- Address:
- 841 42nd St., Des Moines, IA, 50312
- Phone:
- 515-943-1926
- Overall User Rating:
-
(38 ratings)
- Hours:
- 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; closed Sunday through Tuesday
What it is: Le Jardin opened last Wednesday in a shared space with La Mie Bakery. La Mie serves breakfast and lunch; Le Jardin serves a separate menu for dinner. La Mie used to occupy a long, narrow space in the Shops at Roosevelt. Now the dual restaurant has expanded into the space next door, and Pink Stationery has moved to another spot in the strip mall.
Two restaurants in one: The decor remains airy and modern with fresh flowers on every table. During the day two huge marble-topped tables at the front of the restaurant artfully display stacks of La Mie's baguettes and other fresh-baked breads. The only real separation of the restaurants is at the front. Enter on the left side to order from La Mie's pastry/coffee counter. Enter on the right and you see the bar at Le Jardin (both doors are marked with different signs). An open kitchen was waiting on a few finishing touches when I stopped in. Eventually all of Le Jardin's food will be cooked there.
The menu: It's a one-pager, but with several courses. As we discovered, most dishes are small portions priced accordingly. So order a few to share in addition to an entree or an omelet. I tried the farmhouse cheddar cheese with apple slices, polenta frites with tarragon mayonnaise and pound cake with rhubarb-strawberry compote in addition to my omelet. My dining partner ordered the seared sea scallops.
Waitstaff helped us determine vegetarian options, allowing me to swap zucchini for the ham in my omelet. But meat-eaters will find a wealth of options, including chicken and pistachio pate, salamis, seared duck breast and hanger steak. Omelets are $9-$12, entrees $16-$20 and meat and cheese plates $5-$7.
The chef: Chef/owner Tag Grandgeorge has worked at numerous restaurants in Des Moines, including Court Avenue Brewing Company, Chat Noir, ArtHouse, and most recently Grand Piano Bistro. In 2004 he traveled to France, working at a hotel restaurant there. Then he lived in New York briefly before returning to Des Moines.
He considers himself a French chef who likes to experiment with other cuisines. He uses local meats, dairy and poultry when possible, and as the name Le Jardin suggests, he hopes to use as much produce from local gardens as he can.
Grandgeorge had worked at La Mie in 2005, and was able to work out a partnership with owner Joe Logsdon to open Le Jardin for dinners. He says he'll also do catering and host themed wine dinners every month or two.
First impressions: If you liked the country French food at La Mie, you’ll like Le Jardin. The vibe is entirely different than at a bistro like Django where you get a heaping plate of steak frites and an absinthe cocktail. Here you order a big glass of wine and take your time working through each course. At the end of the meal you leave full, but not overstuffed.
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