Following its soft opening phase, Margaux Brasserie, the bold new French eatery from industry veteran and restaurateur Kristyn Eitel and partner Noe Zamora, has officially opened at 20107 N. Lord St. at The Corners of Brookfield.
Walk into the new eatery, located just to the east of Von Maur, and you’ll find a bright, fun space with a menu of accessible modern French fare including standards like mussels steamed in wine, fresh nicoise salad and plates of steak frites, along with cocktails, wine and beers to match.
C'est beau
The aesthetic at Margaux combines classic French elements and upscale detail with modern, casual details. Blues and greens cover the walls accompanied by artwork portraying brash, bold, beautiful women from varied cultures, backgrounds and periods in history.
Meanwhile pops of red boldly disrupt the continuity.
The substantial bar with its rounded corners centers the space with its brightly colored foundation and eye-catching hanging glass and bottle rack.
It’s a convivial spot for exploring Margaux’s beautifully curated wine collection created by general manager and certified sommelier Joshua Steiner, or signature cocktails like The Way a Bird Sings Monet (Rehorst Gin, Fruitful Apricot, Creme Violette, fresh lemon and simple syrup), served up in its unique stemmed bird-shaped glass or the French martini (Grey Goose Vodka, Fruitful Raspberry, fresh lemon, raspberry preserves).
A lounge area adjacent to the bar showcases the Brasserie's library-style wine collection while providing comfortable quarters for mid-day meetings over a glass of wine, drinks before dinner or convivial night-caps.
The southern wall behind the bar features plush banquette seating against a custom mural by local artist Emma Daisy, which depicts floral elements and birds along with an anonymous woman with a French bob and a wash of spray paint over her eyes, a technique often used to facilitate the viewer’s ability to project their own emotion or experience onto the artwork.
The beautiful bright back dining room showcases a wall of leather banquettes, cool green soft seating and standard bistro-style seating showcases modern red lighting amidst large swags of colorful flowers.
The room can be curtained off from the main dining area and modified to accommodate private parties.
C'est délicieux.
At the helm in the kitchen are seasoned industry veterans including Executive Chef Nick Aprahamian and Sous Chef Rosy Rodriguez.
On the menu, guests will find a plentiful list of shareable starters from cheese and charcuterie options to indulgent seafood platters and summery oysters mignonette, begging to be consumed with a glass of sparkling wine.
In between there are options like mussels frites (Prince Edward Island mussels steamed with white wine, butter, fine herbs, lemon and served with frites, $24); truffled goat cheese filled gougeres (pate a choux dough filled with Provence black summer truffle, whipped goat mascarpone, burnt honey butter and pistachio, $17); and indulgent escargot vol-au-vent featuring puff pastries stuffed with wine-braised Burgundy snails and Parisian butter, topped with a rich, earthy mushroom veloute ($17).
There are snacking platters like the “Ménage á Trois” with French artichoke spread, nicoise olive tapenade, whipped garlic boursin and served with a warm baguette ($16). But some appetizers register more as a light meal, like the sizeable duck turnover is filled with rich duck confit and served with citrus lentil and watercress salad, a cherry apricot gastrique and a waft of porcini dust ($19).
For those popping by for lunch, or who prefer a more casual meal, there are sandwiches served with frites and garlic aoili (or a petite salad for +$3).
Options include the Croque Margaux (jambon de Paris, mornay, dijon, gruyere, toast and a sunny egg, $19); grilled chicken with tarragon aioli, garlic tomato spread, cucumbers and pickled red onion ($19); the Royale Burger with Cheese featuring hand-pattied Angus beef, gruyere, shallot jam, bibb lettuce and cornichons on brioche ($19); or a steak sandwich featuring USDA Prime hangar steak and sauce foyot on toasted French bread with frites ($36).
Guests will also find substantial salads, including the classic nicoise (mesclun mix, french beans, confit fingerlings, tomato, nicoise olives, hard-boiled egg, red onion, mustard vinaigrette, $16), as well as a fresh spring asparagus salad with sugar snap peas, arugula, frisee, cucumbers, radishes and microgreens with a fresh, flavorful (but not assertive) mint dressing ($19).
Proteins, including tuna, salmon, shrimp or chicken can be added to any salad for an upcharge.
Seafood entrees include seared scallops with charred asparagus, sage beurre blanc and crumbled pancetta ($44); bouillabaisse (scallops, halibut, shrimp, mussels, shellfish tomato broth, provençal rouille and grilled baguette ($43); Ora King salmon with tomato vierge, braised lentils and asparagus ($49).
Meanwhile, halibut meunière showcases tender dredged Pacific halibut served with French green beans, lemon caper brown butter and toasted macadamia nuts ($54).
Prime hangar steak is served with frites, horseradish compound butter, and sauce foyot ($62), while filet au poivre features filet crusted with black peppercorns and served with gratin dauphinois and brandy peppercorn sauce ($54).
Additional options include organic airline chicken breast with Madeira mushroom sauce, pomme puree and herb pistou ($33); and earthy grilled trumpet mushrooms served with cherry reduction, herbed farro and a salad of watercress, fennel, orange, radish and pickled golden raisins ($20).
Desserts, overseen by Rodriguez, include vanilla bean crème brúlee with seasonal fruit ($12) and two- to three-bite mini éclairs filled with espresso crème and topped with hazelnut ganache and almonds ($12).
But if you’re splurging on dessert, you really must order the show-stopping fifteen-layer crepe cake featuring layers of thin French crepes and sweet cream glacage served with fresh berries and berry coulis ($12).
As the restaurant gets its stride, Eitel says they will launch a happy hour for guests as well as weekend brunch service beginning on Saturday, June 15. You can watch their social media @margauxbrasserie for details.
Reservations are accepted and can be made online at margauxbrasserie.com.
Margaux is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Beginning June 15, brunch will be served Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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