A Mighty Fine Evening at Brux'l Cafe

Last week we headed over to Brux'l Cafe for an early dinner. We discovered all of the tables were reserved (a good sign for the place), but found a couple of spots at the cozy bar. The entire staff seemed giddy with the spirit of Christmas and this rubbed off on the two of us during the evening.

Brux'l Cafe in the Fan - all decked out for the holidays

The joy of going early on a weeknight is that Brux'l has a decent happy hour with specials on wine, beer, and martinis. Sweet Bubbles (sparkling and violet syrup) came my way and hubby had the Famous Dirty martini. As we sipped our bartender, Jared, took us through the highlights of the menu.

Jared was a most excellent host and as the bar filled up, he continued to give personalized service to all. He helped to make our evening very special. What really made a difference was when we were choosing a wine for dinner. Brux'l Cafe carries a very limited but drinkable selection. All wines are available by the glass and bottles range in price from $32-40. We were torn between a Bordeaux and something from the South of France. Jared thought we might also enjoy the Spanish red. To help us with our selection he poured us a taste of all three. The Spanish option won out - an Arrocal Tempranillo.

Jared helped steer us in the right direction for wine

Jared also helped other bar patrons figure out which draft beer would be best for their evenings. Being able to taste and then choose - fantastic!

The rest of our experience was delightful. To begin I took advantage of the evening special and had fried frog legs. The legs came straight from the fryer with a crisp coating and with the legs being meaty - a real treat. As I ate with my fingers, Chef Meers came out of the kitchen to ask how they were. Yummy!

The frog legs were very tasty

Hubby ordered the Croquette de Fromage - a fried ball of cheese and potato. For me, very rich. For him, swoon-worthy. He raved about this and really liked the bit of salad on the side.

While the croquette may look small it packs a rich flavor punch

For an entree hubby ordered the Moules a la Provencale. Dozens of mussels swimming in white wine, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and cream. Served with a side of frites. Jared gave us more bread to take advantage of the sauce. Very satisfying.

I indulged in the L'Entrecote with Bearnaise sauce. A big ribeye topped with butter, parsley, and shallots and served with a side salad with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. A huge portion and very tender with all the flavor one could hope for. I appreciated the fact that the sauce was served separately so I could enjoy my steak both with and without the Bearnaise.

Very traditional meal, superbly prepared

As we enjoyed our meal Chef Meers would pop out of the kitchen occasionally to check on diners. He seemed so happy and his vibe was infectious. At the end of our meal I got up to retrieve out coats and he even helped me find our jackets. A delicious and magical evening. I can't wait to go back and try the truffle burger.