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The Basics: Sandrine's Bistro restaurant information

Sandrine's Bistro

8 Holyoke St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-497-5300

Sandrine's Bistro restaurant information
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In 1996, chef Raymond Ost and partner Gwen Trost opened what they hoped would be an unpretentious but memorable bistro in the heart of Harvard Square. Named for Ost’s daughter, Sandrine’s seeks to deliver an atmosphere reminiscent of Alsace along with a menu that does culinary justice to this region of France.

From outside, Sandrine’s resembles an Art Nouveau-era Paris Metro station; inside mosaics of yellow, cobalt blue and green iridescent glass – the colors of Alsatian wine bottles. Behind the copper-covered bar is a special oven designed to cook the restaurant’s signature dish, flammekueche, to perfection.

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Raymond Ost

Chef at Sandrine's Bistro

Chef Raymond Ost at Sandrine's Bistro

Ost brings international flair to Harvard Square as chef of one of the area's most unique and respected restaurants. Ost's career in French cooking spans more than 35 years, so patrons can expect food with confidence, finesse and flavor, and that is exactly what he delivers, night after night.

Born in the Alsatian town of Strasbourg, on the French-German border, Ost learned to cook at his mother's side, and began pursuing a career in the food industry while still in his teens. He cooked fulltime while earning a degree from the Ecole Hoteliere, and never looked back.

In 1977, Ost was recruited by Le Meridien Hotels and was posted in kitchens from Martinique to Abu Dabai to San Francisco. In 1988, he was named Executive Chef of Le Meridien Boston, where he oversaw its award-wining Julien rstaurant, as well as a cafe and catering/pastry operations. He thrived on the responsibility and managed an annual budget of $10M.

During his tenure, the hotel and Ost received many national accolades, but the opportunity to own his own bistro called to him. Sandrine's, named for Ost's daughter, opened to much acclaim in 1996, and Ost remains an amiable and omnipresent figure in his charming Holyoke Street empire.

He was recently awarded a chevalier medal in the Order of the Merite Agricole, the equivalent of a French knighthood.

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Dictionary
 
Brioche
1. noun A soft, yeasty French bread enriched with butter and eggs.
Charcuterie
1. noun The French term for delicatessen-style items.
Choucroute
1. noun French-style sauerkraut, cooked with goose fat, onions, white wine, and juniper berries or caraway seeds.
Cornichons
1. noun A gherkin in France.
Coulis
1. noun A thick puree or sauce.
Entrecote
1. noun French term for the tender steak cut from between the ninth and eleventh ribs of beef.
Flageolets
1. noun Munchkin kidney beans from France.
Foie gras
1. noun Expensive, silk-textured goose or duck liver that has been enlarged by a process you don't want to read about if you're going to eat this dish.
Ganache
1. noun A rich mixture of chocolate and crème fraîche frequently used as a filling for cakes.
Gourmand
1. noun A person who appreciates eating and drinking, sometimes to excess.
Gratin
1. noun Any dish covered with cheese or buttered breadcrumbs and baked or broiled.
Jus
1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
Mirepoix
1. noun A combination of diced carrots, onions, celery and herbs cooked in butter; used to flavor a wide range of dishes.
Pâté
1. noun Ground meat, fish or vegetables blended with fat and seasonings; can be smooth or chunky, served cold or hot.
Pâte
1. noun French for dough, paste or batter.
Pilaf
1. noun A seasoned rice or other grain dish in which the rice is sautéed before the liquid and other ingredients are added.
Poivre
1. noun French for "pepper."
Prix fixe
1. noun French for fixed price, a complete meal that features a limited number of selections at a preset price.
Risotto
1. noun Italian dish made from rice cooked by intermittently adding small amounts of stock or broth. Other ingredients are added as required.
Shank
1. noun The front leg of beef, pork, veal or lamb. Often a very tough cut of meat, the shank requires slow-cooking methods like braising.
Terrine
1. noun An earthenware container, or the dish cooked therein.