Bernadette
A burger people are lining up for.
“On Friday and Saturday nights, we'll see a line starting to form around 4:45, for this burger.”
French fries you’ll want to feast on from start to finish.
“Pomme frites needs to be hand cut needs to be made every day, and they need to come out crispy.”
And lobster so luxurious, it’s topped with caviar.
“It this super salty, briny, luxurious taste.”
It seems fancy French fare has become familiar at Bernadette.
Set in beautiful downtown Salem, Massachusetts, Bernadette is a stunning spot serving exquisite French fare without all the fuss, bringing an elevated but approachable experience to the suburbs. Owners Shanna and Aaron Chambers are the charismatic couple behind Bernadette- and they named the restaurant as an homage to their mothers.
"A lot of the things that we do every day, we draw back to our moms and how they raised us. So the French translation is brave as a bear. So our icon is really this very femme floral bear that we really draw a lot of that inspiration from our mothers.”
You’ll find all of those bear accents throughout the comfortable space no matter where you're seated.
“What we really wanted to create with this space is something that feels super welcoming, that's soft, that's inviting. So we really want from the moment you walk into the door, until the time that you leave, to feel like you're part of the family.”
Back in the kitchen, Aaron is executing a menu created with years of dedication to French fare, working in Michelin star restaurants including a decade spent cooking for Chef Daniel Boulud.
“I got blown away by how precise the food was how clear the flavors were in the food. And I kind of got sucked into French cuisine. So we went with the approachable French menu. We try to showcase local cuisine, local flavors. We get more playful with the traditional French things we do like we kind of get out there and we play for a little bit.”
Once you’ve selected one of Bernadette’s carefully crafted cocktails, it’s time to feast on some food- and nothing fits the bill better than the Barbajuan; a fried ravioli by way of Monaco.
“It's piped with ricotta. We also add pea shoots. There's about six to seven in an order. So they're really just something fun to kind of pop in your mouth.”
Bernadette also offers that fantastic Alsacian flatbread, Tarte Flambee.
“So it's a very, very thin and crispy flatbread We do creme fraiche on top beautiful Vidalia onions some house made pancetta. It's really, really crispy and kind of like crunchy, delicate texture.”
A side which eats more like an app are the pomme frites.
“Our guests never think that they can finish it, because it's kind of an overflowing portion of the bowl. But every time we go back to the table, you might see one or two fries left. This is also a dish that sometimes we leave on the table through dessert for those that are kind of having that salty, sweet bite.”
But before you get to dessert, you’ll want to keep those fries on hand for the Marshall Cove Mussels, because this herby broth is so dippable, you’re going to need them. And for Shanna there’s only one way to eat them.
“The way that I always love to eat them too, is to kind of take your first mussel and then use the mussel shell to grab out the plump muscle from the others. You get this beautiful sauce on the bottom can kind of just dip in and finish the bowl.”
And the fresh shellfish offerings continue through the entree section of the menu, with the artfully plated Fruits de Mer.
“We've got local lobster coming out of Marblehead, then we're making a fresh made spaghetti that we put saffron lemon oil inside. A lot of guests, love to put the caviar on the lobster dish. And it kind of creates these little, little, cute pearls inside the pasta. It's delicious.”
For a handheld that will have your tastebuds singing, order the Lady Marmalade Burger. Only available at the bar, this juicy burger is topped with braised short rib, caramelized onion compote, melty comte cheese, and dijonnaise.
“You get a beautifully seasoned patty, some of the sweetness from the shallot compote, a little bit of art spice from the dijonaise. And it's.. beautiful on its own, or to share with a friend.”
Back in the dining room, you need to try the perfectly moist Pork Chop- beautifully seared on the outside and tender in the center. The Crispy yet juicy roasted half chicken. Or a New York Strip- served with a creamy au poivre sauce.
“We give it a nice sear in the pan, and then we baste in butter with garlic and thyme and bay leaf and then we have a house made sauce au poivre, green peppercorns, brown butter, cream and some of the beef jus that we make out of the beef trim. I love it.
And while there are many ways to end your meal, the sweet and shareable Madelines are always a must.
“They are kind of like a small, soft cookie, or even kind of a small, soft cake, and they're topless and powdered sugar. And these are another thing to share and pop in your mouth and enjoy.
And for Shanna and Aaron, providing hospitality like only a mother can is what makes Bernadette worth all the effort.
“I'm here either greeting. You can always see Aaron cooking in the kitchen. So it's something really important for us that people feel like they're part of the family the minute they walk through their door, through their dining experience with us."
