Chez Nous 10-09-09

Chez Nous
150 Main Street
Lee, MA
www.cheznousbistro.com
Entrees: $20-30

Chez Nous is just a few minutes from my house and it was one of the selling features. It has long been a favorite of my family. The restaurant is a warren of smallish rooms in a former residence, the tablecloths white, and tables themselves sometimes a bit cozy if you have a party larger than 3. The lighting is on the romantic side, but not so dim it is impossible to see your food. The place has a comfortable, homey feel and the staff are friendly and low-key. This is Lee, not Lenox, in a good way. The menu is French - I would describe it as "French-inspired" - I have had several dishes there, such as the butternut squash ravioli, that I would not categorize as classical French. This is not a criticism; just don't necessarily expect sole meuniere.

I was there with my parents and it was the end of a busy week for all of us; we were happy to be sitting down to a nice dinner. I started with a cocktail of St Germain (elderflower liquer), vodka, and pineapple juice. I'm not overly fond of sweet drinks but they were out of the Breton cider I ordered to begin with, and I was in the mood for something new. It was quite tasty. I will be getting a bottle of St Germain for my bar at home. I have to say that in the summer, the bar had been very slow - you could be well into your salad by the time the cocktails appeared - but this was not an issue during this visit.

We started with salads and a smoked salmon appetizer. The restaurant produces its own smoked salmon and it is excellent - smokiness pervades the fish without overwhelming it. It called to mind smoked salmon I had in Ireland. For entrees, I had scallops with butternut squash ravioli, my dad had salmon with a vegetable filled buckwheat crepe, and my mom had a burger with foie gras. The scallops were done perfectly and the ravioli had the right ratio of filling to pasta - all done well. My father enjoyed the salmon and the crepe, although I have to say the buckwheat crepe was not the most appetizing looking object in world - it was a strange brown color and laid like a lump on the plate. My mom enjoyed hers although she had never had the foie gras/burger combination and it was not to her liking.

My mom is the kind of eater who does not like large portions and she often asks about this when she orders. She finds it overwhelming to be presented with a heaping plate of food. I have eaten with other people like this - I was once with a colleague who burst into tears when confronted with a tall pile of shrimp tempura when she meant to order tempura sushi. Thus, my mom did not make much of a dent in the heaping pile of fries, discarded the foie gras, and did not eat the bun on the burger. After the table was cleared, the manager came over afterward because the chef was worried there was something wrong with her meal. While this made her uncomfortable, and that made me wish he hadn't said anything, I think it was the mark of a good chef to follow up and make sure there weren't any problems.

For dessert, I had a warm sticky toffee pudding and my dad had an apple tart - both delicious. Overall, a very pleasant, comfortable, relaxing dining experience.