Provencal Bistro
436 Mamaroneck Ave
Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (Map it!)
Attendees: Shelley, Jeffrey, Pat, Sylvia, Reid
We were going to go to another establishment this week. However, on our way back from dinner in Mamaroneck on Friday evening, we passed by a place on Mamaroneck Avenue that caught my eye. This place was La Provencal Bistro. A mobile check of their menu confirmed that they offer Sunday brunch.
And so our plans were changed.
It was a beautiful October day, which is good, considering I parked and proceeded to walk in the opposite direction from the restaurant. I wound up at the harbor and decided I had probably overshot the place, and had to double back. This made me 10 minutes late, but if I had to get lost, at least I had a warm, sunny day, and got to stroll down Mamaroneck’s pleasant main street.
The Bistro has an inviting light brick facade. Inside, there’s a narrow room with tables, but if you walk through and down a couple of steps, there’s a larger, bright dining area. This is where most of the Sunday diners were seated. La Provencal has your stereotypical French bistro look to it: cheery yellow walls which are adorned by nineteenth-century French drawings. The large dining room has a back wall of windows, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. A member of the waitstaff promptly came over and filled my water glass as I looked over the brunch menu. The menu is a blend of standard breakfast items (two eggs any style, waffles with fresh fruit and whipped cream) and French-inspired fare (omelettes with escargots or gruyere). I ordered two scrambled eggs, which I thought would come with chicken sausage and bacon in addition to home fries and toast. (What I hadn’t realized is that there are two different “two eggs any style” on the menu, one that comes with the breakfast meats and one that doesn’t.) I was delighted when the waiter asked me whether I would like my eggs cooked soft or firm. No server at any of the restaurants we’ve visited has ever asked me for my egg preference, which has at times left me disappointed (I’m talking to you, Juniper). I asked for firm eggs, passed in my menu, and eagerly awaited my meal.
While we waited we were brought a basket filled with slices of flaky French bread. The waitstaff was good about keeping our water or coffee cups filled.
The food arrived and looked delicious. My eggs were firm, just the way I like them–not a runny egg in sight–and they were topped with small slices of chives. I was puzzled that there was no chicken sausage and/or bacon on my plate, until my fellow diners pointed out to me that since I hadn’t specified that I wanted these items, I had unknowingly ordered just the plain old two scrambled eggs. Oh well. I took this as a sign that I probably didn’t need the extra food this afternoon. The eggs were among the better scrambled eggs that I’ve had. The homefries were a bit hard, but were interspersed with flavorful pieces of sweet red pepper. The wheat toast was average.
After brunch we were brought dessert menus. While the selections looked tempting (oh, creme brulee!), we all decided to forego more food. Besides, there was a bakery down the block that I wanted to try out, and Sylvia promised an assortment of cookies back at her house.
The price point for my meal was totally reasonable, at $8.00. Given that, the good quality of the food, the good service, and the pleasant, relaxing atmosphere, I’d definitely keep La Provencal Bistro on my brunch list.
We’re back to breakfast and we chose to go to someplace we drove by in Mamaroneck. I think the decision process was us driving by and some people in the car yelling, “Why don’t we go there?” So, we went!
I had some sort of omelette that had snails in it. It was peculiar. I’m not against having snails in my food. I’ve just never had them in omlette form before. It was good. I just wish there were more of it. Also, I wish I had more stuff on the plate. I had a salad and some unripe mango as sides. I would have liked to have had some potatoes.
Price wise, it wasn’t too terrible. I think it was just under 20 bucks for the meal, which included coffee. I also bought some barbarian chocolate from the bakery down the street for a buck! (Editor’s note: Yes, we know that it’s “bavarian” not “barbarian.” This is Jeffrey’s attempt at humor.) Mamaroneck is a nice town. Future exploration of the town is required.
What I Had: Duck confit hash, poached egg, toasted baguette, salad, coffee
What It Cost: $14 for the main course, $3 for the coffee, ~$20 all told.
Worth It: Yes
The Rating: 4/5
The Details: La Provencal Bistro is a delightful little cafe along the main drag of shops in Mamaroneck.
The menu looked quite promising, listing high-concept variations on breakfast classics with top notch ingredients. After some vacillating, I settled on the duck confit hash, topped with a poached egg, along side some toasted baguette slices and an arugula salad.
The dish came out and, for the most part, looked beautiful. The salad seemed a little too large (yeah, I’m complaining about extra food) and sloppily put together. But the egg, perched perfectly atop the beautiful hash, and the baguette toast triggered my salivary glands, and I dove in. I cut into the egg, letting the yolk drip down into the hash. It was delicious. I took a pile, put it on a baguette, and took a bite of everything together. The flavors complemented each other perfectly, and the textures of the tender duck, rich mushroom, crunchy baguette, and fresh tomato came together sensationally.
There were only two negatives, the most serious of which was the presence of black olives in the dish. I love olives, but these were excessively salty, and overpowered the richness of the duck. The cherry tomatoes in the salad were a much better pairing, as the acidity cut the duck’s richness nicely. The other problem was a shortage of baguette. Three pieces wasn’t nearly enough to tackle all the hash. Fortunately, Sylvia sent a piece of brioche toast my way, which served as an adequate substitute. Personally, I would have loved a second poached egg on the hash, but the dish probably doesn’t need it.
The service was friendly and attentive. The coffee was good. The parking was pretty easy. The experience was great. And the menu was familiar, but individual. I couldn’t get the dish I got anywhere else we’ve been. I’d love to go back next week.
The Bottom Line: Worth the trip.
We found this place Friday night as we were returning from our celebration at Barnacle BBQ for Pat’s upcoming birthday. With the help of our numerous smart phones, we were able to see that this cute little bistro does in fact offer brunch! We were there!
The bistro was very quaint. Very open, sunny, and simply decorated. As we all trickled in, I got a chance to study the menu. The offerings were quite interesting, and all sounded so good. One thing I noticed was how the prices were so reasonable for a French themed breakfast.
I copied Pat and ordered the duck confit hash, which was served with three slices of a toasted baguette and a mesclun salad. I also ordered a side of brioche toast.
When the food arrived, I was super excited. It smelled so good! With the three slices of baguette, I loaded each one up with a slice of tomato, an olive, and a generous helping of the duck confit hash. It was really good. The olive gave provided a nice contrasting taste to the richness of the hash. The hash by itself was yummy and not too heavy as some French dishes can be. There was plenty of duck meat, and not a lot of potato cubes. The salad was good quality and not over dressed. I’m so glad I got a side of the brioche toast because it was useful to mop up the rest of that very yummy sauce.
The czar says: I would go back. The prices are reasonable for this type of cuisine, and the menu is varied enough that everyone will find something they will enjoy. A nice place to bring parents, family or even to catch up with friends. Yum!
The Case: La Provencal Bistro v. The Westchester Breakfast Club
The Venue: Mamaroneck’s main commercial drag
The Facts: One of my favorite things about the WBC is that Sylvia* has
a tendency to pick places that are a bit out of the way for me, places
that, despite being in the county I grew up in, I didn’t even know
existed. This was such a trip. Prior to our visit to La Provencal, I
had no idea that Mamaroneck had such a charming commercial district.
La Provencal is somewhat unassuming on the outside, but the inside is
quite nice. The back of the restaurant is all window, and across the
street is a colonial-era cemetery. Of course, it is extremely
vulnerable to zombie attacks, but as the undead did not rise to feast
upon the living, it was just a nice place to sit and have a meal.
I felt like lunch more than breakfast, so I ordered from the $20
prix fixe menu. I had the choice of a main course and either an
appetizer or a dessert. I went with the appetizer, and ordered the
mushroom soup. It was okay. The mushrooms which floated in it were
quite tasty, but they were too few and far between to impart much of
that flavor to the broth. Edible, certainly, but hardly memorable.
For my main, I had the steak sandwich with onions and garlic, with
thin fries and a roquet salad. I skipped the salad, but the rest was
quite good. The meat was tender, and the onions and garlic were made
soft enough to spread, which made the whole thing a more unified dish.
I was breathing onions and sweating garlic for the next few hours, but
it was definitely worth it.
The Verdict: A bit of a hike, but definitely worth it. Get there early
and spend the day in downtown Mamaroneck.
*Editor’s note: I’d say the decision to go to La Provencal was a group one. That’s right, the editor wants credit where credit’s due.
Andrew
October 24, 2010 at 9:43 am
Awww, Sucks that I missed this one!!
Leslie Brill
April 27, 2011 at 11:43 am
Their chicken sausage totally rocks, and they have an especially great salad: beet/orange/arugula with “chabichou du poutou” goat cheese (on their lunch menu, which you can order from at brunch). They’re also very child friendly, for a sort of fancy place.