Julia Child-inspired French Bistro opens today near Ann Arbor

James Beard-award winning chef Alex Young opens his new Julia Child-inspired French Bistro just outside of Ann Arbor today.

As we previously noted in our preview of the restaurant, The Standard Bistro & Larder, Young's new project is especially exciting because there's a dearth of quality French cooking in southeast Michigan and James Beard-caliber chefs. Put the two together and you have a new restaurant worth looking into. 

Young previously told us his aim is to highlight France's regional diversity, which means dishes ranging from the classic pot-au-feu (carrot, rutabaga, and parsnip) to mussels frites (pan roasted mussels, merguez, roasted tomato, white beans, and pommes frites) to saffron emmer pappardelle (watercress pesto, tomato concasse, and farm cheese).

Young says Standard's focus will also be on dry-aged meats and in-house, artisanal butchery, as well as handmade pasta made fresh daily with stone-milled semolina or farro.

Standard's Saturday and Sunday brunch menu offers dishes like corn soufflé (chive, soft scrambled egg, bacon, and toast), porchetta omelette (ricotta, sprouts, potato, and toast), and duck confit crepe (Taleggio cheese, caramelized onion, and radish sprout.)
"One of the things that I appreciate about French cuisine is that it's so varied. It's not just crépes and cream sauce, so this gives us a chance to cruise around the country, and gives us something to play with," Young previously told Metro Times.

Bread will be baked fresh several times daily and pastries made in house. Dinners run between $21 and $40, while lunch items will cost between $12 and $20.

Expect a 1930s Parisian bistro vibe in the roughly 4,500-square-foot, 118-seat space. When customers enter, they'll walk through the larder amid shelves stocked with meats from the butcher, freshly made pasta, goods from the bakery, and other pre-made items.

Young won a James Beard award for Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region while working at Zingerman's Roadhouse in 2011.

Standard is in the former Creekside Grill restaurant in Scio Township at 5827 Jackson Rd.

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