DINING OUT: Bon Ami French Bistro
A Taste of France in Canandaigua
By Jacob Pucci
At one time, French cuisine was synonymous with fine dining. Chefs were classically trained on French techniques serving food in restaurants, itself a French word for a concept that originated in France.
While the influence of French cuisine can be found just about everywhere — even mayo sounds much more French when you call it mayonnaise — finding an honest-to-goodness French restaurant in Upstate New York is seemingly harder than ever.
But don’t call Bon Ami French Bistro in Canandaigua a dying breed.
The quaint Main Street restaurant, opened in 2019 and marked by its black-and-white striped awning, easily swells with diners and bar-goers lingering over a cocktail or generous pours of French wine.
The menu is classic French bistro, with a bit of Italian influence, a nod perhaps to owners Georges Vindigni and Lisa Herrick’s previous restaurant, Il Posto, which they ran in Canandaigua from 2013 until selling it in 2018.
Fromage de chevre frit ($16) pairs two fritters of fried goat cheese with a small mound of baby spinach and cherry tomatoes, both cooked until just soft and sweet, shallots and a spicy honey glaze. The warm chevre, soft but not runny, burst with sharp, tangy flavor that so perfectly pairs with sweet honey.
The menu changes seasonally and while there are a few staples that remain on the menu year-round (what would a French restaurant be without French onion soup and escargot?), most of the menu changes each spring and fall. Out with the Swiss chard fritters and seared tuna niçoise salad of spring, in with the stick-to-your ribs cassoulet and duck confit.
Duck confit, with its fatty, fall-apart tender meat and crackling crisp skin, feels both elevated and rustic — a perfect embodiment of a good French bistro. Bon Ami’s version checked all the boxes, though the $42 for an average-sized leg and thigh quarter felt steep. The duck was joined by sauteed green beans, a cranberry-balsamic reduction was wonderfully tart and savory and seasonally appropriate sweet potato puree that was exceptionally rich and creamy.
I’m typically a steak purist — season with salt and pepper, grill until medium-rare, let the quality of the beef do the talking — but there’s something about the indulgence of steak au poivre that never fails to delight. A good steak doesn’t need to be topped in a peppery sauce finished with brandy and heavy cream, but it sure doesn’t hurt. Bon Ami’s rendition, a special of the evening ($40), uses New York strip and while the exact size wasn’t listed on the menu, I’d estimate it at around 10 to 12 ounces.
While the steak was grilled to my ideal doneness of just shy of medium-rare, I was disappointed that it lacked the peppercorn crust that gives the dish its name (au poivre translates to “with pepper”). That’s not to say the steak wasn’t seasoned. The simple salt and pepper would have been perfect for a classic steak and one could argue that au poivre’s characteristic peppercorn crust is overkill, but that’s what makes it au poivre.
Au poivre sauces can range in appearance from thin to thick, from a creamy beige to deep russet brown. This version leaned toward the latter, with a color, consistency and deep savory flavor similar to a demi-glace that packed a fair amount of peppery punch.
The steak was served alongside the same sauteed green beans and sweet potato puree.
Our server suggested the bread pudding for dessert ($12), the variety of which changes daily. That night, it was chocolate and pear, served alongside a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Bread pudding is a humble dessert that originated as a way to use stale bread, though this version, a tender, eggy custard studded with tender pieces of pear and melting dark chocolate, was far more luxurious. The warm pudding and cool ice cream met on the spoon in a harmonious contrast that pairs so perfectly together. It was the best bread pudding I’ve had in quite some time.
Our elderflower martini and maple old fashioned (both $12) were potent and proper and the pour of our French pinot noir ($12) was the kind of generous fill you might do for yourself at home. That’s the feel of Bon Ami — a warm, comfortable place where, despite the small dining room, you never feel rushed or crowded. We watched as a group of regulars sat the bar, chatting and laughing with the owners as they lingered over their food and wine. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page and you’ll see as many pictures of diners cheering to the camera and sipping a libation as you will pictures of the food and menu. The restaurant’s name, which translates to “good friend,” is well-earned.
Bon Ami French Bistro
25 S. Main St., Canandaigua, NY, 14424
585-905-3951
Tuesday to Thursday, 4 – 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 – 9 p.m.
Reservations: Recommended.