This story is featured in CityBeat's Jan. 24 print edition.
My love affair with France took off like a meteor when, at the impressionable age of 17, I spent two weeks in Paris at a five-star hotel a couple of blocks off the Champs-Élysées. I’ve returned to Paris many times since then. One thing I love about it is the reverence that Parisians — and the French in general — have for food and drink.
When a French restaurant opens in our town, therefore, no arm-twisting is required for me to try it. Even if, as in the case of Colette, it bills itself as “French-ish.” And even if the new venture takes over the space that was Zula, a restaurant near Washington Park that I revered for many years for its consistently excellent mussels, flatbreads, salads and wine. For theatergoers and music lovers, the location can’t be beat. But I wondered how Colette would stack up as a replacement for a reliable favorite.
One thing is for certain: Cincinnati diners responded enthusiastically, filling Colette’s tables as soon as it opened late last year. I’ve dined there twice, both times seated at the bar when we couldn’t secure a table. Once, I went through the restaurant’s online system to reserve a table very early on a Tuesday after the holidays, which was the only thing available all week. With nearby performance venues dark that night, that was impressive.
But we found out upon arrival that our reservation was for “counter seating” on two backless stools facing a wall. Fortunately, we were able to grab better seats at the bar. Next time, the staff suggested, look for the fine print in your reservation confirmation so you won’t be surprised. The counter seats would be fine for drinks and an appetizer, or a quick bite if you’re running late for a performance, but I would be unlikely to enjoy a full meal there.
We chatted with the bartenders, asking about any physical changes chef/owner Danny Combs made before opening as Colette. Although it looked substantially the same to me, the staffers said a team of designers and architects made more than cosmetic changes to both the dining room and bar. I did notice a subtler lighting scheme that gave the place a cozier feel than I remembered from Zula.
The French-ness of Colette’s menu has sufficient authenticity to satisfy this Francophile. And for those who don’t care about such things, there are plenty of tasty options on the relatively short menu, which is subject to change. It consists of three appetizers (called “Tableau”), several salads (“Salades”), seven entrees and two pricey entrees labeled “Grands Plats,” or large dishes. I wondered whether the $96 sole meunière and the $120 rib-eye were portioned to share but didn’t inquire. There are plenty of other enticing choices, and we weren’t up for a grand meal that night.
The endive and radicchio salad, with diced ham, Roquefort cheese and walnut vinaigrette is a refreshing starter, as was the Parisian carrot salad. The latter came as a large portion of thin curls of raw carrot curls dressed in cider vinaigrette accented with bits of toasted hazelnut. A plate full of crunch, it was more than I could eat, so my date took some of it to add to his salad of simple greens.
We tried one of the Tableau items, which is the most Frenchified part of the menu. I mean, could it get more French than brandade de morue, vol-au-vent and pâté de maison? My date selected the pâté, a slice of pork and liver meat dotted with pistachios that has a pleasantly toothsome, chunky texture.
My favorite entrée was Icelandic cod, prepared with a crust of brioche crumbs and bathed in caviar beurre blanc. It was almost too much butter but the fish itself was perfectly cooked and the crusty topping contrasted beautifully with the tender cod. Wilted greens completed the plate.
The duck confit preparation is a creditable version of cassoulet, savory and rich with creamy beans and chopped leek. Another standout is herbed cavatelli, sauced with braised lamb neck ragout and topped with grated pecorino.
The topper, however, is a truly special dessert: profiteroles. I don’t know anywhere else in town to find it: small puff pastries filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with semi-sweet chocolate sauce. At Colette, the treat is listed as choux au craquelin. I can easily imagine slipping in after the theater to grab a seat and the bar and scarf down a portion before heading home.
At almost the same time that Colette entered the OTR restaurant scene, Atwood Oyster House opened, on Vine Street, replacing PearlStar Oyster Bar. At least the third restaurant to occupy the space, Atwood’s renovations make it easy to forget its forerunners. The intimate, low lighting, sparking mirrored surfaces and eye-catching artwork feel very welcoming. The kitchen is helmed by chef Seth Ridgill, who came on board after a stint at Kiki in College Hill, one of my go-to dinner spots.
We arrived one evening late into the dinner hour and noticed that at almost every table, folks were eating oysters. So that’s what we did and washed them down with a little champagne.
However, Atwood’s menu offers quite a bit more than bivalves. Chef Ridgill is turning out such intriguing dishes as crab rice (Carolina Gold rice with blue crab, herbs and collards), a pork chop served with sweet potato and an apple confit, swordfish schnitzel and whole branzino.
Owners Garth Lieb and Tom Stephen brought in Kayla Hunley as pastry chef. Her short but astonishing dessert offerings include chocolate ice cream cake; trifle made with passion fruit, pomelo and strawberry; and maple-flavored crème brulee. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with as the seasons change.
Lieb and Stephen operate under the business name 3 Pigs Hospitality, and Atwood marks their fourth — and most ambitious — restaurant or bar establishment in OTR. Liberty Bar and Bottle, a bar and retail shop on Main Street, has been around the longest. Nearby on the corner of Main and 14th, The Pony serves hearty, refined bar food and serious cocktails, and they also operate a seasonal poolside taco bar, Yoli, in Ziegler Park. While these spots draw from a growing population of OTR and downtown residents, Atwood strikes me as the company’s first potential “destination” enterprise.
Clearly, Atwood is the crown jewel of this OTR business group, and I look forward to many future visits. As for Colette, it will be fun to check back in with a restaurant that started with a bang in one of the prime restaurant locations of our city, within sight of Music Hall, Memorial Hall and Washington Park.
Colette, 1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. Info: coletteotr.com.
Atwood Oyster House, 1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. Info: atwoodoysterhouse.com.
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