The 5 Days of DRW: Fountain Bistro

Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sorrel cream sauce, fingerling potatoes and haricot vert

When Fountain Bistro first opened in June 2010, it was a great place for a quick and casual breakfast or lunch, somewhere you could drop into during one of the city's major events and get a sandwich and cup of coffee on the go. The food was outstanding, but the hours catered specifically to business and events traffic, and it really wasn't the kind of place where you would hang out and relax.

After closing for several months and re-opening earlier this summer, the Bistro has been transformed: the space went through some remodeling and they now offer a full dinner service and bar. The new menu from Executive Chef Tyler Herron is kind of classic Americana with French inspirations: steaks, burgers, salads and seafood, but all just a little dressed up. You can get lamb sliders, oysters on the half shell, black Angus beef burgers, and Michigan Lake Trout Almandine, and as new participants for this season's Detroit Restaurant Week, their prix fixe DRW menu is a little bit of showmanship of what the new Bistro is all about.

Twelve-ounce New York strip, pomme frites and Maître d'Hôtel beurre

Co-owner of Fountain Bistro Jay Lambrecht is also an owner of Bookies Bar and Grille, and they have carried a lot of the same concepts over to the Bistro - sourcing as much as possible from local farmers and purveyors; making everything from scratch; highlighting seasonal flavors; serving hearty, simple, flavorful food. While Bookies caters to the sports bar crowd, the Bistro is more of an upscale, sophisticated environment. There are no TVs inside, but who would need one? The fountain of Campus Martius Park is right outside the window.

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

If Campus Martius Park is meant to be Detroit's gathering place, then Fountain Bistro is facilitating that. They seat almost 90 inside and another 160 outside on their spacious outdoor patio right next to the dancing fountain. During the summer, enjoy the warm summer sun and outdoor breezes along with the splashing sounds of the fountain; in the winter, cozy up inside with a nice warm cocktail and gaze out on the majestic Christmas tree and laughing ice skaters.

Day boat scallops, wild mushroom risotto and sautéed spinach

DRW FALL 2011 MENU

FIRST COURSE

Soupe au Potiron
(Pumpkin, sweet potato and crouton)
-or-
Bistro Salade
(Gass Farms mixed lettuces, shaved pears, walnuts, goat cheese croquette and lemon-thyme vinaigrette)
-or-
Galette de Crabe
(Fire-roasted red pepper sauce and microgreens)

SECOND COURSE

Le Saumon
(Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sorrel cream sauce, fingerling potatoes and haricot vert)
-or-
Pan de Poulet Rôti
(Pan-roasted all-natural chicken, mushroom ragout, pomme purée and haricot vert)
-or-
Steak Frites
(Twelve-ounce New York strip, pomme frites and Maître d'Hôtel beurre)
-or-
Seared Scallops
(Day boat scallops, wild mushroom risotto and sautéed spinach)
-or-
Gnocchi Parisienne
(Pâte à choux, sauce Mornay and shaved Parmesan)

THIRD COURSE

Crème Brûlée
-or-
Chocolate Mousse
-or-
Raspberry Millefeuille