ve had since I’ve moved to Florida.

Also tasty were the seafood pasta (including tagliatelle made fresh to order), creamy garlic mussels (with frites, of course!) and short ribs (which fell apart like a good pot roast and was served with a strip of rich and crispy bacon).

I nearly never have room for dessert, but I finished my entire Belgian chocolate profiterole. If you don’t know, this is basically a fancy cream puff.

Next time you want to impress a date, or visitors from out of town with your awesome taste in food, take them to Antoine’s. It’s a comfortable and delicious way to experience fine European dining, right off Fruitville. I’m looking forward to seeing Olivier and those frites again.

Antoine’s Restaurant

5020 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, 34232

(941) 377-2020

www.antoinessarasota.com

Open Tuesday through Saturaday, 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.