Brasserie an elegant atmosphere offering casual dining experience

Son of Med: In many ways, Brasserie Ten Ten is the long-awaited and long-rumored offspring of the Mediterranean, right across the street in downtown Boulder.

Peggy Romano, a partner with the Laudisios at the Med, is majority owner of the Brasserie, which opened in July at 1010 Walnut St. in the former location of Kevin Taylor’s Dandelion. (You still with me?) Tony Hessel, the Med’s executive chef, moved across the street. He and Med General Manager Rob Kukura also are minority owners in the Brasserie.

The Med has been “top-heavy with staff” for months, reports Greg Topel, the Brasserie’s general manager, in anticipation of opening a second restaurant.

Born, raised and educated in Berkeley, Calif., Topel came to Boulder eight years ago. “It was just time to leave,” he recalls. He had waited tables in Berkeley and had unofficially run a jazz club in San Francisco, so it was natural to begin his life in Boulder working in a restaurant. He waited tables at the Med before working his way up to tending bar and then managing. He left to run Triana for a year or so before he was asked to come back to the Med.

“They were grooming the restaurant for a split,” he explains. “They knew they wanted to start a second restaurant.”

“Rather abruptly,” Topel says, the space at 1010 Walnut became available when Taylor’s Dandelion closed. “The location was great. The terms and conditions were right. We were prepared.” Ten months after he went back to the Med, Topel found himself across the street, remodeling.

The space, designed by Peggy Romano, is intended to be comfortable, yet upscale in appearance. The warm, creamy yellow walls, the Carrera marble counters, the floor tiles imported from Italy and the dark hardwood tables and bar all combine urban sophistication with comfort.

“We wanted an upscale appearance, but an inexpensive menu,” Topel says.

“Brasserie” is loosely translated as “beer house.” Where a bistro is considered more “upper crust,” brasseries, which are opening more and more in sophisticated cities like New York and Los Angeles (to say nothing of Paris), “are intended to be a gathering place, where rank leaves at the door,” he says.

Like many others, Boulder’s Brasserie offers extended hours, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner every day except Sunday, when brunch is served all day. “You see the white tablecloths and the fine stemware,” Topel adds, “but we serve hot dogs. That says it all.”

The restaurant serves a different niche than its sibling across the street.

The Med is “fun, lively, festive, young,” Topel points out. At Brasserie Ten Ten, sound insulation and absorption was part of the design. It’s quieter, yet welcomes families. “We want you to bring the kids and let them crawl around. Flip-flops and Tevas are welcome here,” he says.

Besides the hot dogs and burgers, the menu is “very loosely French-inspired,” he says, although Chef Hessel has brought his world view with him across the street.

Grilled salmon is offered with jasmine rice and Thai curry creme, for example, on the lunch menu, along with a club sandwich, po’ boy and traditional French cassoulet, bouillabaisse and soupe a l’oignon.

The hors d’oeuvres offerings at dinner include a satay of steak and spicy lamb sausage. Coquilles St. Jacques and tournados reflect the French influence, while a lamb shank braised in burgundy and poblano speaks of a broader perspective. Traditional to a brasserie, this one offers a raw bar.

Crafted by another Med veteran, Pastry Chef Shamane Simon, the desserts include tart au citron, glace over champagne-marinated fruits and white chocolate blackberry explosion. An hors d’oeuvres menu, including the raw bar, is served from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Breakfast is “more American, with some French flair,” says Chef de Cuisine Nick Roberts. If you’re tired of cakes and toast, try Brasserie Ten Ten’s huevos with duck and shrimp green chili.

Business has been “awesome” since the July opening, says Topel. But if Kevin Taylor couldn’t make it at the location, why should Brasserie Ten Ten?

“We’ve known, loved and lived Boulder,” he says. “It appears upscale here, but it’s an inexpensive menu with great food and great prices. There’s a family feeling that reflects the value of consistency at the Med. If I’ve learned one thing from the Romanos, it’s patience. We’re here for the long term.”

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