When I noticed a new French restaurant had "Sylvie" in its name, I wondered if the proprietor knew that the French name (and its owner) had a long and respected culinary history in this town. But when I visited the eatery, I discovered that the new Sylvie is the original Sylvie, this time joined by her son, Richard Millet, who's been in Germany for the past 15 years running a nightclub. Sylvie Routier, whose last restaurant closed in 1998 (it was on Main Street and was preceded by places in Gulf Gate and Osprey Avenue) has come out of retirement to help establish Chez Sylvie et Fils in a tiny storefront in a strip shopping mall.

The menu is French bistro, with many of the recipes that were the stock and trade of the other Sylvie restaurants. The snapper bound in parchment paper and cut open tableside has been on Sylvie's menus for 25 years and is still prepared to perfection, the tender fish gently enlivened with leeks, carrots, rosemary, white wine, spinach and fresh fennel. A whole roasted chicken with herbs and garlic will feed four, and there's a satisfying grilled beef with herbes de Provence and fresh thyme that is first rate. The average entrée price is about $20.

Mother and son are dedicated to organic fruits, vegetables and dairy products, organic small-production French wines, wild fish, and meats from free-ranging steer and chickens. And either by instinct or by considered strategy, they seem to have adopted the table rules of the world's oldest gastronomic society, La Chaine des Rotisseurs: no salt and pepper on the table, no water, no bread, no butter. Of course, you can request these accessories, and bread does comes with the pâté, but I'd advise going with the spirit of Sylvie and resisting what's not offered. Without salt and bread you tend to concentrate more fully on the taste of the food you're served.

The pâtés are exemplary, the crowd pleaser being the Forestier with the pungent taste of wild mushrooms and the sweet tang of Madeira ($9.99). Other starters include a large artichoke with homemade vinaigrette, salmon caviar or poached leeks served with eggs mimosa. Sylvie likes soup, too, so as an appetizer you might want to select a velvety leek and potato mélange, watercress soup, fish soup with saffron or a hearty all-vegetable soup. The kitchen also has several all-vegetable dishes it can prepare.

The breakfast menu features several omelettes and crêpe presentations as well as Belgian waffles. For lunch there are sandwiches and salads. For desserts, look for crème brûlée and sorbets. More exciting is the cheese board or the crêpe flambé. And the chocolate mousse, a house specialty, is made without cream. It's so airy it's like foam, cloud-light but full of deep chocolate flavor ($8.95).

Sylvie and Richard use their extensive sources to maintain a spirits menu that is adventurous, full of obscure organic boutique French wines and a surprising array of imported craft beers. Guests wanting to experiment can have a grand time with the wine and beer list while staying in the $30 range for wines and about $5 for a big glass of beer. The wine menu is educational, too, full of maps, descriptions of grape regions and explanations about certain vintages

While the restaurant is intimate right now, Richard plans to expand into the area next door. He envisions an art gallery, wine bar and live jazz hangout. Chez Sylvie et Fils intends to be more than a bistro with delicious food and friendly service. It's off to a successful start because the heart of the enterprise is already a gastronomic winner.

Chez Sylvie et Fils

2881 Clark Road (Merchants Pointe Plaza), Sarasota
(941) 923-9020
Reservations accepted
Lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Breakfast and lunch Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Closed Monday.
Credit cards
Parking in mall lot
Wheelchair accessible