What is bistro food?

[Andy Fenn]

Host's Note This is split off from a discussion of the 2008 Michelin in the UK that originated on that forum.

John Talbott

The problem with introducing "bistro food" (or whatever you want to call it) as a "category", is that it is essentially dumbed down uncomplicated French food.

Edited February 1, 2008 by John Talbott (log)

[Chris Amirault]

The problem with introducing "bistro food" (or whatever you want to call it) as a "category", is that it is essentially dumbed down uncomplicated French food.

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Bistros may not deserve Michelin stars, but it's simply wrong from every perspective to call it "dumbed down uncomplicated French food."

[Andy Fenn]

OK, how would you describe it?

Bistro food is grounded in French cuisine, but uses less complicated techniques and cheaper ingredients.

It wasn't intended to be derogatory, merely comparative.

[Chris Amirault]

OK, how would you describe it?

Bistro food is grounded in French cuisine, but uses less complicated techniques and cheaper ingredients.

Some of that makes sense to me. Bistro food derives from many bourgeois French cuisines and relies on less expensive ingredients prepared in less refined ways. But as Paula Wolfert's treatises on daube indicate, complication has nothing to do with it.

It wasn't intended to be derogatory, merely comparative.

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Oh. I must have misread "dumbed down" as derogation.

[Ptipois]

Chris is right. Bistrot food cannot be defined by its "uncomplicated" nature, and the terms "dumbed down" do not even begin to describe it. They are very misleading to say the least.

Bistrot food has two main recognizable origins: 1) French bourgeois cooking of the 19th century (cuisine bourgeoise), and 2) French provincial and rural cooking of about the same period. Uncomplicated is not exactly a good way to describe it, though it is never overcomplicated.

Bistrot food of course has to be discussed in a historical perspective: it has to be understood as an urban style of cooking derived from rural sources and from traditional middle-class home cooking.

The original type of the bistrot is an urban phenomenon derived from the early 19th-century restaurants and auberges. But it really took off with the "exode rural" in the second half of the 19th century, when thousands of poor people from the remote provinces came to Paris to become servants for the bourgeoisie (Brittany), sweep the chimneys (Savoie), open beer and choucroute counters that were called brasseries (Alsace), run "bougnats" - coal, wine and firewood shops that were also restaurants and cafés (Auvergne, Rouergue and Forez).

The bistrot is a derivation of the bougnat, and is often associated with Auvergne and Aveyron (Rouergue), less frequently with Lyon. Even now many "limonadiers" (café owners) are originally from Auvergne. The Costes family, still thriving today, is a dynasty of Aveyronnais. The period when the last remaining bougnats disappeared (early 1980s) was fatal to the bistrot culture, which was revived in the mid-1980s by the likes of Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang and took a very different turn from then on, still trying to stick to some of the original principles, but in a yuppified, no longer popular style.

Bistrots and bougnats were related to other modest restaurants, the bouillons and crèmeries, which were places where the lower bourgeoisie and working classes could have well-prepared, nourishing meals at lunchtime. The food was, as I wrote, a mix of cuisine bourgeoise and rural family cooking, and was based on market produce.

Edited February 1, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[Dave Hatfield]

In my simplistic way the key word I use to describe bistro food is: honest.

By that I mean food that is true to its origins, ingredients and preparation methods. As others have said it is 'home cooking' taken to a cafe/ restaurant environment.

It is not tricked up or exotic, merely delicious.

Long may it endure.

[John Talbott]

Bistro food, like what women want puzzling Freud, has puzzled us on this forum in its definition.

Not to be too coy or witholding, I'll be posting a report on what many of us who frequented it the 1960's thought was "the" quintessential bistro - Le Petit Marguery - in a while, but a premature leak - it's been restored to its Brothers Cousin or Cousin Brothers' days.

So, a piece of advice - Go! Right now there are no auslanders.

[LindaK]

Uncomplicated is not exactly a good way to describe it, though it is never overcomplicated.

I like this description a lot.

To it I would add the skillful use of readily available and often economical ingredients.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Bistrot food is what I would remember eating at my grandmother's table in the '20s (or 50s) had I had a French grandmother and been lucky enough to have been alive then. I choose this decade because it would have allowed said imaginary grandmother access to product that would have been unavailable during the war.

[boston]

Chris is right. Bistrot food cannot be defined by its "uncomplicated" nature, and the terms "dumbed down" do not even begin to describe it. They are very misleading to say the least.

Bistrot food has two main recognizable origins: 1) French bourgeois cooking of the 19th century (cuisine bourgeoise), and 2) French provincial and rural cooking of about the same period. Uncomplicated is not exactly a good way to describe it, though it is never overcomplicated.

Bistrot food of course has to be discussed in a historical perspective: it has to be understood as an urban style of cooking derived from rural sources and from traditional middle-class home cooking.

The original type of the bistrot is  an urban phenomenon derived from the early 19th-century restaurants and auberges. But it really took off with the "exode rural" in the second half of the 19th century, when thousands of poor people from the remote provinces came to Paris to become servants for the bourgeoisie (Brittany), sweep the chimneys (Savoie), open beer and choucroute counters that were called brasseries (Alsace), run "bougnats" - coal, wine and firewood shops that were also restaurants and cafés (Auvergne, Rouergue and Forez).

The bistrot is a derivation of the bougnat, and is often associated with Auvergne and Aveyron (Rouergue), less frequently with Lyon. Even now many "limonadiers" (café owners) are originally from Auvergne. The Costes family, still thriving today, is a dynasty of Aveyronnais. The period when the last remaining bougnats disappeared (early 1980s) was fatal to the bistrot culture, which was revived in the mid-1980s by the likes of Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang and took a very different turn from then on, still trying to stick to some of the original principles, but in a yuppified, no longer popular style.

Bistrots and bougnats were related to other modest restaurants, the bouillons and crèmeries, which were places where the lower bourgeoisie and working classes could have well-prepared, nourishing meals at lunchtime. The food was, as I wrote, a mix of cuisine bourgeoise and rural family cooking, and was based on market produce.

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I have enjoyed the elegant and straight forward descriptions of "Bistrot food".

How would you all add to the description the "restaurant tweek" versus "home

cooking" to the definition. Is it the cooking style applied to ingredients ie

techniques that define bistrot? Not all of us have family that select ingredients and

combinations and present food as many of the bistrots mentioned in the forum.

On the other hand there are many places that still provide food closer or

identical to its original form for our working class brothers in Paris and of course

rural areas.

[Dave Hatfield]

Not a definition this time, but an example.

Lunch yesterday after golf was at a restaurant/cafe/hotel on the Tarn.

Entrée: Fish Terrine (delicious & home made) or the 'buffet' (a very good selection of charcuterie & salads)

Plat: Coq au Vin (wonderful rich sauce: I can never quite duplicate it)

Dessert: Basque tart or cheese or fruit

25Dl of wine. 11 Euros.

Everything except some of the charcuterie, the cheese, bread and wine was pretty much produced by the family.

I can think of at least ten such places within an easy drive. The bistro is still not dead down here in the country.

In a 'city' bistro I would expect more choice naturally, but many if not most of the dishes would be the same or similar.

Edited for typos

Edited February 5, 2008 by Dave Hatfield (log)

[Carlsbad]

That meal sounds great, especially the price. Are you near Saint-Antonin Noble Val? A frend has a house there and has invited us for a visit.

[Dave Hatfield]

That meal sounds great, especially the price.  Are you near Saint-Antonin Noble Val?  A frend has a house there and has invited us for a visit.

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Yes, we live about 20 minutes to the North East of St Antonin. Its a nice town with a good Sunday market, nice walks & scenery along the Averyron River and some spectacular limestone cliffs.

The restaurant in question is about 20 - 25 minutes the other way, South. Its a pity, but to get there you have to traverse some spectacular wine country.

If you take up your friend's invitation let me know & I can make a few suggestions on food, wine & other attractions in the local area.

[Carlsbad]

Thanks, I will do that.

[fresh_a]

Here are a few ideas for some of the better bistros...

[John Talbott]

In the spirit of advancing this discussion, I'd remind everyone of a moderately big merged topic on bistrots.

[pierre45]

My definition of a bistrot is quite simple and its as follows

-A restaurant that's not fancy.

-A restaurant that's reasonable,in other words 25 to 40 euros for 3 courses and no drinks.Therefore no expensive ingredients such as truffle ,caviar,etc.No predessert,dessert and gourmandises

-A small place

-a restaurant that does not have an army of waiters

Today a bistrot could have any style of cuisine from traditional to modern and also creative.preparation however is simpler than in star restaurants.