A Touch of France in Erie

By Cindy Hemper

In this week’s edition of the Sidewalk Series, we offer you a treat for your sense of taste at a very intimate French style restaurant called Bertrand’s Bistro located just off State St. at 18 North Park Row, North Perry Square.

Established in 2003 by Bertrand Artigues, Bertrand’s Bistro is a restaurant where one would feel comfortable sharing a meal with the family or for a romantic dinner for two with that special someone. I’ve tried other fine dining establishments throughout the area, and unlike Bertrand’s, many would not survive in a larger city with a more competitive restaurant industry.

Bertrand’s menu features a variety of entrees and appetizers made with fresh meats and vegetables from local farmers prepared by a Chef trained and certified by the American Culinary Federation along with a great selection of French wines at very reasonable prices.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Bertrand’s with some family members who were visiting me from San Francisco. I found this quaint little eatery to be impressive almost immediately. The service was fantastic and overshadowed only by the filet mignon or Filet de Boeu as it appears on the menu.

My guests who, having spent time in Paris, are very hard to impress but still found the Escalope de Veau Oscar, which is sautéed Veal cutlets, topped with fresh asparagus and crab cake, drizzled with a simplice sauce and served with béarnaise on the side to be fantastic. The veal was tender and the crab cakes were delicious and contained barely any filler whatsoever.

Everything was prepared and presented beautifully.

What more can I say about Bertrand’s Bistro, with outstanding French cuisine and gracious service, they are certainly on an entirely different level. Bertrand’s Bistro is a real find and a gem that I would not highly recommend, but insist you visit sometime soon.