On a whim I decided to treat myself to a meal in OTR after a concert in Washington Park last Wednesday evening. I was torn between Colette and a competitor across the street, so I chose the place with the better views and snagged a table in the window at Colette.
Let me start by saying if this review was based on food alone, Colette would only receive a 3 (as you'll read why). I prefer to assess the totality of an establishment, however, and given the exceptional service and wait staff, this place earns that fourth and final star. As a matter of fact, Colette has a real "star" in Brian, who was as attentive a server as I've ever experienced. Kind, polite, knowledgeable about the menu, knows when to engage in conversation and when to let you enjoy your meal. He alone is the reason for the fourth and final star.
I purposefully chose to order several dishes so I could experience the totality of the menu offered, and there was a clear stand-out: the cod. I'm unsure what kind of voodoo-black-magic-seance-type rituals they have going on back in that kitchen, but damn...that cod is special. This is easily one of the best fish dishes I've ever had anywhere in the world (and I travel, friends). It can easily rival a Chilean sea bass I once had at Nobu and dreamed about for a week afterward. I'm absolutely still thinking about the sauce on Colette's cod dish.
The greens beneath the cod were perfectly cooked and a wonderful accompaniment to the cod itself, which had the most delicate texture. The true star of the dish, surprisingly, is the SAUCE. I'm glad I boxed most of the dish up after a few (glorious) bites, because I might have embarrassed myself at the table licking this sauce off everything it touched. I mean, wowzers. Truly one of the most delicate, creamy, and citrusy accompaniments I've ever experienced...from a sauce. The restraint! I had an "experience" with a damn sauce. I only had a few bites at Colette to save tummy space for the rest of my dishes, but you'd better believe when I got home with my leftovers I LICKED that box clean. (Get your minds out of the gutter and just go see what I'm talking about).
I'll admit I was underwhelmed by the beet salad. This was the only "miss" for me on the menu. If you're going to offer a beet salad at a place like this, people expect special (like that cod!), but this salad didn't really deliver. It felt more like a dish that was "assembled" rather than "prepared," and the pairing of mushy things (beets plus tomatoes plus dense pistachios) was somewhat disappointing. I had 2 bites to make sure I wasn't being unfair...and I wasn't. Chefs can go HARD in the paint on some beets if they're really inspired, and this dish was just interesting to look at, but not necessarily to eat.
The brioche is a must, but I had one for a (first) dessert rather than an appetizer as suggested on the menu. Layer upon delicate layer of pastry drenched in butter with a crispy outside and dense croissant-like center? Give me 2. If you order this for your table, I suggest you just go ahead and get each person their own. It's considered low-brow to fight at the table over food, you know.
I would have LOVED to have raved about the mille-feuille (my second dessert), because it was truly a sight to behold. This is easily one of the more difficult desserts to pull off for a number of structural reasons, so when it's done well you can't help but dance in your seat when it's in front of you. Visually, Colette's mille-feuille is perfect, and I was so excited to see the structural integrity hold through my first spoonful where I was able to get a bit of every taste/element in that first bite. I was less excited, however, to taste the scorch on the middle pastry layer, which permeated the dish. You just can't out-sauce or out-pretty a burned/scorched dish. I only had a bite and had to leave the rest behind. It was still lovely to look at, but I'd have preferred to eat it.
The establishment as a whole was a real treat, I must say. I love a place that has clearly taken the time to be very particular in its training with staff. Tables are cleared quickly, servers largely operate in silence, and when they re-set the tables they're clearly using some system that's been DRILLED into them. The distance between your flatware and your plate isn't just a haphazard coincidence at Colette, it's "The Way." There's an understated Parisian elegance to Colette, and if you can snag a seat at the window you'll have the best of both worlds: a few tasty treats and a delightful view.
But Holly, you only ate 2 of the 4 dishes you ordered (and nursed a tasty G&T) , why would you give this place a 4?
The cod and the service. Period. read more