“A coquette is like a recruiting sergeant, always on the lookout for fresh victims” – Douglas Jerrold

Located in Raleigh’s North Hills shopping area, Coquette Brasserie is a great French restaurant owned by Kevin and Stacey Jennings of the Urban Food Group. It is in the same location that was originally Savannah Restaurant and then South. I was sad to see South close (I had some of the best fried chicken ever there), but was excited see another restaurant from the Jennings, who also own Frazier’s Wine Bar and Porter’s City Tavern on Hillsborough Street as well as Vivace, also in North Hills.

I have enjoyed many a lunch and dinner at Coquette, and one of my favorites is the steak frites ($19.00 at dinner.) This is a hangar steak that comes with your choice of maitre’d butter, bordelaise or brandy peppercorn sauces. All three are great, but I especially like the bordelaise. The frites are tasty – very thin and crispy. Other favorites include the onion soup gratinee, quiche Lorraine, beets and Roquefort salad, escargots, Parisian gnocchi and the hamburger, which is freshly ground steak so it can be cooked to order.

I recently had Sunday brunch at Coquette and was thrilled to see that they serve a “bottomless” mimosa for $10.00 after noon. Oui, oui! Yes, bottomless, yes $10.00. It is mixed with Simonet NV Cremant de Loire sparkling wine and orange juice that is quite good and pulpy. I love mimosas, so finding a bottomless one for 10 bucks could be dangerous!

With the mimosa I ordered the spinach and chevre quiche ($8.00). It was excellent – light and creamy, and perfectly seasoned. If anything, it could have used a tad more spinach, but I would definitely order this again. It came with a basket of assorted breads and soft butter, and a mesclun greens salad with shallots and champagne vinaigrette dressing.

My server was great and attentive, but not a hoverer. My bottomless mimosa never ran out, need I say more? Coquette has a nice French wine list, many which are available by the glass. Since Brad knows so much more about French varietals after taking a wine class years ago, I always depend on him to order something good. Bottles start in the high $20-range, and go up. Glasses run from $6.00 to $13.00. And of course, do not forget about the $10.00 bottomless mimosa on Sundays!

Bon appétit!