Dining Al Fresco

The courtyard at Martinique Bistro.

Although it's a rainy Monday morning, these past 2 weekends of beautiful weather have proven that Spring has begun, and with it the countdown has started on the fleeting outdoor dining season. When the sun is shining and the mercury reads 75° or lower, any time spent indoors seems like a missed opportunity, and that includes time spent eating.

Most of my outdoor dining is done on Saturday or Sunday during lunch, and at those times I usually have zero motivation to dress well enough to enjoy the setting of Commander's courtyard or the patio behind Bayona. Luckily, there are plenty of options casual enough to only require throwing on a pair of jeans.

Two weeks ago when I walked my dog through Exchange Alley, I could not believe how many tables The Green Goddess had set up outside. There had to be at least 40 diners enjoying Sunday brunch in the sun, and another 20 or so waiting patiently for the next available table. A few blocks away at Sylvain, the rear courtyard is usually full at all times, and that particular day was no exception. Headed toward Uptown, Martinique is always one of the first restaurants that come to mind during this time of year and is on a surprisingly short list restaurants that offers lunch/brunch on Saturday. Dante's Kitchen is also in that category, as is St. James Cheese Company, which is probably my favorite spot in the city for an outdoor lunch on Saturday.

What are restaurants to do when people are anxious to eat outside but they have no courtyard or patio? Throw a few tables out on the sidewalk, of course. La Petite Grocery and Coquette both offer front row seating to Magazine Street. The sidewalk tables at Cochon are usually full on almost every night during dinner. And although its not open for lunch on the weekends, it seems remiss to write about great outdoor dining spots without mentioning Herbsaint.

Yesterday as I drove down Freret Street, I noticed that Company Burger had set up picnic tables outside, and I had to appreciate the great lengths that restaurateurs will go to accomodate our ever so short al fresco dining season. Whether you are dining on Shrimp Henican in the courtyard at Commander's or scarfing down a roast beef po-boy on a white picnic table in the back parking lot at Parkway Bakery, be thankful that you are enjoying it while you can.

Martinique

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. Never, ever ask me for a recommendation on where to eat. The problem with asking me is I want to send to eat food I'm craving. The number one question we field is "Where should I go for Saturday lunch, something more than a po boy but not Antoine's?" My answer to that question is usually "uhhhhh, well, Butcher? Maybe Boucherie, but are they open? Hmmmm, don't know."

Ask Lindsay instead. Lindsay's answer to that oft asked question is Martinique Bistro. And it is a very good one at that. The restaurant is named after the French Caribbean Island, which in turn is named after the Spanish expression for "What Martini?"

Martinique Bistro is located in that peculiar stretch of Magazine between State and Nashville where parking is hard to find . The restaurant boasts the best outdoor seating in the city, Bayona is a close second. Behind a wall of stone and ivory is a smattering of tables warmed by the sun and heaters in the winter/spring and cooled by shade in the summer. On our last visit, the rain forced us to dine in the charming, French bistro motif laced interior.

Only problem was there was a large birthday party dining in there. They were dressed in funny golf pants, slugged shots of Jagermeister, spoke loudly, and laughed louder. Nothing wrong with that, but when Martinique is filled, expect a Galatoire's sound level. Once the bread hits the table, the noise silences. Is there any better cure for what ails you than the marriage of warm bread and cold, salted butter?

Besides cocktails, of course. The Southern Styled Iced Tea takes the best of Tea Flavored Vodka and mixes it with what makes an Arnold Palmer such a refreshing summer drink. This may also be one reason John Daly has had such a hard time. Originally, I ordered the St. Rose, a St. Germaine hit to a rose champagne from of all places, New Mexico. But, for some reason the Peche en Louisiane kept my attention. The audible into the vibrant taste Lillet Blanc, soda, bitters, and peaches was one of the top 10 decisions of that day. The best? Purchasing a Member's Only jacket for 12 bucks.

To start we both got soups. I went with the menu standby of corn, red pepper and chorizo which was slightly disappointing. Not because it was a bad soup, but because the sweet corn flavor dominated. Lost in the shuffle was the heat from the red pepper or the savory, spiced pork flavor of chorizo. Lindsay's soup however kicked some serious sass. The curried butternut squash had just the right mix of roasted and pureed squash and its accompanying sweetness and back of throat heat from toasted curry spices.

The egg may be the most versatile and delicious food. Since we were technically eating brunch, I went for an egg overload. What you see here is eggs two ways, poached and bernaised, served with seared flat iron steak and duck fat roasted potatoes. There are some pieces of bread thrown in there for good measure just to make me love the dish even more. The bernaise was pitch perfect, not thick, gloppy nor boring, and punched up with tarragon and a good touch of vinegar. This is one of the better plates of food I've had this year.

Lindsay ordered a relative of the salade nicoise (pictured at top). Pog-diameter sized (how is that for a blast from the past) scallops seared, sent out with haricots verts, egg, potatoes, tomatoes and an olive based vinaigrette. She enjoyed it, but claimed the scallops were a little salty. The eggs were overcooked. Lesson here: always order your eggs bernaised.

Martinique is a delightful place to have a lunch when you aren't in the mood for the sandwich arts. But don't take my word for it, take Lindsay's.

Martinique Bistro- Birdie.

Brunch at Martinique

Highs this weekend are creeping up into the 80s, which likely signals a fast approaching conclusion to outdoor dining season. If you are looking to capitalize while you can, look no further than Martinique, whose courtyard is ideal for dining in sunny, cool weather.

The food is simple (not spectacular), and portions are small. You get the feeling that the menu was designed specifically for Uptown ladies who are watching their figure. With that in mind, 2 courses are recommended, but there are times when 3 might be necessary. A single link of duck sausage with celeriac remoulade (nice refreshing crunch) is a nice way to start. Pistachios are ground to near dust and used as a coating for a puck of fresh goat cheese, which is paired alongside mixed greens and dressed with a thick, syrupy balsamic and pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. The croque madame is a sourdough sandwich of grilled ham and gruyere with a fried egg on top and a pool of mornay sauce underneath. Smoked salmon club was good but much too small for $12.

I could have included pictures of the food, but if you've seen one croque madame then you've seen them all. No matter. I could have done nothing but drink Lillet L'Oranges and been satisfied with my "meal." If a refreshing cocktail, cool breeze, and sunshine are your motivation, then you have found the right place.