Vietnamese Pho soup in Destin, Florida, anyone? The new Destin restaurant, Zesty Baguette Bistro, has just that and  more. Billing itself as a French-Vietnamese concept, owner Duc Tran told us that Vietnamese cuisine goes way back with the influence of French cooking. He explained that he named the restaurant “Baguette Bistro” because the first French food brought to Vietnam was a baguette! Duc said it was time for a “different” type of restaurant in Destin. Vietnamese French cuisine brings an exciting new dining option.

My two friends immediately ordered the Pho soup.  They swooned at the savory taste and gave me a sample.  It was very hearty and substantial with a generous side dish of garnishes including bean sprouts, basil, pepper, lime, hoisin and chili sauce. You mix that right into the soup to your liking and my friends used all of it. Their bowls were enormous and they ate every drop, even tilting them to their mouths to finish it all!  Pho is only served on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

I ordered the lemongrass chicken. After one bite I smiled with joy at the bursting flavor in just one little piece of chicken. The meal was extraordinary- light, slightly spicy and very flavorful. I ate all of it.

Other items on the menu are egg rolls, beef rillettes, fusion asian salad, krispy apple kale salad, mango wraps (three types),  classic co’m tam fragrant rice dishes with salmon, grilled pork, chicken or shrimp, shaken steak, mild yellow curry. Their signature sandwiches include epice chicken, southern buttermilk chicken, po boys. You can get Vietnamese banh mi, bun rice vermicelli, and more. Expanded dinner offering at a slight higher price include boeuf bourguignon, surlonge de boeuf, chicken paillard milanese, grilled lamb rack and more.   Their wine menu features many French wines.

The decor of Baguette Bistro is contemporary and urban, with exposed, painted ceiling ductwork and splashes of red and yellow in the hanging lamps. It was clean and beautiful.

During lunch, the owner, Duc, came to check on us several times.  He is anticipating that his newly opened Destin restaurant will be packed in the summer as word gets out. I can see why!

Zesty Baguette Bistro is located at 4418 Commons Drive, across from Craft Bar and Chan’s Wine World, in the Publix plaza in Destin.

PRICES:

Lunch $8 to $16

Dinner $8 to $25

HOURS: Daily 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

The post New Destin Restaurant – Baguette Bistro – French Vietnamese Cuisine first appeared on Rulnick Realty.

Yesterday was time for a Sandestin lunch adventure!  This time it was at Mitchell’s Fish Market on Grand Boulevard! My friend, Rhonda, and I headed to Sandestin thinking we might stop at Travinia Italian Kitchen, but ended up driving around and around trying to find a parking spot. Apparently, an expansion to Grand Boulevard with construction in progress was causing all the activity and parking spots to be filled up. There is a new building going up across from Carmike Boulevard 10 Cinema that will house Anthropologie and Vineyard Vine’s and the area was partially blocked by equipment, so we decided to go to Mitchell’s Fish Market, Seafood Restaurant and Bar instead. Surprisingly, it was not crowded.

The atmosphere is always lovely in Mitchell’s. It’s sleek, dark and nautical.  There are wood blinds along all the windows and sultry, oversized booths.  There was one private room up front where I’ve held company holiday parties (it holds about ten people), and that room was actually filled. Rhonda and I admired Mitchell’s menu with so many seafood offerings.  We decided to share the seared ahi tuna as an appetizer.  It was about $13.  At many restaurants around Destin, you’ll only get about five to seven slivers of tuna.  Mitchell’s was different!  Count them – ten tasty, somewhat spicy, strips of ahi tuna (there are no calories, you know?).  It came with rice and sliced cucumber salad. We loved it!  

For the main courses, Rhonda got stuffed shrimp and I had cedar-planked cod with asparagus and zucchini. (You can order fish grilled, blackened, broiled, or pan-seared – cedar plank or Shanghai style). Rhonda thought I was crazy ordering a non-local fish (they had grouper), but I guess I was homesick for New England.  The cod had a plethora of sun-dried tomatoes as a topping and was very flavorful.  I would say that the cedar infusion dominated the palate and it was unique (it was not my favorite preparation).  Rhonda found her three stuffed shrimp very satisfying (ok, she was “stuffed”, too!). We didn’t get dessert, but the coffee was delicious!

Until the next dining adventure….

Search for homes in Sandestin.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

The post Lunch at Mitchell’s Fish Market – Grand Boulevard Sandestin first appeared on Rulnick Realty.