Why Every French Bistro Needs a Great Steak Frites

Steak frites is more than a classic French dish, it's a cornerstone of the neighborhood bistro. Simple in concept, yet endlessly satisfying, it's the kind of meal that brings people together over great food, a bottle of wine, and an unhurried evening.

When we opened Bernadette, we knew our version would look a little different. Rather than offering a single steak year-round, we introduced The Butcher's Cut as a Wednesday night feature, a rotating selection inspired by the French tradition of steak frites. Each week, Chef chose the cut that was eating best, pairing it with crisp pommes frites and a sauce designed to complement its character.

It didn't take long for guests to start asking the same question:

"Can we get the Butcher's Cut on other nights?"

Eventually, Wednesday wasn't enough. Today, The Butcher's Cut is available every evening at Bernadette, but the philosophy behind it hasn't changed. The name itself comes from an old butcher's tradition. Rather than keeping only the most expensive cuts, butchers often reserved the steaks they believed offered the best flavor - cuts like bavette, hanger, strip, or flat iron. They understood that careful sourcing and thoughtful preparation mattered more than prestige.

That's the idea behind our Butcher's Cut.

Instead of serving the same steak every day of the year, we let the season and our purveyors guide the selection. The cut may change, but every plate is served in the spirit of a classic French steak frites - beautifully cooked beef, crisp pommes frites, and the simple pleasure of sharing a meal in a neighborhood bistro.

It's become one of Bernadette's signature dishes, not because we planned it that way, but because our guests did.