The smoky, meaty aura precedes the gentleman carrying the Alsatian-style pizza. Itty bits of bacon cover every surface, hiding the creamy coating of chive-flecked cottage cheese and caramelized onion on a cracker-y crust. It’s a not a new dish at Jacques’ Brasserie, the more casual restaurant-within-a-restaurant at L’Auberge Chez Francois, an institution with roots from the Eisenhower administration, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a crowd-pleaser. The kitchen knows the classics: Mushrooms fill a chive crepe next to tomato concasse and duck confit, dark meat covered by crispy skin and served with a rich sauce hinting at citrus. Dessert is a blueberry tart, exactly the right move.
L’Auberge Chez Francois / Jacques’ Brasserie
French | $$$* / $$
332 Springvale Road, Great Falls