From Port Chester to Norwalk: Appetit Bistro Brings French Inspired Menu to SoNo

Andrew Dominick November 15, 2021

Oui, oui! You did hear correctly. There is a new French bistro on the block in South Norwalk and it goes by the name of Appetit Bistro.

And while it may be new to Connecticut, it may not be new to some of its residents. For six years and counting, Appetit Bistro has been a staple in the village of Port Chester.

For Montoya—who co-owns the restaurant with executive chef Ismael Carias—opening a second location three towns and a city away from the original was a no-brainer because of the fanfare they’ve received from the state that’s a stone’s throw away.

Fish + potatoes is common at Appetit. One should expect moules frites and this sole au citron (lemon sole, fingerling potatoes, spinach, and caper brown butter sauce).

So, with that, they’re bringing all the duck a l'orange, chicken paillard, steak frites, and buttery, garlicky escargot you can handle, right to the center of SoNo.

But the pair’s French theme didn’t simply happen just because.

There’s wine if you wish, and select beers, but the cocktail program celebrates the OGs. Think Manhattans, Sidecars, a whiskey sour, French 75, and so on. The Sazerac wasn’t on the menu but I suspected they’d make a great one.

“He (Ismael) ran the kitchen at Crew in Greenwich,” Montoya says. “And I fell in love with French food when I started working at L’escale back in 2002. It was my first job ever and I loved it. I was there for five years. I ended up managing BLT Steak in White Plains and we opened our desired concept because we knew we would be the only French bistro in Port Chester.”

Their love letter to French food is evident at Appetit. Dishes are sometimes classic. The steak frites certainly is. Hard seared hangar steak, crusty on the outside, cool red on the inside, and tender as all hell—whatever that means to you. It’s served as it should be with a pile of salty shoestring fries and some frizzled onions that await the residuals of what should be a generous pour of the black peppercorn sauce. It’s always my ideal French meal when paired with a bold merlot or a strong Sazerac depending on the night. Most often for me, it’s the Saz.

Preceding that wonderful steak frites was cheese, then butter, then egg yolk. It’s French. You’re obligated to indulge? A heated bucket of gooey fondue for the dunking of thick lardons, crusty little bread squares, and herb seasoned potatoes is a good shareable choice. Escargot, in all its garlic buttery, mini puff pastry topped goodness. Snails may freak some of you out. At least try one. Chances are you’ll dig back in for seconds and thirds. And if you’re keeping it light (it still has bacon in it, but there are greens!), a Lyonnaise salad with frisée, a poached egg, potato chips, and a rich sherry vinaigrette may be for you.

Other dishes here are not as classic as a crème brûlée. Chances are you’ll see something made more modern, maybe a different layout in terms of plating, or a swanky interpretation of a French staple.

Then there are some that are not French whatsoever. One of those is seafood linguini, and the other is a slightly spicy, juicy, crispy skin chicken scarp. I’d almost feel bad about ordering an Italian dish at a French restaurant. At Appetit, I wouldn’t have an ounce of diner’s remorse. It’s nothing a side order of pommes frites won’t rectify. Isn’t it then half French? Either way, that garlic-butter-wine sauce should be mopped up somehow, someway. “It’s popular,” Montoya says of the scarp. “It’s one of those items we can never replace on the menu.”

Oh, and crème brûlée is absolutely a thing here. You had to know that.

And while there is menu similarity to the flagship, Carias and Montoya revealed that the Norwalk iteration will feature something right next door…a fish market. In addition to fresh catches of the day, you should expect homemade pasta, meat, packaged to-go foods, baked goods, and specialty products. Montoya says they’re hoping to have it open by the end of 2021.

Until you can do a two-for-one restaurant and market experience, stop by Appetit Bistro for a damn fine French meal. And if you’re planning on posting up at the bar, ordering steak frites, and slowly sipping on a Sazerac, look to your right of left. There’s a good chance I’ll be there doing the same.

136 Washington Street; Norwalk
203.354.7344; appetitbistro.com