Bistro 119 brings European café to Longmont

By Barbralu Cohen

LONGMONT ? Remember Marbles? Remember á la Carte? I still miss those fine, yet casual and contemporary bistros tucked incongruously into Boulder shopping centers. Now Longmont has its own bright, casual and continental Bistro 119, on the southeast corner of the Diagonal Highway and Hover Road, thanks to Kevin Metivier, a veteran of five-star restaurants and the wine industry in the United States and abroad.

Metivier, 37, started his restaurant career at age 12 in Oklahoma City. During high school and college, at Oklahoma State University, he apprenticed with various French chefs, later becoming manager of a five-star dining room in Houston for nine years. He has taken two sabbaticals in France, where he worked in vineyards. “That’s where I was educated about working with wine,” he says.

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In 1993, Metivier moved to Boulder, working as an importer of French wines. In 1995, he and his wife opened Bistro in the Park, a “small and discreet” restaurant in Estes Park. “It thrived in the summers,” he recalls. The winters were a bit more difficult. “We really enjoyed Estes Park, but the all-or-nothing scenario was difficult. We decided to go for a year-round clientele.”

He began looking for locations in Boulder and Longmont. Metivier, his wife and their three children now live in Lafayette. He began building out Bistro 119 in October of 1999. “This is a long-term commitment,” he says. “There are not a lot of people in Longmont doing what I’m doing.”

What he’s doing, he says, is offering a “typical European-style cafe.” There’s the emphasis on fresh ingredients; there’s the extra virgin olive oil on the tables; and in the kitchen, there’s the best heavy cream and the best vinegars.

There’s also the wine list, with French wines by the glass and bottle, as well as a reserve wine list that’s a bit more pricey. There’s the emphasis on service and beautiful presentation in a not-too-serious way. There’s the small dining room, which has a capacity for 50 people yet lets them feel that they’re part of the restaurant. There’s the made-to-order menu, nothing done in quantity.

“We scratch around to find the freshest herbs and produce and fish,” he says. “We don’t have a freezer in this place. Nothing is held in a steam table, and there will never be anything here resembling a microwave. This is our little niche. It’s what separates us form the chains.”

Its menu, out in front every day, tells customers Metivier’s message.

Bistro 119 is not a burgers-and-beer joint, yet it’s not an intimidating challenge, either. “Even with my background in fine dining, I want to let people know we welcome them, whether they’re in jeans or a suit and tie,” he says.

Metivier’s philosophy about dining also separates Bistro 119. “Eating has become a chore in our day. It’s a lost treasure,” he says. “In Europe, it’s an event. You go out for dinner and enjoy that for what it is.” That isn’t to say Bistro 119 can’t accommodate diners in a hurry. The café can get customer in and out quickly if they need to make it to a movie, and lunch is certainly geared to the working person who has to get back to the office. “But we hope people will treat themselves and relax, even if they just have an appetizer and a glass of wine for two hours.”

Bistro 119 is open for lunch and dinner and also offers gourmet food to go. Its popular crêpes, seafood gumbo and soups are available for take-out, if you call ahead.

“We wanted something of quality you can take, things that lend themselves well to heating up and offering them in a way that does justice to them at home,” Metivier says.

From the pâté medley and baked escargot appetizers to salads and a variety of entrees, Bistro 119 offers relatively simple foods beautifully prepared and presented. The dinner menu ranges from the crêpes (both lobster and chicken) to duck breast de cassis, veal and seafood.

Prices range from $11.95 for the crêpes to $19.95 for the veal chop champignon. The lunch menu also offers sandwiches. Call (303) 678-0708.