The Brussels sprouts popped with delight when executive chef Drew Osbon immersed them in hot oil.
The sound of fireworks in the kitchen at Atelier Florian, one of the city’s newest fine-dining restaurants, is just the start of the real party that would happen later … in your mouth.
Osbon deep-fried the sprouts to a crisp, blistered golden finish that probably would have been tasty all on their own.
The crispy Brussels sprouts are one of the most popular appetizers at the restaurant at 1166 Chapel St. that is fast earning a reputation for its seafood selection and its moules frites (mussels and fries).
The restaurant is the brainchild of New Haven-by-way-of-Belgium restaurateurs Skel Islamaj and Omer Ipek.
At about six months old, it is the little sister to Rudy’s and Maison Mathis, the pair’s other restaurants. And while it is continuing in the footsteps of those two restaurants, it is bringing even more European flair to New Haven’s food scene not only with its decor courtesy of Belgian designer Annemie Stevens, but also with its French-influenced food.
Osbon, who spent several years in the kitchens of West Hartford restaurateur Billy Grant, said the restaurant’s cuisine has really given him a chance to break out the classic skills he was trained in under a chef at Le Cirque.
“My personal style is a little different, more rustic,” he said. “But my sous chef was [at] Union League for eight years, and he is through and through classically French. So we’re definitely being pulled in that direction.”
French doesn’t mean fussy, Osbon said. He said he wants to make sure that the food is accessible to anyone who happens into the restaurant. “It doesn’t have to be a destination restaurant,” he said. “The food is not over complicated. We don’t want to scare people off.”
Hence, simple, small plates like the Brussels sprouts and even tacos put in an appearance on Tuesdays.
There was nothing scary about the Brussels sprouts, especially after Osbon made a maneuver advisable for any parent who wants to get a kid — or even the big kid in the mirror — to eat veggies. He seasoned the hot sprouts with dehydrated maple syrup, salt and pepper.
And just to make sure that you wouldn’t stop eating the sprouts until they’re all gone, he added fiore sardo, an aged pecorino cheese.
“Boom,” Osbon said. “That’s it right there.”
Add a glass of one of the restaurant’s growing selection of French white wines, and you’re on your way to the beginnings of a delicious meal.
“We have been getting very busy — a lot of inquiries for parties, ” General Manager Alexandria Peña said. With two floors of dining room space, the restaurant can accommodate a private party of up to 70 people. Reservations are recommended.
Osbon said he believes that in a short amount of time, the restaurant is operating like a well-oiled machine. “We’ve got the right people here now,” he said. “The front and back of the house staff has really made a lot of progress with the service and now we’re just tightening the nuts and bolts. It feels good.”
It doesn’t hurt that when confronted with a dish like moules frites — the menu boast three different styles — most people know what they’re doing, Peña said.
“Most people in this area have been traveling the world so they know about moules frites,” she said. And if they don’t, the staff doesn’t hesitate to tell diners how to enjoy them.
“The way you are supposed to eat them is to dip the fries in the broth,” she said. “We’ve got three different flavors of this wonderful fragrant broth. We have the traditional mariniere (a garlic and white wine), the provencale, which has a nice tomato to it, and the red curry which is a new addition.”
Though the restaurant is becoming known for its seafood dishes, it also wants to be known as a place that accommodates all kinds of palates, including allergic ones.
“I love to accommodate peoples’ personal requests,” particularly when it comes to food allergies, Osbon, who is dad to a daughter with severe food allergies, said. “It’s important to me to recognize that sort of thing and to be able to give people a ‘yes.’”
