by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine
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My next tasting experience takes me to Bistro Fourchette in old downtown Vero Beach. They occupy the space where Melody Inn was once located. Owners Chef Stephane Becht and his wife Loretta opened this place in November 2015, serving up some classic French bistro style cuisine. Chef Stephane was the Executive Chef at Windsor, until he realized he would rather run his own restaurant. He turned to internet crowd funding to help pay for the restaurants renovations and raised more than $5,000 in doing so. Does this new restaurant have what it takes to survive in the crowded restaurant scene in Vero Beach? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
If you have driven down 19th Place through downtown Vero, I’m sure you have passed this place by a few times and did not even realize it. They are located at the corner of 14th Ave and 19th place. Parking is in the back as is the entrance for the restaurant. As you enter the building, there is a long hallway that leads to a courtyard where the entrance is located.
Upon entering the restaurant, you come right into the main dining room, with the hostess stand on your right. It’s cozy, yet it does not feel cramped, decoration was subtle with all kinds of different mirrors and some French artwork on the walls. Lighting was dim, but not so much so you could not read the menu. I arrived at 6pm and there was plenty of daylight coming in through the windows.
There is a second dining room separated from the main one by a short hallway, that allows them to seat a total of 80 guests. I was promptly greeted upon entry by Loretta and shown to my table.
Let’s jump right in and see what I had to eat and drink!
French Bread – The bread comes with all meals and was presented shortly after I sat down. It was warm, had a nice crust and was soft on the inside. Real butter was served alongside.
Chablis Bichot, Burgundy, France – ($10.00) – Per Loretta’s recommendation, I tried a glass of this wine with my meal. It had a nice fruity aroma and was light on the palette. It paired nicely with the dishes that I tasted.
Tarte A L’ Onion Avec Chevre Chaud – ($10.00) – The first appetizer of the evening was this wonderful onion tart. The crust for the tarte was made from puff pastry and was feather light and disintegrated in your mouth with each bite. The onions were caramelized nicely and had a subtle sweet flavor. This dish is normally served with goat cheese, but was substituted this evening with Roquefort instead. It has the same tanginess that goat cheese has, but leans more towards the flavor of bleu cheese. It was a worthy substitution as the dish was fantastic!
Steak Tartare “A LA Francaise – ($13.00) – Next dish I selected to taste was the Steak Tartare. This was my first time for steak tartare, so I was anxious to try it. It was served with a raw quails egg still in the shell on top. I poured the quails egg over the top before eating. The chilled tartare contained onions, garlic, parsley and other spices. It was a tad bit under seasoned for my taste, but was very fresh.
Quiche Lorraine – ($19.00) – As this dish was set down in front of me, the aroma of the bacon and Gruyere cheese was intoxicating! This creamy egg pie had a smooth, creamy texture with lots of bacon and cheese which added an over the top flavor experience. The lettuce on the side salad was very fresh and the dressing was light, yet tangy.
Beef Bourguignon – ($22.00) – My last main entree for the evening was the Beef Bourguignon. The beef was braised in red wine, with lardons (bacon), mushrooms, carrots, fingerling potatoes and topped with freshly chopped parsley. The beef was fork tender and the vegetables were all cooked perfectly. The gravy had a slight red wine flavor to it but not overpowering at all. It was delicious!
Coffee Ice Cream Profiteroles – ($6.00) – Shortly after finishing up my entrees, I see Loretta heading my way with this dessert. The dessert contains 3 profiteroles cut in half, a scoop of coffee ice cream in between, and a warm, rich dark chocolate sauce over the top. The coffee flavor in the ice cream was subtle, the profiteroles were light and airy, and the dark chocolate sauce was definitely the star of this dish. It was the consistency of hot fudge and was one of the best I have ever tasted.
In Conclusion:
I moved to Vero a little over 2 years ago from the Midwest, and French food was not something available to me where I used to live, so I was excited to give them a try. Chef Stephane and his wife Loretta take great pride in the food they serve, and I could taste that with each bite. I suggest that you stop by and pay them a visit for a little taste of authentic French cuisine, right here in Vero.
Have you tried Bistro Fourchette? What has your experience been with them? Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts, or feel free to email me at thefoodguy@verovine.com with your questions or comments.
Atmosphere – 5 Forks
Service – 5 Forks
Food – 5 Forks
Ratings Scale Legend:
1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent
They are open Tuesday through Saturday, 5:00pm til 10:00pm, closed Sundays and Mondays