PRB Boulangerie, the French cafe where long cherished Bergamot used to be, has been repurposed by management and is now Café Saint Germain. For fans of the bakery there’s more of what you loved, including an expanded morning and midday menu and new dinner menu.
The old glass PRB display case is now by the entryway, and the old Bergamot bar at the back of the establishment has thankfully been resurrected for public use. With an array of tables and tile work, the vibe is warm and perfect for coffee and a croissant in the morning, a crock of French onion soup and baguette for lunch and the grand coq au vin for dinner. PRB Boulangerie’s to-go meals, such as coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon, are featured on the dinner menu alongside steak frites and a burger with Swiss cheese and caramelized onions. A three-course prix fixe option for $45 gets you an asparagus and burrata salad or escargot appetizer, coq au vin or black truffle rigatoni entree and one huge serving of rich chocolate mousse adorned with fresh fruit and a decent dollop of crème fraîche, all with a wine pairing option.
I was enticed by the burrata appetizer, which surprisingly had very little asparagus; shavings of al dente roasted spears adorn the plate instead of being a feature ingredient. Mind you, this was not a point of failure; the ample bulb of bufala was creamy, rich and smooth, with a winter citrus yogurt and sesame vinaigrette adding a sharp yet unobtrusive accent. The shelled snails nestled in cubbies of garlic butter with puff pastry crowns checked the box too, but the burrata was unmissable. The rich and creamy truffle rigatoni comes with a peppery oyster mushroom sauce that sticks to your ribs. The coq au vin doesn’t come in a viscous wine sauce, as the dish typically does, but here is a meaty and thick gravy with the same good result: The flavor-infused chicken falls off the bone, and the accompanying roasted potatoes are permeated with the essence of the winey stew juices. Also worth mentioning is the traditional French onion soup (not part of the set menu, but on the appetizer slate daily), hearty and filling in a crock with golden broiled Gruyère.
My server told me that the the sandwich version of the coq au vin was the dish to try, and they were not wrong. It was juicy and lean, like pulled pork, on a doughy white baguette with Comté cheese (similar to Gruyère or Emmental) and caramelized onion, a filling and flavorful knockout. That same baguette is used for the café menu’s ham, cheese and butter sandwich with pickles, a change from the previously used classic hard-crust baguette. (So little time and so many baguettes, who knew?)
Saint Germain makes its own butter that’s smooth, creamy and densely rich (like so many of its dishes) and absolutely addictive with the French bread that comes with a meal. Adding salt takes it to another level. The croissants, especially the chocolate ones, are also pretty special, like the chocolate croissant filled with sweet vanilla cream.
Café Saint Germain, 118 Beacon St., Ward 2, Somerville
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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