A first taste of Colette, 'the hottest new restaurant in town'

Like many budding relationships, sometimes it takes more than one date with a restaurant to see if it's a good match. Such was the case with Colette, former Sotto executive chef Danny Combs’ new, “mostly French” bistro located in the former Zula spot in Over-the-Rhine. It’s not that our first encounter wasn’t a good one, it’s that I failed to realize just how good it was.

My first taste of Colette

On that first visit, I sat by myself at a two-top near the open kitchen and raced through dinner while occasionally scrolling my phone like a bad online date. I'd had a stressful day at work that left me feeling out of sorts. That's a shame since it caused me to overlook the magic that was happening all around me.

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In the open kitchen, Combs stood with his back to me like Erich Kunzel conducting a great symphony as I sat lazily slumped in my chair. (I should mention here that Combs’ chef de cuisine is Evan Hartman, another culinary superstar who once oversaw the kitchen at Pleasantry.) Families and friends gathered around dishes of steak frites, burgers and bottles of wine, laughing. Couples, who may or may not have been on actual first dates, were getting acquainted with one another.

Not everything was lost on me. I enjoyed the bread service, which consisted of one peppery laminated brioche from Randy Sebastian at Sebastian Bakehouse in Mariemont (more on that later). I mindlessly devoured the brandade, which is no surprise since the Mediterranean salt cod spread is one of my favorite things to eat (here it's blended with sweet brown butter). I washed it down with a glug of red wine without even taking note of what it was. I was off my game.

When a filet of Icelandic cod arrived in a pool of caviar beurre blanc looking like a golden slice of cornbread, I foolishly asked my server, Bryan, who was excellent by the way, what was up with the skin. He informed me that it wasn’t skin at all, but a slice of pressed brioche that adheres to the fish via its natural proteins during the cooking process. (Combs would later tell me he learned the technique from former Boca chef and current Sacred Beast owner Jeremy Lieb, whom he refers to as a mentor and one of best chefs in the city – along with Boca owner David Falk.)

It's only now that I'm typing these words that I realize how much I enjoyed slicing that brown-butter braised fish and its crispy "skin" into that rich sauce. And how thrilled I was with the subtle crunch of each morsel of caviar between my teeth. I owe that fish an apology for not appreciating what we shared together.

When I got home, my wife asked me what I thought of Colette. My response was, “I really don’t know."

Colette, take 2

If that first visit saw me as the tired, I’m-over-everything food writer going through the motions, the second was a revelation that reminded me why I got into this line of work in the first place.

Yes, I was in a better mood. But I also brought along my coworker, Sherry Coolidge. Sherry is a top-notch dining companion – an engaging conversationalist who isn’t afraid to voice her (sometimes very strong) opinions about anything, especially food. When she told me about her fruitless pursuit of good cavatelli during the holidays, I couldn't wait to hear her take on Colette's house-made version. Having a plus-one also allowed me to order just about everything we wanted to try on the menu.

But before we get into the food, let’s start with the cocktails.

If you’re a bourbon drinker like I am – one prone to falling back on an old fashioned even when you find yourself holding an ambitious cocktail menu in your hands ? the Le Connecteur (a medley of bourbon, cognac, Amaro di Angastora and orange bitters) feels like an old, familiar friend with its hints of dark chocolate, cinnamon, orange peel and caramel.

When Sherry asked about the name of her own cocktail, the Missy ? made with peachy St. Germain and sparkling water with a sprig of rosemary ? our bartender, Aaron, told us it was named after Combs' wife, Melissa. Nice touch.

Now let's talk about the food. We started out with that laminated brioche I mentioned earlier. According to its creator, Randy Sebastian, it’s composed of about 60% butter. Specifically French butter from Normandy. But for me, it’s the cracked pepper that steals the show the same way it does in other dishes like cacio e pepe or Indiana fried chicken. You should order it. It’s fantastic.

After that came a whirlwind of dishes that took me through a range of emotional experiences, from nostalgia to surprise.

On the former end, a classic endive and radicchio served with folded slices of ham, crumples of creamy Roquefort cheese and a walnut vinaigrette took me back to the best French bistros of Paris and New York. It also reminded me of something else: the apple, endive and Gruyere salad the late Jean-Robert de Cavel once offered at French Crust Bistro.

Speaking with Combs about his plans for Colette back in September, he told me that he didn't think of his restaurant as a direct descendent of a de Cavel-style bistro, but a nod to his profound influence on Cincinnati cuisine.

“Looking back on the history of French food in this city, I think there is a sense that it needs to be kept alive,” Combs told me. “The amazing work Jean-Robert did and the love this city had for him isn’t going anywhere. We hope to honor his legacy and push forward. He introduced so many chefs to French food. For us, it's about keeping that alive.”

Of course, given the decade-plus he spent at the Italian restaurant, Sotto, Combs is known more for his pastas than his pate. And while there are a few pasta dishes on the menu, Combs isn't the one making them. Instead, it's 19-year-old Jack Renner who proved to be a quick study at learning Combs' pasta-making techniques. “I’m so proud of that kid,” Combs told me.

If you’ve spent time on Colette’s Instagram account, you’ve probably seen the Raviole du Dauphine, an unperforated sheet of ravioli stuffed with nutty, fruity comte and ricotta in a brown butter sauce. It’s a great dish that you tear apart with your fork and knife, though it’s slightly outdone by the herbed cavatelli (which passed Sherry's muster) tossed in a sweet, pleasantly gamey ragout made with pasture-raised lamb from Freedom Run Farms, in Kentucky. This might go down alongside the rustic pappardelle with wild boar ragout at Forno as one of my favorite pasta dishes in town.

As memorable as each dish was, I think the duck confit is the one I will return to Colette for again and again. The rich, juicy duck was sweet and fall-off-the-bone tender with just the right amount of salt (this might be the first time in a while I’ve eaten duck confit without feeling bloated afterward). It’s served on an elegant French grandma-style dish over a small pile of magnificently creamy Rancho Gordo cassoulet beans that are cooked low and slow in a mirepoix, ham scraps and leeks in a rich stock. I’ve had duck confit dozens of times before, but never one that was this well executed. And the 2022 pinot noir my bartender suggested was the perfect companion.

The wine list, I should note, is extensive and leans heavily French, with bottles ranging in price from $40 to $140.

I thought I was too stuffed for dessert, but Sherry convinced me to at least share one with her. Good call. Pastry chef Morgan Balow's mille-feuille – a classic French dessert of puff pastry layered with creme legere (whipped cream combined with pastry cream) and a fresh cherry sauce – is one of those elegant desserts that, despite its decadent description, is never too heavy and perfect with a strong cup of good coffee.

While eating that dessert, I looked back at the wall opposite the bar and noticed a display of vintage plates hung in what looked like a fleur-de-lis pattern. A few of them looked just like the Franciscan apple pattern set I grew up with as a kid, so I took a picture and sent it to my mother in Florida. "Went to the hottest new restaurant in town and saw these on the wall," I wrote.

Maybe it's a stretch to say it, but when you've reached the point where you're introducing someone to your mother, you might just be in love.

Colette, 1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-381-1018, coletteotr.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: First taste of Colette, the new French restaurant in Over-the-Rhine