NVM Review

Best New Country Bistro

By Warren Rojas

Dogs are supposed to be man's best friend. While no specific breed is ever mentioned, local gourmands looking for something with a Provençal pedigree crossed with a streak of Southern hospitality may want to swear their allegiance to Middleburg's French Hound.

Since taking over the quaint manor that last housed the much haughtier Aster, Chef John-Gustin Birkitt and his wife/hostess, Marny, have set about to sway patrons with their splashy but never stuffy cuisine. Given that tables are often packed with everyone from spandex-clad bicycling enthusiasts to gregarious dinner groups, their plan seems to be working.

The menu changes seasonally but typically trumpets about a half dozen "snacks" (aged chorizo and cheese or salted radishes), starters, entrées and homemade desserts. One waiter notes that the menu has deliberately been kept short because "the chefs really wanted each dish to speak for the restaurant."

Message received.

A chilled mash of white beans flanked by anchovies and baked baguette crisps is startlingly sublime. A tangle of frisee gets loaded up with homemade bacon lardons, pickled onions and a poached egg that spreads its yolky payload throughout. A marvelously juicy flat iron steak shares the spotlight with crunchy, herb-laden frites (totally addictive). The mixed paella-served tableside in a gleaming copper pot-sinks aged chorizo (terrific), shrimp (tender), chicken (good) and fresh peas in a rich tomato broth. And life doesn't get much sweeter than a fan of spongy, sugar-dusted Madelines escorted by a decadent dulce de leche dipping sauce.