Quinsou is a small one star Michelin restaurant with about 30 seats that has been in business a year and a half.  A pop out window on the street wall lets in lots of light during the day and accommodates a couple of tables.  Otherwise there is long narrow bench seat along one of the walls topped with an aged mirror.  Light music plays in the background.  The menu changes slightly every day with major changes around every 3 months.   Chef Antonin Bonnet is in charge of the kitchen and a master of sauces, which were a highlight of each plate.  At lunch they offer a 3 course menu or a 6 course discovery menu that is basically a taste of everything on the menu.  We chose the discovery menu.  Service was excellent and proficient in English and portion control and pacing of the meal were good.  

 

Roasted cabbage, mustard greens and various lightly cooked brassicas were dressed with a hazelnut praline dressing.  Everything blended well with the dressing and the bits of praline added a lovely crunch.  Very nice flavors here.

 

Bread is made in house and had a very crisp crust and less dense interior.  It was fine.

 

A scallop was plated with grilled artichoke, spinach and fresh peas.  The peas were barely cooked – pretty al dente – and the scallop and artichoke were highlighted with a buttery sauce.  It was very tasty with a nice blending of textures and flavors.  A good course.

 

Asparagus risotto was made with Herbes de Provence and lots of parmesan.  A bit of extra sauce was added at the table to keep the risotto perfectly moist and runny.   The asparagus were loaded with lovely flavor and cooked perfectly.  Another good one.

 

Beef chuck was cooked a good rare and nicely seasoned.  It was served with fermented chili paste, Swiss chard and celeriac purée.  Even though the beef was cooked nicely it did not have a lot of juice, which is due a lot to the cut.   The chili paste helped bring flavor to the meat.  The purée was good and also accented the beef well, but the sauces were the best part of this plate.  It was really full of flavor and worthy of having the last drop soaked up on a slice of bread.

 

 

Saint-Nectaire cheese, a cow cheese, was a gift from the house, probably due to some reservation confusion.  It was a soft cheese that had been aged about 8 weeks.  It was mild but nicely enhanced a side of mushroom jam that was wonderfully flavored.

 

Rhubarb was combined with Earl Grey cream, meringue and yogurt sorbet for dessert.  It was placed on a tasty crisp with a bit of crumble with the sorbet.  It was a beautifully constructed piece but not too sweet.  I would call it okay not great – mostly fun to look at and disassemble.