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By Christine Fillat | Photography by Peter Miles
Since Flamant came onto the Annapolis dining scene in 2017, it has been a foodie mainstay. With a thoughtful menu from Chef Frederik De Pue, the restaurant’s popularity is well known throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The menu changes seasonally and the selections are limited (there are just 16 items on the menu). Not only is the food ambitious, the restaurant itself is a very comfortable place to spend some time. This is De Pue’s baby. With architectural design by David Mills of The Drawing Board, this West Annapolis cottage (which, in a previous life, was children’s clothing store, The Giant Peach) features a central kitchen with a live-action window onto the chef’s activity. A dining room addition, opened in June of 2018, adds needed table space and elbow room for patrons. A fireplace warms the bright room, with its high ceilings and pared down Northern European decor.
There’s a lot of pride here. Every detail is carefully considered, from the tile on the floor to the color of the rooms and the artwork on the walls. De Pue makes his own vinegars, dehydrates herbs, and pickles fruits and vegetables. These personal touches show De Pue’s devotion to exquisite flavor and impeccable design.
A visit to Flamant is similar to detecting a mystery story. What you’re eating is not always explained in the menu. For someone who eats everything, this is not a problem. At Flamant, the surprise element is alive and well.
Take for example the lowly chicken liver. De Pue makes a Chicken Liver Tartine that is creamy and delicious. It is very rich, served up with toast sticks, greens, and house-pickled figs. One imagines coming here and having the tartine and a glass of some lovely wine and calling it a day. It is a perfect thing.
The Frisée Salad, Neuski Bacon is quite beautiful to look at, with its curly greens, sunny egg, and bacon. But what are the fried balls on the salad? Crispy fried on the outside, creamy on the inside, with a rich delicate flavor. “What could it be,” we ask to the server. He doesn’t know. Perhaps it is brie, he offers. He says he calls them hush puppies. They do resemble hush puppies, but the flavor is completely different. A quick trip back to the kitchen, he returns with the information that the balls are called Panisse and are made of ground cauliflower, filled with heavy cream, baked and then deep fried. A very curious and delicious concoction. We like the combination of tangy greens, delicate egg, salty bacon and cauliflower cream balls. The flavor combinations and textures are winning, and there is the surprise element of a mystery ingredient. We are in a creative chef’s milieu.
The Steak with Belgian Fries is a generous, perfectly grilled medium rare hunk of a hangar steak served with spinach, fries, and a garlic butter sauce for dipping. There is house-made catsup, mustard and green sauce made with gin. The meat is very good. The spinach is garlicy. The fries are warm, but we would have preferred them hot out of the frier.
The PEI Mussels are a bit of a disappointment. Considering mussels with fries are a popular dish in De Pue’s native Brussels, these bivalves are underwhelming. The mussels themselves are small. They come to the table with a skimpy (but tasty) serving of a white wine mustard jus and leek sauce. The mussels and fries are warm. If only they were hot! And with a bit more sauce. Then they would be perfect.
Had we had room for dessert, we would have ordered the Caramelized Banana Donut to have with our pot of French Press Coffee. If only lunch were longer. The fireplace and cozy blankets beckon.
Flamant is the best kind of restaurant for Annapolis. The food is very good, with unexpected surprises. We have had many superb meals here. Frederik De Pue has an earnest joy for a beautiful plate of food. A lot of love goes into this place.
FLAMANT: 17 Annapolis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 | flamantmd.com | 410.267.0274
HOURS: Tues–Fri, 11:30 AM–2:00 PM & 4:30 PM–10:00 PM | Sat, 4:30 PM–10:00 PM | Sun–Mon, Closed
Christine Fillat lives on the Magothy River and is an aficionado of Chesapeake Bay cooking and living.
Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 10, No. 3 2019