Win Some Lose Some

For years now, Bon Appetit Café in Wilton has been one of my favorite go-to places whenever I crave hearty French food.  Boasting a country-French style menu, Bon Appetit always surprises me with its finesse and technique.  Here you will find ingredients like escargot and rabbit along with other authentic French preparations of steak, chicken and fish dishes.  I have always loved interacting with Chef Lionel and his lovely wife.  They make me feel so welcome and totally at home as soon as I walk in.  

The layout with an open-kitchen allows for a lot of the kitchen’s excitement and enthusiasm to permeate my personal dining experience.  In fact my favorite spots are the bar stools overlooking the kitchen.  Here, Chef Lionel will keep you engaged as you watch him flawlessly prepares dinner orders with great panache.  LOVE IT!

The only downside, thus far, has been the fact that the restaurant was too small and with just a handful of tables, it was hard to get a table on weekends.  Plus they did not have a liquor license – a fact that we kept forgetting until we got to the restaurant and got settled in.  Dang it!!! 

Last weekend, we were craving Chef Lionel’s Petite Bouillabaisse and off we went to Bon Appetit.  To our surprise we realized that they have recently expanded.  They have taken over the space next door and literally doubled in size.  Fully decked with a wonderful bar and additional seating … they have addressed all issues their diners may have had.   The bar offers small tapas-style menu – perfect for a quick bite before you walk over to the movies or for after-show dining.  The staff seemed to be doubled in size as well…and there was just so much more energy and enthusiasm in the space.  What a winner! 

Sadly, this happy news was paired with some sad news as well:  the owners had to shut down the sister restaurant, Bon Appetit Creperie in Fairfield, due to the losses suffered in hurricane Sandy.  Bummer!  That was another one of my favorite spots to go for some lovely lunchtime Croque Monsieur and dessert crepes.  Ah well!  You win some and you lose some.  :-(

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