Disappointed at Chez Nous

A couple Sundays ago the wife and I decided to go to Chez Nous (downtown, on Neches between 5th and 6th) in part because they happened to be open (what is it with restaurants closing on Sundays, anyways?  I would think a weekend closing would impact business more than a weeknight closing) and in part because I was in the mood to see just how their fare stacked up against what we had eaten in Paris a couple months ago.

My expectations weren't terribly high, as I didn't think the comparison between Austin and Paris was fair (I didn't attempt to find Tex-Mex or barbecue in Paris, after all).  But I'd been to Chez Nous once before with a large group of people and thought it was ok, so I was hopeful. As it turns out, even my not-so-high expectations were unmet.

We started off with an appetizer of goat cheese served atop toasted baguette slices, which was adequate if a little uninspired, and ordered entrees of lamb and seafood.  When the entrees arrived, they tasted ok, but after a bite or two it was clear that they simply weren't very warm.  The side plate of vegetables was, on the other hand, almost scorchingly hot, leading me to believe that the entrees had been allowed to sit while the vegetables were prepared.

We eventually flagged down the waitress and explained very nicely that although the food tasted fine, it simply wasn't very warm.  She apologized, took the plates back, and we waited for probably fifteen minutes.  When she returned, it was evident that our original entrees had been rearranged on different plates and were barely perceptibly warmer than when we sent them back.

At this point, rather than protest further, we decided to simply finish our meals and go console ourselves with some ice cream.  The restaurant was hardly busy, so I can only attribute our experience to a careless kitchen.

I can say with some confidence that if this sequence had transpired in any of the comparable (i.e. formal restaurant) establishments at which we dined in Paris, at the least we would have gotten fresh food and an apology from the chef (this I judge from the demeanor of some of the chefs and waitstaff with whom we spoke while there).

Judging from our experience, Chez Nous provides average French food for the price they're charging, with spotty quality.  The service was attentive enough, but contrary to what someone suggested in the Houston's thread recently, I don't feel any level of service would have overcome the shortcomings of our food.

We won't be returning, preferring to spend our dining dollars at the Belgian Restaurant (which has been reliable and tasty for us, if not absolutely the most creative or authentic as some have suggested) or Jean-Pierres (not exactly French, but with some French influences). Anyone have any experience with Jean-Luc's?

tony
tonyp at evsx dot com