A Parisian Evening In McMinnvilleBistro Maison – McMinnville, Oregon

Visited: May 2021 • French

I love French food, and both the look and the menu of what I viewed online of Bistro Maison in McMinnville, Oregon, enticed me.  It looked like a spot we needed to dine, so I secured reservations long before our journey northward.  It turned out to be a wise choice.  Located in historic McMinnville. Bistro Maison is a classic French bistro, and I read that the chef and his wife had “a combined 50 years” of experience in the food and wine industry “in Paris, Rome and New York City.” In addition, the menu included two of my favorite Parisian restaurant food items.

We had 7:15 reservations, and we were in for a treat. For one thing, the restaurant, both inside and out, is eye-catching. First, we checked out the interior of the restaurant, which is charming.

We were seated in a cozy corner of the side patio, with a 130 year-old peony towering over us. All of our servers throughout the evening were very personable, and one of them is also the bartender, and she makes a mean Manhattan.

Every dish served was marvelous, starting with the house-made baguettes.

I began with a scrumptious Escargot en croûte, and it was quite delicious, and I love escargot.

Once again on this Oregon trip I was drawn to the steak tartare. Our server/bartender assured me, “People come from all over the world for our steak tartare.” It lived up to its reputation.Tracy and Mary shared a roasted beet salad, with fennel, oranges, nectarine, mango, goat cheese, Crème fraîche with citron and fresh, marinated white anchovies on the side. They ate it faster than I just described it.For her main course, Tracy decided upon the hazelnut (can’t escape them) crusted pork chop, with strawberries, potato purée & sautéed cabbage. A delicious dish.Mary went with a steak au poivre the size of France, with Pommes frites and saffron aioli.  She shared a few bites, and the perfectly cooked medium rare steak might have been the best dish of the night.

Kim, meanwhile, ordered the Confit de Canard in an orange Cognac reduction sauce.Although too full for dessert, the warm Martinique rum & butter cake with vanilla ice cream cake called my name, so I bought one to go.

Bistro Maison turned out to be a merveilleux choix. We waddled back to our wonderful B&B A’ Tuscan Estate on a magnificent McMinnville evening, where sleep was only moments away.

Bistro Maison envisions everything you want in a French restaurant from its oh-so-Parisian atmosphere to its scrumptious cuisine. The servers were as professional and knowledgeable as they were personable. When visiting McMinnville, Bistro Maison should be on the top of your list.

Mai Tai Tom Rating – 4.65 Mai Tais (out of five)

Bistro Maison
729 NE 3rd. Street
McMinnville, Oregon 97128
503.474.1888
Tuesday – Saturday 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
(check website to see if brunch and lunch are available)
bistromaison.com