After the concert in Milwaukee we went out for a late dinner at Coquette Cafe. It is a bistro in a gentrified bit of the city. It was one of just a few places that would be able to take us at close to 11 p.m. Walking it the restaurant hit all the right notes for a bistro. The menu had all the things a bistro should have and it was priced at a point where I think a bistro should. There wasn't an entree over $20. Ordering quickly as the kitchen was reaching the of its service, Daphne's friend Julie raved about the onion soup, so I followed her lead and ordered a bowl. It was terrific. A rich beef broth, lots of onion, but most importantly for me lots of well browned cheese. I love the little bits of crispy cheese around the edge of the bowl. It was a right proper french onion soup.
I opted for the grilled hangar steak with red wine shallot sauce, pommes frites and garlic aioli, another dish that Julie raved about. I ordered it rare and it came bloody. I loved it. It was wonderfully tender. Great flavour. I love hangar steak because of the great flavour. It was as good as the Hamilton Street Grill. It was that good. I think I'm going to have to find a butch in Ottawa that will sell me hangar steak. The frites were also solid. I loved that they served it with an aioli.
It was a regular haunt for Daphne when she lived in Milwaukee and I can see why. Coquette is a great bistro. The food was excellent, but also the price was reasonable. I think the only change I would make would be to get rid of the table cloths. I would want a slightly more casual feel for the place, but it is a small quibble. It is the bistro that I wish the Metropolitain in Ottawa was.
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