The Brooklyn Papers / Greg Mango

Out of this world: Vaux Bistro waitress Kate Cortland brings out the entrees - steak and roast chicken with garlic mashed potatoes.

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When I moved to Brooklyn, a year and a half ago, I set out in search of the best Brooklyn eateries. I found myself exploring the Park Slope area first. I dined at the higher end places that friends directed me to and came away, well, unimpressed. Then I found Vaux Bistro.

Vaux Bistro’s upscale facade with its clean, red awnings and multi-paned windows stands out on this otherwise not-yet-gentrified section of Fifth Avenue near Garfield. And the interior keeps up the high standard. The entrance is sectioned off from the dining room by a thick curtain that serves the dual purpose of keeping out the cold breezes and making the first experience of the restaurant special, like stepping onto a stage.

The room, colored in red, gold and black is the signature of a masterful artist. I was not surprised when chef-owner Robert Willis, who designed the room, told me his list of past occupations included architect and photographer. Banquettes, plumply upholstered in bright red, line three of the walls, and the upholstery is repeated on matching wooden chairs around the freestanding tables.

A central table is adorned with a lavish mixed spring flower arrangement. The whole dining room has a gentle golden glow emanating from subtle overhead lights as well as from candles on each white linen-draped table. The ambience is as pleasant as that of any restaurant I’ve ever experienced, as elegant as any of the top Manhattan restaurants without any of the over-the-top snob appeal.

Now add to that, swift, efficient service and out-of-this-world French food. I sampled six of the nine starters and each was better than the last. Among the most memorable were the fried mussels remoulade - very lightly battered (using semolina and cayenne in the batter) and delicately fried to retain the mussel juices. The spicy remoulade of mayonnaise, fresh capers, Tobasco and fresh herbs proved to be heavenly.

House terrine de canard was a thick, country-style, chunky pate, sweet with the rich flavor of duck liver. Served with a cranberry relish and a tasty, crunchy country mustard, the combination of smooth, sweet, sour and dense was intense. Top of the charts were roasted garlic and fennel flan in a carrot broth with candied fennel - aside from being a highly imaginative dish, the end result was a harmonious and subtle layering of flavors and textures.

My highest recommendation is the house grilled seafood sausage - a subtle coming together of many different tastes of the sea (scallops, lobster and scrod) in a compact sausage, with a light, uncomplicated overall flavor and a satisfyingly dense texture.

It was hard to stop tasting the starters, so consistently delicious and inventive were they, but I pressed on. The selection of entrees was no less pleasing though slightly less innovative. They ranged from the very simple, like roast chicken with natural jus and garlic mashed potatoes, to the more complex - filet of monkfish with lobster bordelaise and garlic mashed potatoes, and roast duck breast with grilled duck sausage and pomegranate molasses.

Four of the entrees were served with garlic mashed potatoes, which were the ideal consistency - creamy but not too rich, with enough garlic to grab your attention without overpowering the flavors of the rest of the entree.

The monkfish with lobster bordelaise was one of the most notable dishes - the fish-on-fish effect being subtle while leaving the individual flavors of the lobster and monkfish still distinguishable. A very tender filet of monkfish was sauteed just until flaky and slightly crisp on the outside, then topped with a sauce of red wine, shallots, bone marrow and little bits of lobster. Again, the spicy taste of garlic in the mashed potatoes beautifully complemented the sweetness of the fish combination.

The roast duck breast was a perfect, very tender slice with a spicy, dense sausage made with duck liver. The pomegranate molasses was an intriguing touch of sweet and sour and lent the fruit’s beautiful pink color to the dish.

Also of note were the creamy steamed mussels with frites. The mussels were delectably tender and fresh, cooked to perfection in a classic mixture of wine, garlic, onion and cream, a lovely dipping sauce for the frites.

And, yes, the desserts were wonderful too! Three were French classics: chocolate mousse, pear clafouti with creme anglaise and creme brulee. Chocolate and caramel bread pudding with whipped cream, and assorted homemade ice creams, sorbets and cookies complete the list.

The desserts were all up to the same high standard as the rest of the meal - smooth creme brulee, not too sweet, with a thin crunchy sugar coating; thick, rich bread pudding that beautifully married the flavors of caramel and chocolate; and a clafouti (a French country dessert made from a batter mixed with fresh fruit and baked) to die for - warm and soft, lusciously melding the flavors of the pears and the vanilla creme anglaise.

Vaux’s wine list is substantial, offering three white wines, three red wines and one Champagne by the glass. The rest of the list is divided into full-bodied, medium to full-bodied and light to medium reds and whites with special listings of select Beaujolais, Champagnes and sparkling wines, as well as ports and dessert wines.

If you’re still looking for a reason to go to Vaux Bistro, consider the prices - $6 to $8 for appetizers, $10 to $21 for entrees, and $6 for desserts. For one of the best meals in Park Slope, in the most elegant dining room, these prices are more than reasonable.

Robert Willis, who has been the sole owner of Vaux since December 1999, is an enthusiastic and devoted chef who clearly puts a lot of himself into his work. Future plans include a prix fixe menu in addition to the current daily specials for $16.

When asked what his goals for the future are, Willis said, "I’d like to do more interesting cooking." Watch out, Brooklyn, there’s even better yet to come!

Vaux Bistro [278B Fifth Ave. between Garfield and First Place (718) 499-1433] is open Sunday through Thursday, 5 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5 to 11 pm and Sunday brunch from 11 am to 3 pm. Vaux accepts all major credit cards.

©2001 Community Newspaper Group