L'assiette (CLOSED)

Jacques Fiorentino specializes in steak frites in a Melrose space that houses a hit for the first time in years. L’Assiette sports a red awning, features a long zinc bar and wood panel walls. Steak Frites ($25) centers on silky Nebraska-raised culotte, which is cooked sous-vide, finished on the grill and slathered in a French butter sauce with wine and herbs. Crispy frites are Kennebec potatoes prepared using an eight-step, 24-hour process that culminates with a bath in beef tallow. L’Assiette serves the first half of the steak and frites, but waits for your signal to serve the second half, to keep both elements hot. For special occasions, L’Assiette provides the option to order Rossini steak frites, named for Italian composer Gioacchino Antonio Rossini. This adds foie gras and shaved black truffles to the equation for an extra $30. No matter the meal, they start customers with complimentary bowls of sorrel soup seasoned with cream, crème fraîche and citrus.