Escargot Bistro — Restaurant in Oakland Park

L’Escargot Bistro (the “t” is silent in escargot) located at 1506 E. Commercial BLVD, Oakland Park (opposite corner to Thai Spice in the same strip plaza). L’Escargot Bistro, in my humble opinion, is the gestalt of all SOFO restaurants. Gestalt is a psychological theory that postulates that “the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts”. Example: The actor Tom Cruise is about 5’6” in stature, yet, he is a Hollywood giant.

L’Escargot is a most charming minuscule restaurant of only 7 tables operated by owners Didier and his épouse, Andréa who is the chef. Upon entering the tiny, quaint abode, husband and wife greet us with a warm and cheerful “Bienvenue evree-wan”, then Didier ushers us to our table in the corner by the serving counter and would our server for the night (in fact, he was the only sever). Didier, somewhat of a comedian drops menus and offers a couple of suggestions for wine and tells us the specials of the day. He comes back with the drinks and takes our orders. We started with 2 baked Brie appetizers and I had the French onion soup which were all heavenly delightful. Often times Andréa would comes out of the kitchen to bring the dishes to Didier to serve, she would look at us and say “is good, oui?” French people understand that fine dining is fundamental in their culture and a meal should not be rushed one can fully enjoy each bite of their meals. Later our entrées arrived so beautifully presented that we didn’t know if we should just stare at the plates or cut into them: a Canard à l’Orange cooked to perfection ( moist and tender with tangy orange orange sauce to complement the masterpiece), a Lemon Filet of Sole also prepared to perfection resting on a purée of veggies over a subtle lemon cream sauce, and a Crèpe Gourmande that includes chicken, bacon bits, avocado, mozzarella cheese, and béchamel with a clorful andive salad and a selection of 3 dressings on the side. On cue in the background, Charles Aznavour begins serenading one of his most popular hits, La Bohème, and we proceed through heaven’s pearly gate. Each of our meals was formidable! Silence invaded our table for we were afraid that our words would disturb those extraordinary and perfectly balanced flavors romancing and massaging our tastebuds. Didier kept a vigil eye on us but he understood to leave us alone to continue savoring our meals because he could tell by our reactions that his wife, Andréa came through again, triumphant. After Didier was certain that we were finished, he allowed a few minutes to let us moan with satisfaction before removing our plates.

Finally, Didier approaches our table for the final execution of no mercy and begins to recites les pièces de résistance (desert) while he proudly emphasizes that Andréa made all the deserts herself knowing that we would immediately surrender. A chocolate crèpe, a strawberry Napoleon, and a crèpe Suzette flambée with A generous portion of Grand Marinier pour moi. Vive la vie!...

EDIT: 2nd visit. I am saddened to update my review in this manner, but just as I went to great lengths to inform the public what a wonderful experience we had the 1st time we went, I must now tell you of my disheartening visit this time. We are business owners and love to support local businesses, but based on the deceptive way our dinner was handled this time we will not return in the future. We looked at their menu online and saw that they had Early Bird specials and that it just happened to be the time we would get there, what a nice bonus...or so we thought! I ordered exactly 2 of the items from their prie fixe menu, which would have been $32.50, I should have also received a dessert for that price. They served me with a smile, just like before, but never said a word about the special that I clearly qualified for. I kept waiting, wanting them to be honest because I wanted to come back. Sadly, they chose to take the extra money from our wallet, and we gave it to them. I paid $38.00 for the $32.50 meal, plus I didn't get the $7.50 dessert, so they came out $13.00 ahead...or so they thought. They actually are losing in the end because we will not return. When a business owner is deceptive in that manner, how else do they cut corners? As far as the food, it was still great, except the spinach in my crepe was full of gritty sand.

We are so grateful to have discovered this hidden gem yesterday! It is owned by a husband and wife and everything is perfect! From the cute, spotless decor, the dishes that shine, the AMAZING food, the friendly service, I honestly can not say enough about this place, and believe me I am picky with restaurants! We just kept ordering more food because our taste buds demanded more! We live in a different part of Broward county, but will certainly make the drive for this place...as a matter of fact, as I write this my thoughts are with the escargot that started our meal yesterday, YUM! The garlic and perfectly crisped toast...wow! Oh, and I would fail you if I didn't tell you about their homemade salad dressings. They give you 3 flavors with your salad and they are so fresh and tasty. I don't write a lot of reviews, but this place was so amazing and I recognize the effort they put into it and my conscious would not allow me to keep silent about this place! Plus, you will be grateful for my post if it helps convince...

Ours was an over-the-top wonderful family experience. Before I get specific, know we couldn't have been happier with the authentic French menu and cuisine. Today's Americans favor corporate chains of expensive mediocrity to genuince authentic high quality French cuisine. Escargot Bistro offers the most delicious custom prepared French cuisine this side of the ocean. Escargo Bistro competes with the finest French restaurants found in major coast cities. I dare say our experience last night deserved a Michelin star, it was that good.

We began with the Sancerre and played around with several appetizers, one or two at a time. We even ordered the foie gras entree as a shared appetizer. While Hudson Valley has always been my foie gras standard, this France sourced foie gras set a new standard. It was the best foie gras I've ever had - just that much better, full of sinful flavor. A taste of my son's onion soup again showed me Escargo Bistro is a world class experience. Perhaps I should have said Escargot Bistro's stars begin where Michelin stars leave off.

Service allowed us to go at our own pace - never asking to take our entire order at once. We enjoyed our dining experience and created a three-hour family memory never being rushed or told our table needed to turn.

I phoned a week ahead to request frog legs, a French delicacy gone today, unless you consider fried frog legs a delicacy. Didier confirmed he had them, and boy, did he have them. I enjoyed the best frog legs I've ever had in my life. They were ample, plump, delicious, perfectly done, sumptuous, sinful and once again set a new standard for one of my all time favorite dishes. We also shared the lemon sole, light, succulent, fresh, and over-the-top.

I won't bore you using the same words to describe our three desserts: meringue, flaming crepes Suzettes, and chocolate cake. This is a place to die for, to enjoy true classic European French dining on a competitive budget. From wine to dessert, we found pricing eminently fair and even reasoable given today's soaring inflation. No longer ply the Atlantic to enjoy exquisite fine European dining. Escargo Bistro is my...