Dinner At Bistro Bijoux originally published on Food and Fond Memories on April 26, 2013 by sandyaxelrod 0 Comments (Edit)
Dinner At Bistro Bijoux
Fried Oyster Salad
After a hearty breakfast and a sun filled day at the beach we needed to tackle shopping at the supermarket. We had put it off as long as we could but there was no getting around it. It had to been done. So Brian, Eve and I drove to the brand new Publix on the resort property while Steve went exploring on a bicycle. With our list neatly typed on my brand new iPad Mini that my sweet husband gave me for my birthday we pushed our shopping cart up and down the aisles. You know how they say “don’t go shopping on an empty stomach” well they are right. We bought everything on our list and practically every snack food in the market. We were starving and we were not eating dinner until 8:30! Steve and I had made a reservation at a place on property at the Baytowne Wharf area called Bistro Bijoux. And Brian and Eve planned on playing arcade games at the Baytowne Wharf and grabbing a bite somewhere casual.
We had chosen to have dinner at Bistro Bijoux for their New Orleans style menu and we were not disappointed. Our server Allison graciously welcomed us and enthusiastically told us about the specials. Finding a bottle of wine was easy, deciding what to order when everything sounded so delicious was not. While sipping our Catenary Malbec 2010 ($37) we dipped freshly baked, chewy, crusty bread into fruity olive oil seasoned with herbs and spices. Our gorgeous appetizer arrived beautifully presented and divided in half for us to share. Steve was unsure how he was going to eat it. The Lobster Spring Roll was covered in toasted sesame seeds and Steve can’t eat seeds or nuts and there had been no mention of them on the menu. He had decided that he would just peel off the coated spring roll wrapper. Allison noticed his hesitation and immediately took our plates away and had the chef make new ones without the seed coating. But so that I could enjoy it with all of the appropriate accoutrements there was a dish with the sauce and sesame seeds. And enjoy it we did! Each of us had a half a sweet succulent tempura fried lobster tail wrapped in a cozy spring roll blanket served with a green tea soba noodle slaw, spicy Thai peanut sauce and wasabi aioli.
Shrimp and Grits
We found out in conversation with Allison that she had been there nine and a half years which says a lot about the restaurant and how the staff is treated. She also told us that the head chef was from New Orleans which explained why the menu was so appealing to us. And apparently what drew Emeril Lagasse and his friend a few night before our visit. As it turns out Emeril has a vacation home nearby. Steve and I would have loved to have been at Bistro Bijoux that night! If they had the same Fried Oyster Salad with baby spinach, chopped eggs, crisp bacon, roasted pepper and creamy bacon balsamic aioli that we did I know they loved it because we sure did. And the entree…the fabulous entree…the best Shrimp and Grits we ever ate! Perfectly cooked, well seasoned, plump and juicy shrimp atop creamy dreamy stone ground grits cooked with mascarpone cheese, shiitake mushrooms, sherry, crispy pancetta and peppery arugula. My mouth is watering just typing the description. We barely had room for dessert yet somehow we managed to polish off a Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee that came beautifully plated with an almond tuile cookie, fresh berries and whipped cream.
Vanilla Bean Créme Brulée to Celebrate My Birthday
When we finished dining we had a chance to chat with the sous chef Shawn Obrien, the young and talented chef who had prepare our food since the head chef was off. He was so enthusiastic talking about the food that he is so passionate about. He comes from a family of chefs and grew up in Boston. But he got to Bistro Bijoux by way of Philadelphia, our hometown. It wasn’t food that brought him to Philly it was the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Team. He was signed as a goalie but unfortunately a serious automobile accident put an end to his hockey career and he turned to his other passion. They say everything happens for a reason and I think Shawn was really destined to be a chef.
After finishing his Black Sambuca Steve paid the bill and we walked back to our condo at Club Intrawest.
