L’Accolade

Leave it to Jen to google map a random restaurant and it turns out to be a true hit. That’s how we discovered L’Accolade, a spot that’s been open for six years but I somehow never noticed it the millions of times I walked by. This is a wine bar, but while the bottles are everywhere, the menu has thoughtfully curated a small selection of natural wines. Our server was admittedly not the most knowledgeable about wine so I appreciated not having to wade through a huge list when I’m even less knowledgeable.

We were there for brunch so the menu was more limited, but it was the best of the best when it comes to bistro food. We eyed our neighbors’ steak and eggs and burger longingly before settling on a bunch of items to share: the little gem Caesar salad, avocado toast, oysters, beef tartar, eggs en cocotte, and fingerling potatoes. It was a perfect order. The Caesar was STELLAR. Perfectly dressed with fat anchovies and crumbs instead of croutons (how I like it). The oysters were beautifully presented on little stones instead of ice. The tartar had not just one egg yolk but six, which was a treat, and the hint of Dijon throughout was lovely. Those fingerling potatoes were a last minute add-on (I also asked for some aioli to go with them) and it was a very wise choice. They were so crispy and, honestly, generally insane. They were perfect for dipping into the eggs en cocotte once the bread ran out. Incidentally, if you like mushrooms (I do), those eggs are packed with mushroom flavor.