L’Albatros in Cleveland’s University Circle, Ten Years Later

Updated August 2019

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In a town that knows the gray of winter, it might have been enough to see white patio umbrellas bloom again. Or rose bushes bobbing in the breeze. Or sleek outdoor furniture fully occupied.

Spring has arrived outdoors at L'Albatros Brasserie, a little bit of France in Cleveland's University Circle.

What could be better?

The food on the plate, of course.

Under dappled sunlight, the deft crew delivered lunch for two: the kinds of meals that look good, taste good and are presented in such a joyous space (weather permitting) you can't believe you're there. We pinched ourselves for a reality-check.

Heading back to Zack Bruell’s flagship restaurant is an act of high hopes after 10 years in operation. This is the homestead where Bruell re-charged his restaurateur career with an homage to French cooking that is still rich and deeply flavored, yet brightly interpreted. It was an instant hit when it debuted and a half-dozen other Bruell restaurants have been launched since. The shimmer of this original, I’m happy to say, remains.

At our lunch we welcomed three rafts of almond-crusted trout in seasoned beurre blanc with al dente haricot verts. The beans were like skinny Parisian women, which we knew we would never be with that generosity of butter sauce. The fish slipped neatly off its skin and still clung to the crunchy topping. It was fresh and sexy food.

Ditto for the burger, finely ground, pillowy in composition and cooked perfectly medium. A rich Bearnaise sauce and melted cheese distinguished the layers, although there was room on the palate for a dab of wholegrain mustard from a tiny porcelain pot on the table. A truckload of perfectly well-done fries came on the side, less fried than fiercely crisped. It's as if the fat was added by sleight-of-hand.

I've always marveled at Bruell's ability to splash around great flavors, but on this visit, I was struck more by the successful textures. Too few chefs display such finesse, or their kitchens can't keep up. But here, there was bracing dressing on the plumped arugula salad. And crispness outside and creaminess inside the dough on the Pissaladiere, an enchanting pizza topped with caramelized onion, capers, white anchovy, olives and melted Brie-type cheese. French to its core, you can't get a pizza in Cleveland with a better passport. I crave it.

Dinner indoors also was good, although not the thrill of the outdoor lunch. We sat in the original brick wing, a room smartly re-purposed like Europeans do with older structures, if a bit cramped. There are lighter, brighter, newer dining areas inside L'Albatros, but the original space creates a sense of intimacy and history.

One advantage of the tight space is to witness joy nearby. There were families and friends, but specifically couples young and old. What a pleasure to see a young duo at the window throwing all meal conventions to the wind, ordering cocktails in stemmed glasses and nothing more (or nothing less, here) than a cheese course and gazing at each other.

After a fresh and wholesome tomato and butternut squash soup, and a house chopped salad that could have used more Roquefort spark, we went into wintry mode. Just because it was bloom time, we had not lost our taste for the house skill with comforting red meats. Veal short ribs separated at the touch of a fork, and the meat's characteristic flavor tang balanced perfectly against a wild mushroom risotto. The house cassoulet, a carnivore's jackpot, showed up in its own ovenproof dish with duck confit, sausages, pork belly, lamb and the classic plump white beans. My talkative companion hardly talked while dispatching it. Once again, I loved that within this "stew" of slow-cookery and braising, the duck skin remained crispy. Our third entree that night, sauteed skate wing, came out rightly moist inside if a bit overcooked, exposing the grain of the fish' traditional gelatinous texture. But the seasoning was herby and the texture lightly caramelized. The whole thing was upstaged, however, by the vegetable lasagna on the side, a noodle-free (and likely gluten-free) treatment of full-flavored vegetables and melted cheeses.

Don't miss dessert here. The pistachio cake bore a relationship to English puddings in richness and delivered a pistachio flavor without crass fanfare. We also loved the sherried cheesecake and the chocolate moussed Napoleon. One server called the Napoleon "light," which was a downright lie and we loved her for it.

There were some tiny missteps in service, but the overall impact on two visits was a staff of confidence, responsiveness and grace. A decade later, L'Albatros remains a delight.

TASTE BITES

L'Albatros Brasserie

Where: 11401 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, 44106

Contact: 216-791-7880

Online: albatrosbrasserie.com

Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Thursday-Saturday; 3-8 p.m. Sunday.

Prices: Most starters, $9-$15; dinners, $18-$25; lunches several dollars less.

Reservations: Recommended.

Credit cards: All major cards.

Cuisine: French

Kid-friendliness: Staff willing to please.

Bar service: Full bar.

Accessibility: Full.

Grade: * * * *

Ratings: One star means fair; 2 stars, good; 3 stars, very good; 4 stars, exceptional. Zero stars: not recommended.) Plain Dealer reviewers make at least two anonymous visits to each restaurant, unless otherwise noted, and do not accept complimentary meals. Read past reviews at cleveland.com/dining.

2019 A-List Dining Guide

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