Vaudeville is dead. In its place is A Cote, a cute little wine bar and cafe that`s Le Cochonnet`s new next-door neighbor and sister restaurant.
The theater posters that lined Vaudeville`s walls have given way to scads of vintage mirrors hung about the ochre and plum walls. A large, colorful mural-a montage of French images-takes up the entire south wall.
As a wine bar, A Cote offers a nice selection of inexpensive wines by the bottle or glass, and pleasant surroundings in which to enjoy them. There`s even an outdoor patio, which, once you become accustomed to the ”L”
lumbering nearby, is comfortable enough.
As a restaurant, A Cote has a couple of problems. The menu is rustic French, the better to contrast with Le Cochonnet`s regional-French offerings. But as interesting as A Cote`s menu is, the kitchen is plagued by inconsistency. On the positive side, there`s good squid, perfectly tender and stuffed with mushroom and vegetable duxelles, atop a thick mushroom-garlic sauce. Curried carrot soup, hearty yet sweet, is tasty, and a grilled tuna, while slightly overdone, had good flavor and a lively ginger sauce.
On the negative, we experienced harsh-tasting salt cod gratinee, overcooked and dry lamb noisettes, a brook trout with unpleasant off-flavors and a house salad with tired, brown-edged greens. A batch of dinner rolls had been left too long in the oven-but the hard, dry results were brought to our our table anyway.
The lapses suggest a kitchen that isn`t paying attention-or has too much to deal with. Francois Lubin, for three years chef at Le Cochonnet, now oversees the line (in the same kitchen) for A Cote, and perhaps that`s a bit much. Then again, A Cote has been open just two months; maybe the operation needs a bit more time.
We hope so. This could be a lively new addition to the area`s dining scene-especially in fall, when A Cote`s hearty cuisine should find its most receptive audience.
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A Cote, 3441 N. Sheffield Ave., 975-7800. Hours: 5:30-11 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 5:30-11:30 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. Credit cards: A, CB, D, M, V. Reservations accepted.
