You may hear some shouts of “Vive la France” today – Wednesday, July 2 – because it’s the much-anticipated official opening of the new Brasserie Royale French restaurant in Loudoun County. And we’ve got a first look at the menu and the amazing food.
The Burn was invited to attend a sneak preview dinner and we were mightily impressed by what owners Allyson and Michael Stebner have created.
As regular readers know, the couple owns the Local Provisions restaurant right next door in the adjacent building at the Cascades Marketplace shopping center in Sterling. That restaurant is still packed nearly every night of the week – more than two years after it opened.
Now they are opening Brasserie Royale. Stepping inside feels like you’ve walked into a warm, French bistro on some side street in Paris. There’s a lovely angled bar and small lounge area as you enter leading to two cozy dining rooms.
We got our first look at the menu the Stebners have created. Full disclosure – we’re French food fans at The Burn – and we were delighted to see it was filled with famous French dishes, many of them punctuated with a little something extra.
We started our meal with cocktails including a glass of Matanzas Creek Chenin Blanc and a house specialty – the “Bond” Vesper Martini Circa 1953. It features Citadelle gin, Grey Goose, Lillet Blanc, and lemon peel.
Next came the restaurant’s signature Julia Child’s Onion Soup, a savory-leaning version of the French classic.
Chef Michael Stebner was inspired by Childs, the famed chef and television personality who brought French cooking to the masses decades ago. And indeed, several images of Childs are featured in the decor of the brasserie.
We went on to try the Crispy Brie Cheese with fig gelée, confit garlic, and pain cuit (fig jelly, roasted garlic, and little toasts) and Gruyère Fondue Hand Cut Frites, which are big, thick fries drizzled with a Gruyère cheese sauce.
For mains, we tried the Filet of Boeuf au Poivre, a super tender steak topped with a green peppercorn and cognac sauce, and the Filet of Halibut which was served with mushrooms, leeks, and pomme purée (creamy mashed potatoes) and topped with a whole grain mustard jus.
Dessert included espressos and a Vacherin Glacé, which is lavender ice cream, topped with strawberries, meringues, and Chantilly cream. You can see the full Brasserie Royale food menu below.
A young, friendly staff was quick to accommodate – up to and including bringing us a bowl of emergency dry rice after The Burn’s dinner companion dropped a phone in a rain-filled puddle on the way into the restaurant.
The Burn isn’t much for making predictions, but we think it’s a safe bet that with Brasserie Royale, the Stebners have another hit restaurant on their hands.
