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If You Go La Coop Bistro à Víns, 732 E. Market St., 410-2888. Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. in France, especially outside Paris, the idea of "bistro" is becoming more fluid. (A nearby village sports one that proudly offers a "Ham- burger Americaine.") La Coop's executive chef, Bobby Benja- min, gave me a pretty fair definition of "bis- tro" in our recent phone conversation, saying, "To me, a French bistro is fast food for people who like to eat good food." Benjamin, for- merly chef de cuisine at the Seelbach Hotel's Oakroom, said he tries to make sure every- thing on the menu "speaks French," adding that he's open to "some modern techniques that let the bistro move forward." I doubt many new techniques made their way into my last serving of steak frites ($20) there, but then again, modernization wasn't needed. Simply seared, superbly medium- rare hanger steak slices shared their flavorful juices with wonderfully crisp, parsley-flecked, Gruyère cheese-dusted French fries in a tra- ditional combination that is supremely satis- fying. A salad with bourbon-candied pecans ($6) didn't really need the novelty addition of blue-cheese ice cream, though it did add a delightful tang. For a lunch special ($12), a crunchy pastry crust drizzled with balsamic vinegar held a selection of slowly cooked car- rots, eggplant and more, along with some ro- bust, runny cheese. Te concrete ceiling at La Coop, located on the ground floor of the Green Building (site of the former 732 Social), can mean noisy eating inside the crowded dining room. Te new occupants have tried to ease the acoustical burden with padded chairs, cage- enclosed lights, padded banquettes, wasp- waisted draperies and other Frenchy decor, but the sound still bounces. Tere's still a nice view of the open kitchen, and playful touches abound, as with a starter of cheese beignets ($8) that arrived in a miniature fryer basket, the brown puffs of cheesy dough graced with a sweet tomato jam. As with any self-respect- ing French-inclined establishment, La Coop offers a large selection of alcoholic beverages, from apéritifs to spiritueux (spirits), including an herb-infused vin maison ($8 for red, white or rosé, with flavors varying by the day) that makes a nice start to your Gallic repast. La Coop divides its menu into entrées, plats, garnitures, fruit de mer and charcuterie. (Tat's appetizers, main dishes, sides, seafood and cured meats, for those whose French, like mine, is n'est pas formidable.) I really en- joyed a salad with bacon and poached egg ($7) — the egg, barely coagulated, oozed de- lightfully into the pea tendrils, frisée lettuce, diced bacon and crunchy croutons, adding a layer of creaminess to the tangy vinaigrette. Te chicken with wine ($16) presented wine- darkened and tender braised chicken legs and thighs in a rich sauce enlivened with lemon zest. Beef short ribs ($20) were sublimely soft, their brown sauce dripping into some surrounding seasoned grits. Te bourbon-laced pecans, grits and other Southern touches were important to Benja- min when partners Brett Davis, Chip Hamm, and brothers Steven and Michael Ton asked him to help open La Coop. "When we started talking about this bistro I said I wanted to do it with a Southern twist," Benjamin says. "I would like people to come to Kentucky and say, 'We have to go to this French bistro,' but still get a taste of Kentucky." You'll not only find standard French des- serts ($7) like pot de crème (chocolate cream pudding) and apple tart with ice cream, but also banana pudding with bourbon maple syrup and bourbon-barrel ice cream. I may have to try the pudding on my next trip to La Coop, as I've found desserts to be the most disappointing part of my meals there so far. (Or I may simply have some cheese, a selec- tion of which is available for $5.) I enjoyed the sea salt caramel ice cream on my apple tart, but thought the puff pastry and baked apple were only satisfactory. A crème brûlée was luscious, but the caramelized surface of the creamy custard was hidden under what was an unnecessary ball of whipped cream. I will leave the answer to La Coop's authen- ticity to the "immortals" of the L'Académie française — august (and very, very angry at franglais constructions like "le weekend") folks who are responsible for deciding what is truly French. I will simply say that, in ad- dition to France, I very much enjoy La Coop — and I'm happy that I can at least visit one of them more than once a year. Speaking French (from top): a salad with bourbon-candied pecans and blue-cheese "ice cream"; escargot; classic coq au vin with salt pork; and hanger steak frites. 11.12 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE [145]