WITH ITS LARGE WINDOWS, tile floors and classic wooden chairs, Bistro Byronz reminds me of cafés in the south of France. Or at least, what I imagine they may look like, having never actually been to the south of France. Taking a seat on one of those weatherworn folding chairs or under the shade of a live oak on the welcoming side porch, I can picture the sea shimmering from across a busy boulevard, inviting me to linger over fine cuisine and aperitifs. As this is south Louisiana, I had to settle for the next best thing: Bistro Byronz’s brunch.
On a recent Sunday, with the weather still quite warm, I had arranged a late brunch meeting with a friend. The Mid City outpost of the Bistro Byronz family only serves brunch on Sundays and shuts down at 3 p.m. Rather than melt in the lingering heat outside, we skipped the side porch for the air-conditioned interior. The windows flood the dining room with sunshine that plays off the inset mirrors on columns, vintage-styled black and white tiles and glossy black accent paint. Casual retro cotton napkins adorn bare-top tables with dark wooden bistro chairs. While the effect is decidedly casual, yet Euro-chic, such engaging décor does nothing to dampen the noise of this busy restaurant. Of course, that’s probably no different than a bustling French café either.
And though we were given a tiny table wedged between a column, a cabinet, a cooling fan and the bar, we sucked it up and tucked in. Luckily, our early-afternoon appearance saw the crowds leaving soon after our arrival.
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As this was brunch, there were few appetizers to choose from, but the first listing on the menu seemed like as good a start as any. The Bread Pudding Bitez were described as “deconstructed bread pudding,” which turned out to be an apt description. Our cup overflowed with crisp fried squares of dough dusted with powdered sugar and supplemented with a cup of caramel dipping sauce. It was an ample serving without being objectionably large. Though sweet and satisfying, this would be better served as a dessert than a starter.
ONLINE
bistrobyronz.com
5412 Government St.
218-1433
Opens every day at 11 a.m.; closes at 3 p.m. Sundays
Following our sweet beginning, we settled on a more savory, green option in the form of the Morning Salad. The mix of fresh greens, salty bacon, sweet dried cranberries, briny feta and tart Granny Smith apples came topped with a poached egg. At first, we found the combination of ingredients delightful, but we were bewildered by the addition of sweet, cinnamony croutons. With plenty of savory and sweet components already, the croutons were an unnecessary addition.
Moving on to entrées—and with the attitude that one is good but two are better—I ordered a brunch “mix and match” of half the Eggs Benedict entrée and half the Shrimp-Pomme Paillard. The succulent Paillard was similar to a latke, with a crunchy exterior and a soft, shredded potato interior. The flavor was an appealing mixture of green onion and chopped shrimp. The patty was a delectable treat, though we both found it better without the topper of bland boiled shrimp and mild hollandaise.
For the Benedict, I was given a choice between white and wheat bread. I chose wheat … you know, for health reasons. The bread beneath the Canadian bacon and poached egg was not the expected crisp English muffin, but instead was a hamburger-like bun. Someone somewhere was eating a sandwich with two bottom halves of a bun, while I seemed to have gotten the top half. This disappointing bread choice was far too lightly toasted to stand up to the meat, egg and sauce, and it quickly became soggy. In the end, I wished I had not been sucked in by the promise of tasting half of two dishes, and had instead enjoyed a full serving of the flavorsome Paillard. Lesson learned.
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My friend wisely chose restraint over multiple choices. The Creole Grits and Grillades were described by my friend as “like pot roast,” while we both dug in. The accompanying grits featured plenty of luscious cream and cheddar and a just-right texture. Neither of us was certain if the meat was pork or beef. Given the pot roast-like texture, we both assumed it was beef. The menu offered no insight, simply stating that it was “Our take on the truly ‘Southern’ brunch item.” We decided to enjoy it in ignorant bliss.
Our entrées were delivered phenomenally fast, almost too fast, as we barely had time to touch the appetizers. Having a good deal of business to discuss, my friend and I lingered over our meal and a while afterward. Given the promptness of the food delivery and the miniscule size of our table, we were both surprised that our waitress neglected to clear our plates as we finished each food item, though she passed our table several times. I was forced to stack dishes on the cabinet nearby to make room on the table.
Our waitress was polite when paying attention to us but oddly neglectful at other times, leaving the rest of the affable staff to fetch us additional coffee or (eventually) clear our table. But with the rest of our brunch experience being predominately gratifying, we forgave and were satisfied.