Tucked into an unassuming and narrow storefront on this college town’s main street is Chez Albert, a superb restaurant that combines simply wonderful French food with the warm ambiance of a neighborhood joint. The restaurant’s slogan says it all: “Good. Simple. Food. Voila!”
It’s obviously a neighborhood place, where the wait staff greet people by name. Although it was our first visit, we felt instantly at home thanks to the staff. Our waiter, who hailed from Angers in France, was efficient, animated and very knowledgeable about the food.
The focus here is on great food, simply prepared and enthusiastically presented. Patrons dine at simple copper-topped tables seated on chairs or the banquette, as mostly classic American jazz and blues play in the background. The evening’s menu and wine/beverage list are scrawled on blackboards above the entrance to the open kitchen. The high-ceiling dining room is done simply in dark wood with touches of orange. The one concession to the Christmas season was an amusing mini-Eiffel Tower with flashing lights.
Chef Paul Hathaway and his team turn out simply amazing food from a kitchen that’s smaller than a Greenwich Village studio apartment. Before opening Chez Albert in 2005, Chef Hathaway worked with some of Boston’s iconic chefs, including Todd English and Jody Adams; and took a culinary pilgrimage through the United States, learning various cuisines. The result is a style that defies easy description but delivers perfection on a plate. Chez Albert takes beautiful advantage of local ingredients and other bounty from the Pioneer Valley. For this reason, we’d recommend the evening’s specials.
The wine list is short and French, with reasonably priced bottles and several wines by the glass (less reasonably priced). My French Chardonnay was light and crisp, and my husband enjoyed Jenlin, a French ale made by Brasserie Duyck.
I started with a simple salad of baby spinach, roasted beets and pecans, topped with a slice of wonderfully creamy, locally made goat cheese. For an entrée, I had a piece of striped bass, which was pan-seared quickly then finished in the oven. This preparation provided a wonderfully crispy texture on the outside while bringing out the slightly sweet flavor of the fish. It was topped by a simple Provençal sauce that was light and complemented the fish perfectly without overpowering it (all too often chefs tend to err on the heavy side). The fish was served on a bed of mashed potatoes with a small swirl of sautéed beet greens. Perfection.
Cockles – small clam-like mollusks – were on the menu as an appetizer that evening, so my husband just had to try them. (This was the first time we had ever noticed them on a menu in the U.S.) The cockles were served in a large bowl with a light basil sauce – again, basil can often overwhelm a mild shellfish, but it was a perfect complement in this case. For his entrée, my husband had veal cordon bleu with a simple au jus, served over semolina with beet greens. Light but hearty, and perfectly prepared.
We don’t usually order dessert, but since they are all made on premises we decided to splurge. My pumpkin crème de caramel was served with an apple reduction, and topped by a ginger crisp. Although my husband is normally not a hazelnut fan, he ordered the hazelnut cake topped with chocolate parfait. Both were out of this world, and the cake made subtle use of the hazelnuts.
French coffee was rich and clear, and a wonderful ending to this meal.
Chef Hathaway has a light but sure hand that only comes from intelligence and maturity, and the place hums with a practiced rhythm.
This was a very special and memorable dining experience. The service was country-style friendly and efficient. It reminded me of the Café Un Deux Trois and Le Zinc (now closed) in New York City in their heydays, but with better food and more personable service.
At $122 before tip, our meal wasn’t inexpensive but it was worth every penny. Great food, great service and a great time.
For dinner, entrees range from $20 - $30 and appetizers from $6 (for salads) to $10 (for pâtés and more elaborate apps). On my next visit, I might assemble a meal from appetizers and sides, accompanied by a good bottle of wine. I bet it’s the kind of place where the house wouldn’t mind if you did this.
It’s obviously a neighborhood place, where the wait staff greet people by name. Although it was our first visit, we felt instantly at home thanks to the staff. Our waiter, who hailed from Angers in France, was efficient, animated and very knowledgeable about the food.
The focus here is on great food, simply prepared and enthusiastically presented. Patrons dine at simple copper-topped tables seated on chairs or the banquette, as mostly classic American jazz and blues play in the background. The evening’s menu and wine/beverage list are scrawled on blackboards above the entrance to the open kitchen. The high-ceiling dining room is done simply in dark wood with touches of orange. The one concession to the Christmas season was an amusing mini-Eiffel Tower with flashing lights.
Chef Paul Hathaway and his team turn out simply amazing food from a kitchen that’s smaller than a Greenwich Village studio apartment. Before opening Chez Albert in 2005, Chef Hathaway worked with some of Boston’s iconic chefs, including Todd English and Jody Adams; and took a culinary pilgrimage through the United States, learning various cuisines. The result is a style that defies easy description but delivers perfection on a plate. Chez Albert takes beautiful advantage of local ingredients and other bounty from the Pioneer Valley. For this reason, we’d recommend the evening’s specials.
The wine list is short and French, with reasonably priced bottles and several wines by the glass (less reasonably priced). My French Chardonnay was light and crisp, and my husband enjoyed Jenlin, a French ale made by Brasserie Duyck.
I started with a simple salad of baby spinach, roasted beets and pecans, topped with a slice of wonderfully creamy, locally made goat cheese. For an entrée, I had a piece of striped bass, which was pan-seared quickly then finished in the oven. This preparation provided a wonderfully crispy texture on the outside while bringing out the slightly sweet flavor of the fish. It was topped by a simple Provençal sauce that was light and complemented the fish perfectly without overpowering it (all too often chefs tend to err on the heavy side). The fish was served on a bed of mashed potatoes with a small swirl of sautéed beet greens. Perfection.
Cockles – small clam-like mollusks – were on the menu as an appetizer that evening, so my husband just had to try them. (This was the first time we had ever noticed them on a menu in the U.S.) The cockles were served in a large bowl with a light basil sauce – again, basil can often overwhelm a mild shellfish, but it was a perfect complement in this case. For his entrée, my husband had veal cordon bleu with a simple au jus, served over semolina with beet greens. Light but hearty, and perfectly prepared.
We don’t usually order dessert, but since they are all made on premises we decided to splurge. My pumpkin crème de caramel was served with an apple reduction, and topped by a ginger crisp. Although my husband is normally not a hazelnut fan, he ordered the hazelnut cake topped with chocolate parfait. Both were out of this world, and the cake made subtle use of the hazelnuts.
French coffee was rich and clear, and a wonderful ending to this meal.
Chef Hathaway has a light but sure hand that only comes from intelligence and maturity, and the place hums with a practiced rhythm.
This was a very special and memorable dining experience. The service was country-style friendly and efficient. It reminded me of the Café Un Deux Trois and Le Zinc (now closed) in New York City in their heydays, but with better food and more personable service.
At $122 before tip, our meal wasn’t inexpensive but it was worth every penny. Great food, great service and a great time.
For dinner, entrees range from $20 - $30 and appetizers from $6 (for salads) to $10 (for pâtés and more elaborate apps). On my next visit, I might assemble a meal from appetizers and sides, accompanied by a good bottle of wine. I bet it’s the kind of place where the house wouldn’t mind if you did this.
Chez Albert is open for lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended due to the popularity and the small size of the place (about 10 tables). Note: Chez Albert’s web site is a little fluky; I have had trouble accessing the home page.
The Fussy Diner rating: Two Forks Up++.
We had dinner here tonight; they offered a 'casual' menu for New Year's day. The food was quite good - we had the pate de foie, curried mussels, short ribs and a creamy seafood stew. I was expecting more of a torchon de foie rather than the mousse-like preparation I received, but it was OK. What I really disliked was the new space - ill-conceived and uncomfortable, with odd partitions and wasted space, small (tiny) tables too close together. Also, the decor is absolutely WEIRD. It comes across as a slightly demented Halloweenish cave, repetitive orange and black. I would not bring guests to Chez Albert simply because the interior is so very off-putting. Service was very good, however. Too bad.
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