Happy 13th Anniversary, Tournesol!
Tucked away at the very end of Vernon Blvd is Tournesol, a quaint French bistro outfitted in red with sunflower accents. Celebrating their 13th anniversary, Tournesol put together a prix fixe menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts. All for $20.02, the year of its establishment.
My daughters and I arrived shortly before 6, with only one party ahead of us waiting to be seated. I hadn’t made a reservation and overheard that the evening was fully booked weeks ago because of the special anniversary menu. Due to the early hour, luckily, we were still able to get a table as a walk-in. The host hurriedly mentioned that the restaurant would be packed soon enough. The tiny 21-table bistro certainly had its European charm with red banquettes, large black and white rugby photos on the wall in the front and a mirrored back wall with the outline of France. The clientele was mostly made up of older folks, so my daughters and I certainly were an exception in the crowd.
Ordering from the menu was more challenging than I would’ve liked. Since I don’t know a lick of French, I needed to ask for several translations. Including a short description of each plate would have made ordering more efficient, especially given the expected customer base that evening. The server seemed annoyed every time I asked what a dish was, like the croustillant of brandade with gaspacho and the choux chantilly. Should I know what that means?
The meal began with complimentary bread and butter. It was not warm, but decent. Our appetizers of choice were the croustillant of brandade with gaspacho and the sea scallop quinoa salad. The croustillant literally translated, means “crispy”; it was essentially a croquette filled with a creamy mixture of cod, milk and olive oil. My girls shared it and loved it. Sitting upon a tomato-based sauce, the croustillant was flavorful, crunchy and well-seasoned. My salad was also a winner: refreshing tones of pomegranates, squash, green onion sea scallops and watercress on top of quinoa. Many perfect bites in this dish.
Despite feeling rushed, I was impressed by the quick turn-around of dishes. Everything came out quickly and piping hot. My daughters shared the beef carrots au vin de gaillac, which was cubed beef in a gravy with carrots and celery. My 11 year old felt that the gravy was underseasoned but the tenderness of the beef was unbeatable. It was a simple and straightforward dish that could appeal to both kids and adults. I ordered the grilled salmon with zucchini gratin, tandoori sauce and basmati rice. The salmon was cooked just right, tender and moist. In my experience, restaurants do not include salmon skin. I was especially ecstatic to see my salmon with skin still intact, seasoned and crispy. That was definitely the highlight of my dish. The zucchini gratin was so-so; it was a bit burnt on top, yet mushy below. All the elements of the dish, however, complemented one another nicely.
The last act of the meal was the apple tart and the choux chantilly. Choux is a light pastry dough commonly used for profiteroles, beignets and other desserts. This one was a cream puff sitting atop a delectable chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of candied almond slivers. To die for. The apple tart was delicious as well, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My girls ate it all up.
By 7pm, Tournesol was nearly full. I’m not surprised. At the end of the meal, my 7 year old happily exclaimed, “Let’s go here for dessert again.” I agree with her. I’d also come back for the whole meal.
