Comfort Food at Chez Oskar

We are fortunate to eat at great restaurants in New York City regularly. Never the "need to reserve a table six months in advance" level of fancy, but some fancy, popular places none the less. But when push comes to shove, we tend to look for homey comfort food instead of preciously crafted plates.

This is never more true than when we are wandering around our home grounds of Brooklyn. On a casual weekend evening, we like to find some quieter place to enjoy a long and easy meal. We love it when we find ourselves in a place like Chez Oskar. While the have a reputation for hoity-toity cuisine, there is just as much history of rich, hearty peasant food in their culinary tradition. A good French bistro like Chez Oskar can fill your belly with meaty stews like Beef Bourguinon, or even a great burger and fries.

Like the food, French wine has grown to reflect the needs of those farming the countryside as much as the elite. The big, bold flavors of a Bordeaux can bring layers of complex flavors to dishes rich in their own. In a dish like Beef Bourguinon, the slowly simmered stew can benefit from some of the darker flavors found in some Bordeaux wines, like chocolate, mushrooms, or tobacco. Of course, it helps that the recipe calls for a bottle of wine.

Chez Oskar was our kind of place. The space was intimate, but it was filled with a range of customers--from other couples to a huge family gathering. And with a great French meal, we were forced to enjoy a few great glasses of French wine.