As I prepare for our Restaurant Week dinner tonight at La Voile, a restaurant that was transplanted from Cannes to Newbury Street with a dessert menu that includes Le Plateau de Fromage Français "devant vous" (classic French cheese platter), I'm reminded of a late-night dinner spent at Gaslight Brasserie in the South End with ma mere.

Putting my college French lessons to good use in this entry.

My mom flew in late one Friday night from Oregon, and I decided to drive her straight to Gaslight Brasserie for dinner, where there's plenty of free parking even on a Friday night. All I wanted at the time was Escargots de Bourgogne, but I learned that the little garlic and parsley, butter soaked snails tend to sell out early in the evening. (I returned another time to enjoy them, and I can see why they'd be a hit.) Instead, I ordered the Fondue Piemontaise avec saucisson et croutons (see photo) plus the Shaved Beet Root Salade for good measure.

Beets cancel out a skillet of melted cheese, right?

My mom ordered the Roasted Salmon Filet with garlic braised escarole and vinaigrette of lemon confit. And we both tore into the fresh loaf of French bread.

Everything was simple, fresh and delicious, but my favorite by far was the fondue. As a cheese fanatic (my daily snack lately has been a slice or two of ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella), I couldn't resist cleaning the dish. The croutons were the perfect scooping utensil, though the French bread helped us soak up the last bits.

If you haven't been to Gaslight Brasserie yet, head over there for some fine, fun fondue au fromage and other classic French brasserie cuisine. I'll report on La Voile after what I'm sure will be yet another wonderful dinner tonight.

Foodie Chick's Casse-Croûte de Fromage (aka Rolo's Bruschetta)

Want the perfect snack for yourself or a quick appetizer for friends coming to visit?

Here's all you need:

Small block of fresh mozzarella
Loaf of fresh French bread
Three medium ripe plum tomatoes
Fresh basil
Garlic salt
EVOO
Ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease 1 cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Slice and cube fresh mozzarella. Set aside.

3. Slice and cube fresh tomatoes. Set aside.

4. Slice French bread diagonally. Arrange slices on cookie sheet.
 
5. Drizzle light layer of EVOO and light sprinkle of garlic salt on each slice of bread, then top each with a teaspoonful of your tomatoes then a teaspoonful of your cheese. 

6. Top each slice with basil, either whole leaf or shredded as preferred. (You could also use Italian seasoning, though fresh basil is best.)

7. Finish off with a dash of fresh ground pepper.

8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.

9. Serve immediately!

Happy dining!

FC