French food

Seth Greenberg, who gave us Mistral, is planning a similar restaurant on Melcher Street in Fort Point.

Greenberg told the Boston Licensing Board today he hopes to open an "upscale modern French bistro" called Bastile Kitchen/Chalet this September in a building now under construction at 49 Melcher St.

The $2-million venture will feature a 230-seat main dining room and a 70-seat area for private functions. Greenberg is proposing to buy the liquor license now held by Four Green Fields on Washington Street downtown.

Because this is Boston, a key issue for the licensing board is the proposed restaurant's closing time. Greenberg is seeking 2 a.m. closing time, which he said would let him serve private parties from the nearby convention center. City Councilor Bill Linehan, however, opposes closing times in that part of his district past 1 a.m.

Both Linehan's office and the mayor's office asked the board to hold off action on the liquor-license request until after Greenberg meets wtih nearby residents, sometime in the next three weeks. The board decides tomorrow what action to take on that request.

Eater Boston dishes on Pigalle owner Marc Orfaly's online response to a customer who found herself disgusted with the pumpkin pie he served up on Thanksgiving. It's not pretty.

MC Slim JB tweets that Aujourd'hui at the Four Seasons is closing at the end of June.

Devra First reports that the fancy-shmancy French place that replaced Bob the Chef (sorry, Bob's Southern Bistro) in October is already out of business. Next up: Upscale burger joint? Oh, wait, how about a soul-food place. With music. Nah, that'll never work.

Courtney Scott-Howard gives Gaslight, a French brasserie at 560 Harrison Ave., good marks for food (and the free parking), but marks it down for the service:

... If your waitress looks like the girl you wished your brother married, ask for a new table.

First there was British/Japanese import Wagamama. Now Boston Restaurant Talk reports the Boston area is in line to get three Vapiano "casual French fresh" restaurants.

Hmm, what about Blimpie, which is slowly circling Boston? It's from westa Worcester, so it's sorta foreign, too.

Boston Chomps on Petit Robert Bistro downtown: We'll definitely be back.

Lyss on Zocalo in Brighton: What a pleasant first experience at a restaurant.

Lewis Forman on Kashmir on Newbury Street: I have never seen a grumpier group of servers ever. Except at McDonalds.

Yoav Shapira on Om in Cambridge: The bar drinks were amazing.