Restaurant Review: Petit Louis (Baltimore - Roland Park): Outstanding French cuisine, wine list and service.

Overview

Ambiance: Upscale, bustling classic French Bistro.
Wine List: Impressive selection of French wines, sommelier available to lend a hand.
Corkage: Not available
Service: Very good to exceptional food and wine service.
Food: Classic/Elegant French Cuisine, good to very good.
Pricing: $$$ (Appetizers $7-$14, Entrees $17-$24, fair wine pricing).
Attire: No specific dress code but most patrons in business casual to business attire
Overall Rating: Highly recommended; great food, good service, great wine list.
Location/Contact Info: http://www.petitlouis.com

Review: A small French bistro situated in the beautiful Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, it’s easy to fall in love with Petit Louis. The classic decor, traditional French cuisine and impeccable food and wine service make Petit Loius one of Baltimore’s best restaurants for a casual dinner or birthday celebration. While not cheap, compared to other restaurants of this quality Petit Loius is almost a bargain! All these things combined make it one of our favorite spots in town- especially since it’s only a mile away from our house and parking is abundant.

The first thing you’ll notice once you make your way through the elegant yet casual floor plan is good spacing between tables and comfortable seating. You don’t feel crowded, but at the same time the setting is intimate and inviting. Along the window sills you’ll find signed wine bottles and large format bottles from outstanding vintages, foreshadowing the arrival of an extensive, all-French wine list. A bit overwhelmed? A capable sommelier is on hand to assist you. There are many outstanding wines to be found on the list and you don’t have to spend $100 or more to find a good wine. That said, the list is heavily weighted towards these higher end wines, and though pricey, the markup is more than fair.

On our visit we began our meal with a NV Duval Leroy Champagne which was served in Riedel champagne stemware. Don’t be surprised when the server pours him/herself a small taste of your wine. Though not common here in the US, it’s custom in many French restaurants and the waitstaff’s courtesy to avoid pouring you a corked wine in your glass.

The food menu is equally as impressive as the wine list. Appetizers range from Foie Gras à la mode Landaise (duck fois gras, $17) to a

highly recommended Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée (French Onion soup, $6). On this most recent visit, we went with the Aubergines Croquantes (crispy eggplant Napoleon, $9, seen in image to right) and Escargots de Bourgogne (snails in an herb/butter sauce, $12). The eggplant Napoleon was crispy on the outside, perfectly tender on the inside and filled with great flavors and a variety of textures that made the dish a huge success. The escargot tasted fresh and the butter/garlic/herb sauce was great for dipping the homemade bread. I haven’t had an appetizer at Petit Louis that didn’t make me stop and smile after the first bite, an acknowledgment to the innovative chef and her kitchen’s strong attention to every detail.

This craftsmanship carried over to the plats principaux, that is the main plates. Between the variety on the menu and the daily specials, there is something that should more than please even the most picky eaters.

There are options on land (beef, pork sweetbreads), from the sea (rockfish, scallops, trout) or air (duck, chicken-not really air, but it fits!)- all prepared using classic French techniques and served with perfectly accompanying sides. The Duck Confit ($19) offerred crisp, well seasoned skin, succulent meat and a lovely mustard reduction served with potatoes and greens. A Poulet Paillard, pan roasted chicken, was nicely browned and tender, and was great with the caper vinegarette. Both dishes went great with the wines we chose by the glass which were good values and a nice way to save some cash when diningon a budget. Oh, and don’t forget a side of mayonnaise for the crispy Potato Gauffrettes (when in Paris…)!

The dessert menu is also impressive with ultra rich choices like a chocolate mousse to the light and delicious profiteroles (puff pastries with chocolate syrup) that are highly recommended. There are a variety of dessert wines as well as great espresso and coffee available that are the perfect way to bring this culinary experience to an end.

Petit Louis is one of Baltimore’s best restaurants, and my favorite within the Charleston group (Pazo, the Charleston, Cinghale). It excels at classic French cuisine and has an extensive, well priced wine list to match. The high quality of the food and service more than justify the pricing. This is an easy choice for a romantic night out or group celebration. Don’t forget about the pre-fixe lunch which is 3 courses for only $20 ($26 with wines paired)- which is a great, economical way to get a taste of what’s cooking at Petit Louis.