Franck's Restaurant

He said:

What kind of restaurant is Franck’s Restaurant? I see that it has won awards including “Best French Restaurant,” but it doesn’t seem very French to me. Their website says that they are “French at heart, with a contemporary and original twist.” They also style themselves as a fusion restaurant (“modern fusion cuisine with a contemporary twist”), incorporating flavors from around the world. Maybe it’s hard to pin down because it changes every week, and possibly even every night. Apparently, the chef doesn’t keep or even use any recipes in the kitchen, instead creating an ever-changing menu based on the freshest available ingredients and the “mood in the restaurant.”

The restaurant’s waiting area sits in front of an open pass-through to the kitchen. This let me watch the kitchen staff prepare meals as I waited for our table to be ready. I was impressed by their attention to detail, preparing each individual dish with impeccable precision. I watched as they efficiently sliced heirloom tomatoes, arranged crispy onions immaculately atop meatloaves, piled Brussels sprouts into perfect domes, and artfully placed individual pieces of herbs on every dish. A camera in the kitchen was supposed to allow us to continue watching on a television screen in the dining room, but it wasn’t functioning during our visit.

The menu at Franck’s is divided into three sections, simply named “First,” “Next”, and “Then.” Each section is short, but every item—and its mouthwatering ingredients—sounds incredibly enticing. We decided to start with a couple of the Warm House Brioche Rolls (with Maple-miso butter) and Mandi’s Heirloom Tomatoes. I don’t typically order tomatoes as an appetizer, but I had earlier watched the chef prepare one of these dishes, so I knew it to be beautiful and intricate. I hoped I would enjoy eating it as much as I enjoyed watching its preparation.

Indeed, I did. The colorful tomatoes cut easily with a fork, and almost melted in my mouth. Their sweet, mellow flavor contrasted with the zesty tanginess and mild spices of the burgundy aguachile spooned over it. Thinly sliced peaches added some sweetness, while a ball of burrata cheese provided creaminess. Some crunch came from candied hazelnuts. Various fresh herbs adorned it all, while a pool of red and yellow sauce and oil ensured a colorful treat.

Only two options appeared on the “Next” portion of the menu. Kathy originally chose the Pepperoni-Tomato Emulsion, so I chose the Artisanal Romaine Salad. Before they arrived, Kathy had second thoughts, so we decided to switch. That was probably for the best. As I enjoyed my emulsion, Kathy and I wondered if “emulsion” was simply a fancy word for “soup”. It presented as a thick tomato soup, with a bit of comforting spicy warmth to it. A spoonful of crispy pepperoni gave it some salty crunch, while a dollop of yogurt offered cool creaminess.

For my “Then” course, I chose the Ranger Valley Wagyu Beef Coulotte. The Coulotte is not a common cut of steak in the United States, but it’s probably my favorite. Also known as a Picanha steak, the Coulotte comes from the top sirloin and is known for its juicy, tender texture and rich, beefy flavor. Franck’s version came with a whole bunch of accompaniments with interesting names: “Wagyu fat Wasatch mushrooms, pan fried udon, grape jeow som, black vinegar jus, wasabi, furikake, nuoc cham Frogbench cucumber.” This confirms my earlier sense that you can tell how good a restaurant is by how many terms from the menu you have to look up.

Let’s start with the Wagyu fat Wasatch mushrooms. They were incredible! In fact, they might have been my favorite part of my meal, something I never expected to say about mushrooms. I don’t know a lot about mushrooms, since I’m not typically a fan, so I don’t know what type these were. They definitely weren’t the typical cremini sort. I didn’t expect them to be so rich and savory, attributes probably enhanced by the Wagyu fat. I loved every bite of them.

I like udon noodles for their thickness and chewiness, and these were especially thick. I haven’t had them pan-fried before, though. Cooking them this way allowed them to brown and crisp up in places, providing a contrasting texture to accompany their chewy springiness.

I expected the furikake to be sprinkled on top of the dish as a seasoning. Instead, it came served in two heaps, one on each side of the plate. It seemed more side than condiment. I have a jar of furikake at home, but I don’t use it much because Kathy finds it too spicy, and I find it too dulsey. Franck’s serving suffered neither of these problems. In fact, it was delicious. It was almost like a dry cereal, slightly sweet and crispy.

The dish was delightful, a wonderful fusion of flavors, colors, and textures with obvious influences from Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. I do have one thing to say against it, though. The dish also included several dollops of wasabi. I don’t know if I’m just a horseradish wimp or if this was really industrial-strength wasabi, but it packed a wallop! Wow, and I didn’t even dive into it; I just experienced it as it came in contact with the other foods on the plate. I found its overpowering strength to be more distracting than enhancing. Other than that, though, the dish was fabulous!

Franck’s offered three options for dessert. Two of them were chocolate, which doesn’t entice me as much as it does Kathy. Regardless, we had already enjoyed a filling meal and didn’t have room for more.

Before we left, we were privileged to speak with Chef Rob Perkins. He confirmed that he designs the menu each week to his current mood. He said his mind is full of creativity that he constantly needs to express in new ways. He informed us that on Tuesdays they offer a tasting menu, and on Thursdays they offer his take on hamburgers.

As we left the restaurant, we found one last surprise. Our car waited outside, a valet already holding the door open for Kathy. Obviously, the waitstaff had alerted the valet that we were about to leave, so they were able to have our car ready with no need to wait. A small thing, perhaps, but we loved it!

She said:

Nestled amongst a variety of species of trees, Franck’s Restaurant looks and feels like a cozy cottage from the Brothers Grimm lore. Painted butter-yellow with a partial stone façade and burgundy-stained wood trim, it’s very welcoming. A red brick path opens up to a patio featuring pewter-colored metal outdoor furniture and a couple of domed wood and plexiglass structures with more of the same outdoor tables and chairs enclosed within. Two wooden potting tables also stood out front near the fountains. They appeared to have recently held home-grown herbs. Below the windows, and along one side of the brick path, rows of flowers bloomed in cheerful shades of white, red, cream, and fuchsia.

Brick steps led up to a wide veranda and heavy red doors. There was a long, narrow waiting area with a bank of windows facing the front of the premises on one side, and a pass-through opening with a view into the kitchen. Brian seemed to enjoy watching the preparations going on behind the scenes.

When we were finally brought to our table, I was pleased to see that we had a great view of the trees and flowers out front, and a wonderful vantage point for appreciating the mountains in the distance.

The reds and yellows outside were repeated inside in the tables, chairs, and light fixtures. There was beautiful chestnut-colored wood trim everywhere, adding extra warmth to our surroundings. Everything felt relaxing and comfortable.

Our waitress greeted us with a huge smile and asked what we wanted to drink besides water. We both ordered diet Cokes (big surprise there 😉). When she returned, we ordered the brioche rolls and heirloom tomatoes. The bread was light, fluffy, and tasty; with the wonderful flavor accentuated by maple-miso butter, artistically spread across an arc of the plate. I could have gotten by with just eating more rolls slathered with delectable butter, but I was there to enjoy all of the courses.

The heirloom tomatoes were scrumptious. I’m already a huge fan of tomatoes, but these were next-level delicious. The herbs, burrata cheese, and candied hazelnuts perfectly complemented the tender tomatoes.

When my entrée arrived, I was almost loath to disturb it with my knife and fork because it was presented like a work of art. The lamb ribs, potatoes, shaved fennel, and pickled cucumber graced one side of my stone plate, while the tomato emulsion and sour cream were swirled upon the other side of the dish. The menu called my entrée “Crispy Braised Rocky Mountain Lamb Ribs—” and it was exquisite. The lamb was a bit crispy on the outside, but super tender on the inside. After speaking with the chef personally, I learned that the meat was slow-cooked on low heat for five hours and then fried in peanut oil. I told him that the end result was fabulous.

The chilled dill yellow potatoes, charred tomato-and-lemon sauce, the chili cucumber, horseradish-goat cheese (“sour cream”), and the fennel herb salad made for a very delightful meal; one positively popping with pleasant textures and flavors.

While I savored my food, I had to stifle a laugh when I noticed the face that Brian made when he encountered his wasabi. The last thing I thought I would ever see is something that is too spicy for Brian to handle.

Sadly (sort of), the appetizers, romaine salad, rolls, and main dish resulted in my appetite being more than satiated, so that there was no room for dessert. The only reason I didn’t order one to go is because none of the choices would have kept well on the way home. Darn it.

Conclusion:

You probably won’t stumble into Franck’s Restaurant by accident. Quietly nestled among Knudsen’s Grove trees of Holladay, Franck’s offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Bring a romantic partner and enjoy a delectable dinner from a frequently changing menu.