En Croute
The midday meal in France is one of leisure and luxury compared to our version of lunch here in the States. A French lunch is the most substantial meal of the day and includes multiple courses. In Nichols Hills Plaza, En Croûte understands how to deliver the French experience with ambiance, flavor, and je ne sais quoi right here in the magical arrondissement of Oklahoma City.
En Croûte offers the kind of laid-back atmosphere you would expect to find in any neighborhood cafe. Natural light pours in through the large front picture window, bathing banquettes and two-tops in its trajectory and cutting through tapered stems of chardonnay and prosecco. Navy blue walls dotted with brightly colored paintings balance out the white tablecloths and caramel floors.
That ambiance serves to set the stage for the flavorful foods. En Croûte serves beautifully portioned and appointed entrees topped with micro greens and glacé sauces, presented by friendly servers. Our server, Taussen, guided us through the menu and curated an elegant and impressive meal for our enjoyment.
“The Maine lobster omelet is a favorite at lunch for sure. Boursin herbed cheese, large chunks of lobster tail with endive, then its topped with crème fraîche and herbs or caviar if you enjoy that as well,” Taussen points out. “Oh, and the mushroom and truffle toast.. yeah that’s a favorite of mine!” she adds.
Besides being a food and drink cafe, En Croûte prides itself on being a superior fromagerie where customers can pop in to pick up rounds and cuts of favorite European cheeses. Diners can add these selections of cheese to meals as well, an opportunity no other restaurant in proximity provides.
On this occasion, we ordered the fried Brie and prosciutto for our first course. We imagined it would be good, but it was even better than we thought it might be. Warm melty Brie oozes out on the first cut and merges into the thinly smooth, marbled, and aged slices of prosciutto on the plate. For our next course, we enjoyed a salad of gem lettuces and perfectly sliced rounds of St. Maure goat cheese, finished with perfectly pickled strawberry. Taking Taussen’s suggestion for the main, we selected the mushroom and truffle toast, gloriously overloaded with mixed sliced mushrooms and delicately flavored with truffle. All that enveloped in a velvety cream sauce and topped with a fried egg and ribbons of Locatelli Romano made this course particularly superb.
Now, it isn’t necessary to lunch in three courses accompanied by a handshaken cocktail garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a glass or two of wine in order to enjoy the offerings at En Croûte. The restaurant, with its hallmark of extraordinary service, is free of pretense, so it is perfectly acceptable to visit for a more American style, single course lunch of efficiency and excellence. En Croûte invites relaxation regardless of the length of your stay. After all, leisure at lunch is the French way! Bon appétit!
> En Croute, 6460 Avondale Drive, Nichols Hills
