be my fantasy menu generator
February 22, 2019 7:37 PM Subscribe
Difficulty level: time machine
For my birthday I'm having a 1970s French bistro themed dinner party. I'm trying to make a menu of French bistro classics. Any suggestions or favourites? Dreamy menus from bistro dinners past? Examples from restaurants that haven't changed their menu much since the 1970s, for online viewing?
Bonus points if you have tips on veganizing something improbably (creme caramel, etc.)
For my birthday I'm having a 1970s French bistro themed dinner party. I'm trying to make a menu of French bistro classics. Any suggestions or favourites? Dreamy menus from bistro dinners past? Examples from restaurants that haven't changed their menu much since the 1970s, for online viewing?
Bonus points if you have tips on veganizing something improbably (creme caramel, etc.)
The kinds of things I think of as classicly bistro fare:
Steak Frites
Cassoulet
Steak Tartar
Onion Soup
Lyonnaise Salad
I have no idea if those are actually classic bistro fare, but in Canada at least (where I don’t know but could imagine a propensity to just lump in random French but not bistro stuff) that’s what passes for it.
posted by juv3nal at 8:30 PM on February 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Steak Frites
Cassoulet
Steak Tartar
Onion Soup
Lyonnaise Salad
I have no idea if those are actually classic bistro fare, but in Canada at least (where I don’t know but could imagine a propensity to just lump in random French but not bistro stuff) that’s what passes for it.
posted by juv3nal at 8:30 PM on February 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
oh and on the dessert front, Tarte Tatin
posted by juv3nal at 8:40 PM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by juv3nal at 8:40 PM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
The New York Public Library has an online archive of old menus. At first glance not searchable by type of cuisine, but here’s the 1970s.
posted by Ampersand692 at 10:33 PM on February 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by Ampersand692 at 10:33 PM on February 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
You'll see a croque monsieur on many bistro menus, though I'm not sure it's something you could easily veganize.
posted by theory at 12:07 AM on February 23, 2019
posted by theory at 12:07 AM on February 23, 2019
Some menu items for this season:
Great bread in baguette shape
Cruditês
Coquilles st. Jacques
Moules Marinieres
Quenelles de brochet
Quiche Lorraine (Vegan Quiche Lorraine)
Terrine de Campagne
Pot au feu
A gratin, maybe of chard or endives
Lentils or white beans, simply prepared
Celeriac remoulade (I like to use the course mustard for this)
Simple salad of lettuce with a good vinaigrette
Cheeses
Profiterolles for sweets
During the seventies, our family would often go on holidays in France -- always in the provinces, I was only once in Paris back then. We would stop at little bistros or café routiers and often have the special. My favorite main courses if not seafood or stews were very simple: a nice roast chicken with fries, or lamb cutlets with roast potatoes. Simple stuff made with quality ingredients. Maybe they are too boring for a party. On the other hand, I made a 70's themed dinner a couple of years ago and made a leg of lamb and a couple of roast chickens, and people really enjoyed it. Though one person who hadn't experienced the 70's wondered about the beige-ness of everything. Remember to use a lot of parsley.
One thing I didn't personally like that was quite normal back then was buttered freshly made pasta as a side. I'm mentioning it because everyone else loved it.
I don't really remember steaks or expensive fish, but that may be because we weren't allowed to order them, or because our parents chose humble places.
My aunt was vegan for a while during this time, that's why I remembered a vegan quiche (though this isn't her recipe), she also made pâtés with mushrooms and nuts, or based on green lentils. I suppose you could do the celeriac with vegan mayo today. For desserts back then, she loved making French tartes with wild raspberries or blueberries, and all sorts of fruit sorbets in her fancy sorbettierre. But this is when Nouvelle Cuisine started, and maybe you could find some surprising and beautiful stuff in their cookbooks of the time. Heres an old article. Or look at food from the south, like a tapenade to go with the crudités, ratatouille obviously, soupe au pistou.
posted by mumimor at 2:24 AM on February 23, 2019 [3 favorites]
Great bread in baguette shape
Cruditês
Coquilles st. Jacques
Moules Marinieres
Quenelles de brochet
Quiche Lorraine (Vegan Quiche Lorraine)
Terrine de Campagne
Pot au feu
A gratin, maybe of chard or endives
Lentils or white beans, simply prepared
Celeriac remoulade (I like to use the course mustard for this)
Simple salad of lettuce with a good vinaigrette
Cheeses
Profiterolles for sweets
During the seventies, our family would often go on holidays in France -- always in the provinces, I was only once in Paris back then. We would stop at little bistros or café routiers and often have the special. My favorite main courses if not seafood or stews were very simple: a nice roast chicken with fries, or lamb cutlets with roast potatoes. Simple stuff made with quality ingredients. Maybe they are too boring for a party. On the other hand, I made a 70's themed dinner a couple of years ago and made a leg of lamb and a couple of roast chickens, and people really enjoyed it. Though one person who hadn't experienced the 70's wondered about the beige-ness of everything. Remember to use a lot of parsley.
One thing I didn't personally like that was quite normal back then was buttered freshly made pasta as a side. I'm mentioning it because everyone else loved it.
I don't really remember steaks or expensive fish, but that may be because we weren't allowed to order them, or because our parents chose humble places.
My aunt was vegan for a while during this time, that's why I remembered a vegan quiche (though this isn't her recipe), she also made pâtés with mushrooms and nuts, or based on green lentils. I suppose you could do the celeriac with vegan mayo today. For desserts back then, she loved making French tartes with wild raspberries or blueberries, and all sorts of fruit sorbets in her fancy sorbettierre. But this is when Nouvelle Cuisine started, and maybe you could find some surprising and beautiful stuff in their cookbooks of the time. Heres an old article. Or look at food from the south, like a tapenade to go with the crudités, ratatouille obviously, soupe au pistou.
posted by mumimor at 2:24 AM on February 23, 2019 [3 favorites]
On the vegan front, Delice et Sarrasin is a vegan french restaurant, and the menu may give you some ideas on how to veganize the dishes people are listing.
posted by snaw at 3:56 AM on February 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by snaw at 3:56 AM on February 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Clearly you must have French Onion soup. There are plenty of vegan recipes around, like this one.
posted by biffa at 5:50 AM on February 23, 2019
posted by biffa at 5:50 AM on February 23, 2019
Los Angeles Public Library also has a menu collection. Its system doesn't allow for linkable search URLs but you can craft your own with keyword "French" and a date of "197*"
Crème caramel is pretty straightforward to veganize although texturally it's not going to fool a purist.
posted by bcwinters at 5:51 AM on February 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Crème caramel is pretty straightforward to veganize although texturally it's not going to fool a purist.
posted by bcwinters at 5:51 AM on February 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Mussels and frites
I haven't tried this recipe, I just go out for them, but mussels and fries are bistro classic.
posted by BoscosMom at 1:44 PM on February 23, 2019
I haven't tried this recipe, I just go out for them, but mussels and fries are bistro classic.
posted by BoscosMom at 1:44 PM on February 23, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
The steak au poivre (pepper steak) at Violette used to be The Thing for us, but since they merged with another restaurant I think it's off the menu. Au Rendez Vous has it though. That is a classic French dish worth considering for your purposes.
posted by intermod at 8:19 PM on February 22, 2019 [2 favorites]