A couple weeks ago we attended a press dinner at the newest restaurant to open in the Byram section of Greenwich — Rouge Brasserie & Oyster Bar which is run by the cb5 restaurant group. Rouge’s French bistro menu was created by Executive Chef Josh Moulton who has worked at Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse in Greenwich and The Monkey Bar in NYC.
Upon entering the brasserie, we greeted by a bar with shelves lit up in blue, three rouge (red) glass chandeliers, and a friendly bartender who handed us the cocktail menu. On the list are a few French-themed drinks like Chanel No. 5 (raspberry vodka, creme de framboise, and pineapple juice), French Kiss (gin, white lillet, elderflower liqeuer, fresh grapefruit juice), and an interesting drink called Pop Rocks which is a combination of Champagne and rock candy.
The Bar
After a round of drinks, we headed to the dining room where a two-tiered tower of fresh seafood stood on our table. The Plateaux de Fruits de Mer consisted of large shrimp, Little Neck clams, lobster tails, stone crab claws, and Blue Point and Beaujoleil oysters all resting on a bed of ice.
Plateaux de Fruits de Mer
My eyes were fixated on the plate of Fish Eggs & Chips. No, it wasn’t the typical fried food you get served in a basket, but it was a pretty presentation of two kinds of American caviar — trout (orange eggs) and American (sturgeon) paddlefish caviar — served over crispy, house made potato chips and crème fraîche. This was the most interesting dish of the night, and one of our favorites.
Fish Eggs & Chips
The next course was Escargot Bourguignon. A little too buttery for my liking, but a good dish to try. Each bite was full of flavor from the marriage of parsley, garlic and butter which seeped into the toasted bread. The escargot was was rich and delicious. Chef Moulton cooked the escargot “low and slow” for about an hour in onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and white wine.
Escargot Bourguignon
The steak tartare and warm onion tart were the next two dishes we sampled. Already getting full from the previous courses, I tried a bite of each. The tartare was made of hand cut prime filet served with charred country toast. The onion tart made with roasted onions, tomato confit, and Nicoise olives was cooked in an old pizza oven giving it a nice, crispy crust.
Warm Onion Tart
The Moules Frites was delicious. The white wine broth was excellent for dipping the frites which we all reached for as soon as the dish hit the table.
Moules Frites
The Salmon Forrestiere was excellent. Fresh fillets of salmon were cooked perfectly, drizzled with a lemon-thyme jus, and served over sautéed baby spinach and mushrooms.
Salmon Forrestiere
The meal ended with Steak Frites, one of my favorite brasserie dishes. The tender, juicy steak was seasoned with just salt and pepper 45 minutes before cooking. Served on the side was a rich bernaise sauce.
Steak Frites
Overall the food was great. We’re looking forward to trying the Coq au vin which may make an appearance on the menu in the Spring. Rouge is the perfect spot for dates and also groups. Definitely a neighborhood gem.
ROUGE Brasserie & Oyster Bar
230 Mill Street
Greenwich, CT 06830
Tel: (203) 813-3555
Update: This restaurant is closed
