The new restaurant is a concept from former Sotto chef Danny Combs
Settled at the corner of Washington Park in the former Zula Restaurant and Wine Bar space is Colette, a restaurant that boasts “mostly French” food and an open kitchen concept.
Danny Combs, chef and owner of Colette, is not new to the restaurant scene; he helmed the kitchens of Boca and Sotto for the last 12 years. It took him about a year to find the perfect spot for Colette.
The space, which is 3,600 square feet, is filled with natural light from the line of windows at the front and behind the bar. It’s rustic, with a wall-length plaid upholstered bench on one side, a fully stocked bar on the other, and vintage plates and dishes. The kitchen is open, so guests can watch the cooks and Combs put dishes together throughout the dining experience. The highly trained waiters slow down the dining experience, with breaks in between drinks, appetizers, mains and dessert. After each course, the entire table is bussed, and new warm dishes and silverware are brought to the table. Though it’s slowed down, it doesn’t feel slow; a two-hour dinner goes by in a flash.
The menu, which is subject to change, has tableau (starters for the table), salades, plats (dishes) and grands plats (large dishes). One tableau, pâté de Maison, which takes four days to prep and complete, consists of pork, foie gras and pistachios, and is served with accoutrements. You can also order the laminated brioche, which resembles a large, fluffy muffin. The butter is laminated into the bread, like a croissant, so no spread is necessary.
At press time, there are four salads to pick from, including endive and radicchio, roasted beets, simple greens and Parisian carrot. After this light course, there are seven plats, including raviole du Dauphiné, a sheet of Comté- and ricotta-filled ravioli topped with brown butter and a dust of cheese. The steak frites is a classic French option, with an 8-ounce Creekstone New York strip, drenched in peppercorn sauce, and served with fries.
Sole meuniere, a fresh fish dish, and côte de boeuf, a rib steak, are the two grands plats options and serve two-to-four people, so make sure to bring your best and hungriest friends. But don’t fill up; you won’t want to miss dessert, which includes choux au craquelin, profiteroles with Graeter’s vanilla ice cream and homemade cocoa sauce.
Colette, 1400 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. Tu-F 5-10 p.m., Sa 4-10 p.m., Su-M Closed. 513-381-1018, coletteotr.com.
