La Baguette Bistro

La Baguette Bistro has a family story behind its French vocabulary. Michel Buthion and his brother, chef Alain, grew up watching their father Jean work in a butcher’s shop in southern France. In Oklahoma City, they bought what was then a twelve-table coffee shop and gradually developed a restaurant where the bakery and the dining room remain parts of the same identity. The Eiffel Tower outside makes the affiliation visible; the more persuasive expression is the range of everyday and celebratory French cooking on the menu.

That range becomes clear in the sauces. Rainbow trout Grenobloise comes with capers, lemon, butter, parsley and croutons, while chicken-and-mushroom crêpes use a Chardonnay cream. Lamb persillade takes a Dijon, garlic and herb crust alongside ratatouille. These preparations give a diner useful reference points: a fish dish built around acidity, a creamy crêpe, or a roasted meat with herbs. Country pâté and foie gras torchon offer a different beginning, but the menu also accommodates sandwiches and substantial salads rather than prescribing one elaborate route through dinner.

The bakery connection is especially tangible in the croques and pastries. A croque-monsieur combines ham, Swiss cheese and béchamel; the croque-madame adds eggs. A vanilla Napoleon turns layered pastry and cream into a familiar French-style finish. This breadth makes La Baguette a sensible choice for companions who want different degrees of formality from the same meal. Its appeal lies in the continuity between a family kitchen, a bakery counter and a bistro table, with enough classic technique to reward a more deliberate dinner order.

Sources: La Baguette Bistro: contact, services and hours · La Baguette Bistro: the Buthion brothers’ history · La Baguette Bistro: brunch and dinner menus · La Baguette Bistro: Google Maps listing