The is Broad Ripple, right? Because right now it feels as if I am in Paris, which makes me soooo happy! We walk up to Petite Chou in the heart of cafe-ridden Broad Ripple Village. It is twilight. The tables are full of people chatting; dogs are on leashes lazing about their owners feet; intimate conversations are lingering over wine and champagne. The mood is somewhere between festive, sophisticated, and "best kept secret"--clearly these people know something the rest of the world hasn't yet discovered. This is my kind of place...
The servers, clad in black and all looking very fit and urban, are knowledgeble. The menu includes St. Germain with Prosecco by the glass or by the pitcher (wow!). I order a glass-heaven! Jeff orders the Domaine Aine & Fils Pinot Noir, which is delightfully lean and European in its style. We start with the goat cheese salad, which is delightful. The warm crouton (slathered with goat cheese- mmm), is so crunchy that I'm glad I'm not wearing dentures, but the taste is great. The homemade blackberry-pear vinaigrette is not as sweet or fruity as I expected and it is perfectly balanced.
We decide to order the famed Chicken Paillard ("pie-yar" as I remember from Paris) and the Catch of the Day (Halibut). We also order the Gruyere Mac and Cheese and the Lentils (the server recommends we add tomatoes and garlic, so we do) for the table. Now I'm going to start gushing: phenomenal, cravable, delectable, scrumptious... these are the words coming to mind as I indulge in all of this cuisine. The Halibut was incredibly fresh, perfectly cooked (not a smidge dry), and sauced in a buerre blanc that would have made Julia Child weep (I am close to tears of joy myself). The paillard is perfect--seared, flattened, classically topped with a lemony pan sauced, a mountain of peppery arugula and lots of shaved parmesan for a nutty, salty finish. The Mac was so good I made it the next day for family dinner- I couldn't get it out of my head! The lentils weren't ravable, but they were as good as lentils get (I'm not a lentil enthusiast, but I respect them).
