A frigid Mile High night on the cusp of the new year, with the snow creaking underfoot. Breathing involves a choice: Inhale via your nose and sting your nostrils, or through your mouth and feel your teeth ache. Stay out too long, and you worry that body parts will start falling off.
This is an evening for robust red wine. Brandy weather for folks who don’t like even brandy. Bring on the St. Bernard, even if that mythic keg around its neck is just that.
Which makes walking through the door at Amass, into the glow of the interior, such a welcome respite.
Chef-owner Joe Troupe opened his French bistro in mid-September in the former Corner House space. It sits across from Jefferson Park at 2240 Clay St., on the ground floor of a newish condo building and within sight of .
It is already attracting regulars, thanks to a friendly staff that knows the menu and a kitchen that knows how to execute it.
The room is dimly lit, with warm wood tones; one wall is covered in a flocked maroon wallpaper. The furniture is substantial. At a table next to ours, a rangy guy marveled, “This chair weighs more than I do.” (Don’t expect Edith Piaf on the sound system, though. On one recent evening in this acoustically live room, it was Lou Reed and the Velvets unloading on “Rock & Roll.”)
There is a cozy bar and a smartly edited wine list. Cocktails do not play second fiddle here, and unlike their Parisian counterparts, drinking a couple of them doesn’t kill the day’s budget. Specialty cocktails go for $8 a pop. Try the rye cocktail with , lemon, maple, bitters and burnt orange — yumminess for grown-ups.
A shallow fondue-like dish made for a warming starter. Melted , a cow’s-milk cheese from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, was mixed with chorizo and run under a broiler. It arrived with buttery toasted bread, and we ate and spoke of how well it would work tucked into an omelet or crêpe.
Somewhat less successful was a mushroom bisque topped with rosemary breadcrumbs. The execution was something of a conundrum: While deeply flavorful, it was puréed almost to a fault — more sauce than soup. It would benefit from some identifiable mushroom bits and perhaps a lighter, brothier texture. Still, there was no denying the delightful intensity of the mushroom flavor.
A salad of haricots verts was a welcome dose of the garden on a night when the temperature was already subzero and dropping. Bright blanched green beans were mixed with greens, crispy potatoes, sliced fennel and tossed with a creamy dill dressing. With all the deep, dark winter flavors on the menu, particularly among the entrées, it was a bright complement.
Another fine use of produce was an apple salad mixing Brussels sprouts, blue cheese and candied walnuts.
Francophiles take note: Yes, there’s a French onion soup with a hearty beef broth and a generous topping of Gruyere.
Entrees on this seasonallydriven menu are winners.
Troupe, who has worked at in Boulder and at in Denver, has made an interesting choice.
The kitchen he shares with fellow chef Josh Stone is a small one, and on his current menu all his proteins except the salmon are cooked sous vide — no ovens required. This is a low-and-slow method where food is sealed in plastic bags and cooked in immersion baths. It intensifies flavors and makes for impossibly tender meats.
Case in point: Amass’ take on the boeuf Bourguignon, the classic French stew.
This version was made with beef short ribs cooked for 24 hours. The chunks were fork- tender. Believe me, I tested this: I’ve had warm sticks of butter put up more resistance to a fork than the beef here. The entrée came with potato pureé, a pair of whole mini-carrots and translucent pearl onion.
Duck breast got a similar treatment. Filets of medium-rare duck came with a wild mushroom risotto that was almost hand-to-the-forehead in its creaminess. It was topped with a sauce Périgueux, a rich brown concoction flavored with Madeira and truffles.
Not quite four months out of the gate, Troupe and Co. are off to a great start. This is an engaged and engaging crew.
In the depths of winter, I am already anticipating what these gents will do with summer fare.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
AMASS
French Bistro. 2240 Clay St. 720-287-1895, amassdenver.com
*** Great
Atmosphere: A mix of sleek and homey.
Service: Smart, friendly, accommodating
Beverages: Beer, wine, cocktails
Plates: Small plates, $5-$12; soups and salads, $7-$14; entrees, $16-$25
Hours: Dinner: Tuesday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Brunch: Saturday-Sunday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Details: Street parking. Wheelchair access. Gluten-free menu available.
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
