taste OF DINING
Vive le Georges! In just five years, Chez Georges Bistro & Bar has set itself apart not just for being French, but for being fresh. BY BARRY KAUFMAN
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PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN
More so than any technique or ingredient, French cooking has always been defined by its deep respect for food. Every dish reflects how the simple act of sitting down to enjoy a meal can be life affirming, how a chef’s ambitions in the kitchen can create art. It’s a state of mind as much as it is a style of cooking. Since opening five years ago, Chez Georges Bistro & Bar has put that philosophy at the core of everything it does. “You can pull from all of the normal purveyors, but I always wanted to show people that you can do something with really good ingredients and have a menu that’s not the same as
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anything else on the island,” said Owner and Executive Chef George Casalicchio. “Whether it’s the dover sole and wagyu beef we had on New Year’s Eve or just the oysters that come in every day, I always makes sure it’s coming from the right people.” Purveyors like GrowFood Carolina not only give George the elevated quality he’s looking for in his dishes, the seasonal nature of the produce the restaurant gets in from Tuten and other local sources helps establish a sense of place so vital in French cooking. “We just try to make sure everything’s sustainable and local and fresh when we put it on a plate,” added Casalicchio. “And we’re always trying to find something that not everybody else has on their menu.” Quarterly menu changes help keep things fresh, giving George a chance to not only work new ingredients into his dishes, but also to prepare them in a way that imparts a local yet global vibe onto the menu. Along with the mainstays - the Beef Bourguignon, the duck two ways, the steak frites – rotating seasonal items like skate wing and lamb pave feel like you’re in a metropolitan bistro tucked away on New Orleans road. “Not being in a city makes it difficult, but we’re always trying to stay in the mainstream of what’s happening in the wider culinary world,” said Beverage Director Monica Collins. “We’re always making sure we’re on the top of the game.” It’s a big city viewpoint that Chez Georges has always tempered with price points that are far more provincial. “We honed that back in a big way on our last menu change.