When the Foreman Wolf group, the team behind a half-dozen successful Baltimore restaurants, announced it was opening an outpost of Petit Louis, its Roland Park bistro, in Columbia, local diners were excited, naturellement. In the 14 years since the original restaurant opened, it has earned a reputation for stellar service, consistently great food and old-world charm.
At the Columbia location, which opened in May, many of the same virtues are on display. But the new restaurant lacks some of the ease that’s developed in Roland Park over its tenure — and that’s evident in quirks of service and even in some of the food.
The space, which is much larger than the Roland Park restaurant, is gorgeous — a mix of marble tables, charming chairs and black-and-gold accents that feel as Parisian as the Eiffel Tower.
The menu, too, would be right at home in the City of Light. All of the dishes offered are traditionally French, prepared using classic techniques.
Appetizers like escargots, served out of their shells in a steaming sauce of garlic and butter, were tender and luxurious; onion soup, topped with a thick layer of bubbling cheese, was equally decadent. Both dishes were lovely, but they also benefited from a sprinkle of extra salt.
The steak frites was also slightly underseasoned. Both the steak and the frites were cooked nicely, with the steak just medium rare and the skinny frites crisp and hot.
Duck confit, served with wilted spinach and pureed potatoes, was tender, juicy, and — we were happy to discover — seasoned correctly. Cooked slowly in its own fat, the duck’s meat fell right off the bone. Its skin was crispy and tasty enough that we could’ve eaten it on its own as a snack.
A thick slice of creamy quiche Lorraine was also exactly as it should have been. Served with a green salad tossed with mustardy vinaigrette, the quiche was a light but satisfying dinner.
With dinner, a bottle of the Cuvee de Louis, a red Cotes du Rhone made exclusively for the Foreman Wolf restaurants, was an excellent match for our entrees.
For dessert, a generous scoop of rich chocolate mousse topped with a dollop of loosely whipped cream was a delicious way to end the meal. We also couldn’t resist cups of dark coffee, served from a French press, and a selection of house-made chocolate candies filled with alluring flavors like chai and raspberry.
Everyone who came to our table — the waiter, manager and a stream of bussers — was unflinchingly polite. However, the food was surprisingly slow to come out of the kitchen, and during the long gaps between courses, our waiter did not check on our table.
We wondered if the lack of attention might be related to the sheer size of the restaurant — maybe, even after several months of business, the staff members are still finding their way around the big space and simply didn’t realize how long we were waiting, or that we needed more water or another glass of wine.
At a different restaurant, we might have chalked this up to “Parisian time,” assuming that the kitchen was mimicking the leisurely pace of some European restaurants. But we couldn’t help but compare the experience to our meals at the Roland Park location, where our service has always been more consistently attentive.
Petit Louis’ Columbia location might not live up to the high standards set by its Roland Park counterpart — yet. But it’s close.
Nearby reviews: DishBaltimore.com - Howard County