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<\/p>\nAfter only a few months, Petit Coquin has collected accolades for its streamlined menu, warm service and outstanding wine list. But sometimes, people still wonder: Where\u2019s the onion soup? And the escargot?<\/p>\n
Texas Monthly, among others, raised that question when it called this place \u201cthe French restaurant Texas needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people think French, they think bistro standards,\u201d said Chad Carey, whose Empty Stomach Group runs the restaurant.<\/p>\n
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Instead, Petit Coquin takes its inspiration from the neo-bistro movement that emerged in late-\u201990s Paris, when chefs trained at Michelin-starred palaces decided to cook simple yet creative dishes at prices more accessible than multicourse tasting menus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What I love is that San Antonio now has room for both terrific bistro classics and these deceptively simple neo-bistro dishes from chef Max Mackinnon. His cooking demonstrates an understated eloquence honed by years of high-level work, and everything pairs wonderfully with a deep and thoughtful wine list.<\/p>\n
Take the lentils vinaigrette \u2014 a perfect balance of bright dressing and earthy legumes, topped with slices of cold roast chicken and a generous dollop of creamy aioli. I could have eaten that dish for all three courses. Or the note-perfect braised leeks.<\/p>\n
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This restaurant was years in the making. Carey first met Carenn Mackinnon when she was a customer at The Monterey, blown away by the food and wine program. She was working as a wine sales rep then and hadn\u2019t yet met Max. She and Carey stayed in touch, and when the couple married, they talked about collaborating on a project. That conversation eventually led to Plus du Vin, a Brooklyn wine bar that marked Empty Stomach\u2019s first venture outside San Antonio.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Mackinnons built impressive r\u00e9sum\u00e9s. Max\u2019s Vermont restaurant, Pistou, earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2012. Most recently, he was chef and partner at Libertine, a more traditional bistro in New York\u2019s West Village. Carenn worked as wine director and sommelier at New York standouts Frenchette and Estela.<\/p>\n
When Carenn wanted to return to her hometown and Max grew tired of the New York grind, San Antonio became the obvious choice. With Carey, they mapped out what they wanted \u2014 and what they didn\u2019t want \u2014 to replicate. The result: a neo-bistro serving one seating a night, with a menu offering two choices across three courses.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIf you\u2019re a picky eater,\u201d Carey said, \u201cit\u2019s not going to be for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The people who get it absolutely love it. The restaurant recently expanded with steak frites for walk-ins on Mondays and lunch service on Fridays.<\/p>\n
This neo-bistro is a labor of love for the three partners and for the couple working as servers \u2014 Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell, formerly of Bakery Lorraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want something that sustains itself financially, makes a little money and makes us happy,\u201d Carey said.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re loving it, too.<\/p>\n
Petit Coquin<\/b><\/p>\n
1012 S. Presa St.<\/p>\n