L’Aubergiste
58 Principale St., Aylmer, 819-557-3858, facebook.com/laubergistebistro
Open: Tuesday and Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 to 11 p.m., Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m.
Prices: small plates $5 to $16, mains $21 to $24
Access: two steps to front door, one step to washroom
By my casual tally, the culinary wave that is small plates dining has washed over most of the nation’s capital. Restaurants from Kanata to Preston Street to Elgin Street to the ByWard Market to Hull are dedicated to those tiny, gussied-up versions of what once were appetizers.
One of the last parts of the region to have been small plates-deprived was Aylmer. That is, until L’Aubergiste Resto-Bistro opened about six months ago.
There, owners Pierre-Louis Poulin and Simon Prud’homme, who are both 30, give or take a year, converted a heritage property into a woody 40-seater that puts its diners at high-top tables, on tall stools with thankfully cushy seats. (Since I’ve eaten there, an equally large patio has opened.)
In keeping with the bar-like ambiance, the menu’s 15 small plates tend to feel like gastropub dishes that have shrunk somewhat, with much less starch but more greens on the side that add volume to a plate that might otherwise look too bare.
During my two visits, there were some memorable successes of flavour and texture, and even a commendable playfulness to some dishes. But there were some little flubs too that provoked a wee wince.
That’s the danger when it comes to small plates. The room for mistakes is proportionally small. When there’s a gaffe, it really sticks out, given the dearth of components.
But let’s get back to the dishes in the win column, starting with the before-dinner, on-the-house crostini that arrived with a compound butter that had been tinged with onion and maple syrup. From the start, we felt the meal was on the right track.
Plates began to land very quickly thereafter. (While the place was full on that recent Friday night, the kitchen was strikingly efficient — perhaps overly so for eaters preferring to graze and gab.)
Of those plates, I can recommend anything that involved pulled duck confit. It appeared in a flaky pastry ($11), bolstered by a wine and fig sauce.
Pulled duck in flaky pastry at L’Aubergiste.
The ingredient made a good impression too on a puffy little bun, in a mini-burger that made you wish for a duck quarter-pounder. The other slider in the mini-burger duo ($12) was made with meatloaf, and was almost as interesting and good as it ducky companion.
Mini-Burgers at L’Aubergiste (Chris Mikula / Ottawa Citizen)
Foie gras crème brûlée ($12) was a savoury-sweet treat, with diced pears at the bottom of the ramekin providing a closing surprise.
Foie gras creme brulee at L’Aubergiste
Seafood options abounded on the menu, and while they weren’t bad, they also weren’t quite the treats that we hoped for.
With two, the small plates seemed too small. Well-prepared seared scallops swam in a bowl of punchy red Thai curry, but for $16, three of them seemed insufficient.
Scallops in curry at L’Aubergiste
Shrimps tasted better than their mango emulsion and radish salsa accompaniments, but for $10, just three pieces of seafood felt stingy.
Shrimp with mango reduction and radish salsa from L’Aubergiste in Aylmer (Chris Mikula / Ottawa Citizen)
Salmon ($12) was smartly offset by a crisp fennel and green apple salad. However, the fish was a touch overcooked, and we didn’t detect the “sambuca flambée” mentioned on the menu.
Salmon and Fennel Salad at L’Aubergiste
Long-simmered and then grilled octopus ($15) was sufficiently tender, but the citrus segments on the plate threatened to overwhelm the mellow meat. Also, the fried rice noodle puck in that bowl was inedibly hard.
Grilled Octopus with grapefruit, orange segments, arugula at L’Aubergiste
For larger appetites or those not inclined to share, L’Aubergiste lists a few nightly specials on a blackboard. A tuna tartare plate ($24) delivered two kinds of raw fish, both tartare and seared slabs, and either way they were fine-flavoured and spot-on texturally. Avocado purée added unctuousness, while a wonton cracker and fresh salad made the plate well-rounded.
Tuna Tartare at L’Aubergiste
A striploin steak ($21) was tender and seasoned Montreal-style, and it came with good, if overly salted, fries, much salad, and a thickened brown sauce.
Steak frites at L’Aubergiste
For dessert, a warm brownie ($7) perked by fleur de sel and a mascarpone-caramel mousse sent us home happy from dinner.
Warm brownie with mascarpone caramel sauce, at L’Aubergiste
After our lunch (L’Aubergiste serves lunches most days too, with the same menu in effect), a lavender-and-lichee crème brûlée ($8) was ample and shareable. More refreshing were two scoops of the day’s sorbet ($7), a rustic but balanced concoction of strawberry and basil.
Strawberry Basil Sorbet at L’Aubergiste
Overall, this likeable place fills a gap in Aylmer and appeals with its mix of dishes, its well-pitched ambition and friendly service. From our experience, just a bit more care with the cooking and some razzle-dazzle accompaniments in place of so much salad could transform those little winces into wows.
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phum@ottawacitizen.com
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