Todd Kussman, owner of French Gourmet Bakery and Café, has retooled the concept of his O’Fallon establishment. Within the next few weeks, the space at 957 Waterbury Falls Drive will become Oak Barrel American Bistro and Artisan Bakery. While patrons will still be able to enjoy fresh Euro-style baked goods and desserts, the bistro component will mean a more upscale menu, plus the arrival of dinner service and a bar.
Among the warm entrées joining the breakfast menu are a trio of stratas – one vegetarian, another meat and a third sweet. The unique sweet strata is a mixture of butter and chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls and Danish pieces, all soaked overnight in crème anglaise, then finished on a hot grill and served with truffle honey. “It’s somewhat like a bread pudding or French toast,” described Kussman.
Lunch will showcase “rustic American” sandwiches like the Turkey Gobbler (house-roasted turkey breast, Swiss cheese, bacon, tomato and a smear of house-made roasted garlic mayo on a country loaf bread), chicken salad on a freshly baked croissant, grilled portobello and barbecued pork.
“Dinner is where we want to highlight ourselves and give folks in the suburbs an urban experience,” said Kussman, citing entrées such as short ribs paired with a celery root and sweet potato purée or a seasonal vegetarian risotto. Domestic wines will dominate the wine list, and seasonal cocktails will be available as well.
To achieve an ambiance more akin to a bistro, Kussman has also dressed up the décor with new window treatments, lighting, artwork and new tabletops. “It’s an entire makeover,” said Kussman.
Breakfast and lunch will still be counter service, but in the evening, the venue will switch over to full service with seating for 42 people. The changes also bring tweaks to the hours of operation. Oak Barrel will be open Tuesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
What won’t change? The rustic five-deck French oven used to crank out croissants, scones, baguettes and other yummy baked delights. “We are not going to lose our bakery history,” noted Kussman. “When you see that [oven] working and [smell] the aroma coming from the oven – it’s the allure.”
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2010.
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Dining and Cooking