In this latest venture, Davaillon partnered with Stephan Courseau and Travis Street Hospitality as the executive chef at Up On Knox, which he repurposed into Knox Bistro. He's now the chef partner for all concepts from the Travis Street hospitality group, which includes Le Bilboquet and Georgie by Curtis Stone.
With Knox Bistro, Davaillon sought to create a French bistro with a menu inspired by his roots in France’s Loire Valley, which is primarily countryside south of Paris known for fantastic wines. So, here one could expect traditional French countryside recipes with seasonal vegetables and great wine. Perhaps less fussy than, say, a big Parisian brasserie.
Knox Bistro is a touch of France's Loire Valley in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
We stopped in for an early dinner on a recent Saturday, snagging a parking space just out front. We didn't have reservations, and getting a table at 6 p.m. wasn't a problem, although it was almost full by the time we left.
The interior is bright and airy. Warm globe lights and wicker backed-chairs impart some old-world charm. Many many servers flutter around, all keeping an eye on every table, quick to grab a dropped fork, refill water or offer to take a picture if you're spotted taking so many pictures.
Bucking the American tradition of overindulgence — or following some bit of intuition — we skipped appetizers and focused on a simple French countryside meal, quite literally meat, potatoes and vegetables. And a burger.
A basket of bread and whipped butter was brought to our table, and we didn't protest. Their French baguette is art. A server said it’s made in-house, sort of, by way of one of their sister restaurants either Georgie or Le Bilboquet. He wasn’t sure which. Didn’t matter. It and the butter were perfect.
We started with one of the few dishes under $30 (there is a separate lunch munch with a lower overall price point). The raie au beurre noisette (skate wing with brown butter) is a mild-flavored fish served with a lemon brown butter sauce, speckled with capers. Each tender bite was a delight.
Potato cubes served with the skate were crisp and dark golden brown on the outside and a perfectly light chew in the middle and were mixed with a lemony al dente kale. This plate should be eaten with a touch of greed. Forgoing heavy (or any) apps was the right call.
Speaking of greed, we tried to order the Up on Knox Burger as it was the one holdover from the old menu. However, with a touch of classic French cheekiness, our server casually pointed to the burger below that one: Le Burger au Poivre, which is simply described as “The French.”
He basically said, “Non, you’ll get that.” And we did.
A thick beef patty cooked to a medium-rare was blessed in creamy peppercorn sauce full of caramelized onions. A puddle of opulence forms around the burger. We can’t imagine anyone picking it up to eat with their hands. Cut it in half, then dig in with a knife and fork. Use chunks of the bread as a squeegee across the plate to get every spec of sauce. Oof.
Many plates of this burger, which was $22 and one of the cheapest dinners on the menu, were passing through the dining room. The burger may be the safe place on the menu. We appreciated the suggestion, and likely many other diners did too. Can't imagine one not.
The burger comes with a side of thin slightly salted, perfect fries. If they sell the sauce separately, next time we’d get more just for the fries. And a gallon to take home.
For dessert, we had the trending espresso martini, inscribed with a ground coffee message on the top, “Hello Weekend,” a rich ending to a rich meal.
We didn't try wine and wish we would have. A sweet and spicy margarita-like cocktail wasn't the right match for this meal; it wasn't bad, and was made as described, but likely not something they're serving in the Loire Valley. Here you'll want to dive into the full experience. Like they say, when in the valley .... (we're almost certain they say that there).
We left spending about $100 for two dinners and four drinks. In addition to the burgers, we noticed a lot of plates of skate wing were doled out as well; it too was one of the cheaper options at $26. One can't help but think that diners want a nice meal, of course, but are also worried about prices. Restaurants certainly are as well. It's a beautiful meal in a lovely space and a lot cheaper than a trip overseas.
Knox Bistro, 3230 Knox St., 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
