"A Bistro that Does Grand-Mère Proud "  "At Bistro Rollin on a blustery November night, I put the “roasted half chicken grand-mère” to the test. If you’re going to reference someone’s grandmother on the menu, the hen in question had better be delicious. Golden skinned and rosy hued, surrounded by adorable button mushrooms and pearl onions, perfumed with smoky bacon, this was the chicken I only wish my grandmother had had the wherewithal to make. French bistro food is deceptively simple, and too often it flirts with parody rather than embodying something more authentic. Not here. Manny Lozano, the chef at Bistro Rollin, has a sure touch with the genre (he was formerly the sous-chef at L’Absinthe, in Manhattan). His food has city knowingness and country underpinnings: one foot in Paris, one in the provinces. His frisée salad, a bistro standard, is a sophisticated, swirling nest accented with chunky bacon lardons, a soft egg trembling on top. It makes a pretty picture, but is also enormously satisfying to eat. His onion soup gratinée is no pale approximation of the classic at Les Halles that traditionally nourished truck drivers in the wee hours; it is the real deal — rich, dense and oniony, with a thick layer of melted Gruyère and Emmenthal. A bowl of the onion soup and a glass of full-bodied Côtes du Rhône (2006 M. Chapoutier Belleruche, $8) is the sort of simple repast that can turn accidental diners into loyal regulars."

Rating-  Worth It

Link for Full Review:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/nyregion/22dinewe.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

Bistro Rollin Review :  A welcoming neighborhood eatery you’ll want to return to

It is the right time for a restaurant like Bistro Rollin. Aren’t we all craving a warm and welcoming neighborhood place with familiar but urbane food, priced high enough to make us appreciate it and low enough that we can visit often enough to be remembered when we walk in?....As it turned out, the appetizers were worth the wait. Buttery, garlicky escargots were served in pools of the rich, Pernod-napped sauce—pools that made perfect little dipping cups for bread once the meaty little critters had been downed. At the opposite end of the spectrum was the equally delicious, appropriately spare tuna tartare. This dish, made poorly at far too many restaurants, owes its survival to renditions like this one. Cleanly cut and (thankfully!) sinew-free, diced tuna melded with a sprinkling of capers and a splash of sherry vinegar in harmonic balance....Moules frites is served with a choice of Provençal, white wine, or curry broth: we loved the plump, tender mussels in Provençal broth and were thrilled by the cone of crisp fries served with horseradish mayonnaise. Those same crisp, generously salted fries were served with perfectly cooked, robustly flavorful hanger steak."

Rating-  Three Stars-Very Good

Link:  http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/December-2009/Bistro-Rollin-Review/

 

Westchester Magazine - February 2010  "20 New Fabulous Restaurants in Westchester"

Classic bistro fare greets pilgrims to this Pelham newcomer, which is decorated by thickets of potted herbs and swathed in cozy, dark paneling. You’ll find all of your Gallic favorites here, including deep bowls of winey moules-frites—though burgers and steaks wait for those with less-than-Francophilic taste.

Mais bien sur. At a French bistro, e.g., Bistro Rollin, go for that classic dish, steak with peppercorns and—what else—frites.

 

 

Top dishes are Bistro Rollin’s well-balanced frisée salad, where a soft poached egg combines with vinaigrette for the perfect dressing—though its bacon lardons clearly help (and crisp, tiny croutons never hurt). Also great is a silken tuna tartare, where the satiny fish is punctuated by sparkling capers and sherry vinega