Everyone’s favorite French chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, owner of Table and French Crust Cafe, is opening a new destination restaurant in The Edgecliff condominium building in Walnut Hills (2200 Victory Parkway).
The whimsically titled Le Bar a Boeuf — literally translated to “beef bar” — will be a French neo-bistro, de Cavel says, with new takes on classic French and American dishes; more casual than the Table with the intent that everybody will be able to share (at least the appetizers). “It’s not a classic bistro, like when I did Jean Ro,” de Cavel says. “This neo-bistro is something from the past you are familiar with but in a modern way.”
The menu (which is currently being finalized) will feature six or seven appetizers, from homemade pate and crab cakes (“Of course crab cakes,” de Cavel says) to beef and salmon tartare, deviled eggs and lobster macaroni and cheese, along with entrees that focus on ground meat.
“So like a burger without the bread,” he says.
The chef has always wanted to do a burger bar-type restaurant, but Le Bar a Boeuf will be something more, elevating the street food with a French twist; a burger you eat with a fork and knife. The ground meat — which includes choices like Wagyu beef, seafood and lamb — keeps entree prices down (they’re currently slated to be in the $16-$28 range), while still providing quality. It also allows patrons to top their “burgers” with a variety of add-ons.
“You can have a burger with sautéed chicken liver on it, or you can have pork belly or foie gras, confit tomatoes or roasted portobello mushrooms,” de Cavel says. Le Bar a Boeuf’s Chef de Cuisine will be Mirko Ravlic with sous chef Travis Reidel, both from Table. Table’s wine director Evan Abrams will be developing the moderately priced and global wine list. The bar will also serve classic cocktails, and local, import and domestic beers. And Lindsay Furia, most recently of New York’s 11 Madison Park, will come aboard as general manager.
Previously home to restaurants including The Edgecliff Room, View and Coach & Four, de Cavel has made a few changes to the 70-person dining room, lounge and patio, with help from HighStreet and the designer who helped with Table, to make the atmosphere “funky” and “different.”
Slated to open by mid-November, one of the former selling points of the restaurant location was the panoramic river-view (hence the former eatery “View”).
“I never want to promote the view; the view, for me, it’s an extra,” de Cavel says. “It’s an extra thing. I want it to be a fun restaurant; a destination restaurant. Fun for the younger generation to the older generation.”
Le Bar a Boeuf will open for dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays initially, and then for lunch and brunch Wednesday-Sunday shortly after. Follow progress on Twitter and Instagram @baraboeufcincy
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2014.
