Très Bien! Broad Street Bistro Mes Reves Worth the Wait

I’m sitting in the comfortable waiting area of three-month-old Mes Reves restaurant. My back is to the front window and busy Broad Street, and that’s good because far more fascinating are Quang and Tammie Tran, owners of the first French restaurant in Bloomfield.

And it’s their first go at restaurant ownership as well.

“Valentine’s Day was busy. Wow, what an experience!” said Executive Chef Quang.

Was it their busiest day thus far?

“The third Saturday (Feb. 26),” says Tammie. “We had 40 reservations and 20 walk-ins.”

You have to love when people take a chance. The Trans both worked in New York City, met through their jobs in the clothing industry, and used to frequently dine in the city.

“We wanted to bring a piece of the city here,” said Quang, and they have - a SoHo-esque, casual atmosphere alive on the corner of Baldwin and Broad Streets. “It’s a nice BYO (bring your own beverage) where you can sit and relax.”

The duo is no stranger to the culinary field. Tammie’s aunt and uncle own a Manhattan restaurant, and Quang, who is Vietnamese, was raised with French-influenced cuisine. His paternal grandfather specializes in French fusion food at a Saigon restaurant called - of all things - London, and his dad is a chef in Toronto.

For the Nutley couple, Bloomfield was the perfect choice.

“The location,” said Quang, “is good for customers coming from Montclair and Glen Ridge which is right up the road, but also for Nutley and Belleville. Ninety percent of our customers right now are neighborhood people. We’d love to become their local bistro.”

It took the Trans almost three years to open Mes Reves (hence the "FINALLY WE'RE OPEN" sign in their front window), but truth be told, they’d been planning the restaurant for much longer.

“One spot that inspired me was Jean Claude, a tiny restaurant of 25 seats,” said Quang of the eatery he and Tammie often frequented in New York City. “It was the intimacy. Every time I was there, I envisioned what my restaurant would look like – it was a like a guiding light.”

And he took notes. All the dishes on the Mes Reves menu are ones the couple has enjoyed at other restaurants, but with their own special spin and love. The most popular appetizer is the seared sea scallop with tomato concasse, shiitake, and fried leeks in a saffron cream sauce, with the entrees headed by pan-seared duck breast served with wild rice and grilled endive in a port demi sauce.

The limited menu doesn’t knock you out with choices, but does have some very nice appetizer options and entrées including cornish hen, pork tenderloin, steak frites  au poivre, lamb, salmon and more. Mes Reves also offers a special pre-fixe menu Monday through Thursday from 4:45 to 6:30 p.m. - your choice of appetizer, entrée and dessert for $30.

Mes Reves is a comfortable place. There is soft lighting throughout, and an original brick wall is paired with new pine woodwork along the Baldwin Street side, with sound proof boards dropped a few feet from the ceiling and running along center of the room, front to back.

I ask Quang what he’s like in the kitchen, where he teams up with Samantha Guarino, Michael Albano and Louise Tapael.

“No matter how good we are, there is always someone better," he said. "And it’s stressful enough back there; there’s no need for yelling. I tell my staff to brush off any mistakes and get the ticket out.”

As for the Trans’ first business experience opening a restaurant together?

“There are,” said Tammie, laughing, “moments of excitement.”

“Every day is still new for us," said Quang, looking at his wife. “I love her.”

Mes Reves
407 Broad St.
973-429-4888
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 5-9 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5-10 p.m.; Sun. closed www.mesrevesnj.com