The Dallas Morning News about Voilà!

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visited Voilà

By TODD EPPERSON / Special Contributor

Sometimes good things do come in small French packages. Voilà French Bakery, Bistro, Cafe brings many good things to a tiny space in this northern suburb. It's just bursting with both healthful and decadent delights.

Chef Jean-Christophe Blanc trained in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, before landing stateside in 1994. Since then, he's had stints in Atlanta at Buckhead Bread Co. and the 1996 Olympics and more recently in Dallas at Eatzi's.

The concept here is pretty basic, but the ingredients and execution are exceptional, and prices are moderate.

Basically it's a counter-service spot with a couple of walk-up order stations. At the "craft your own salad" bar, diners pick and choose from a variety of fresh veggies. Start with spinach, romaine or fresh greens, or a mix of the three, then add chopped egg, bacon bits, mushrooms, house-made croutons – whatever floats your boat.

What separates this salad bar from the mundane are the house-made dressings. The low-fat Caesar vinaigrette was delicious: garlicky, well-seasoned and tart, light-years beyond bottled. Next time we might try the orange vinaigrette.

Take note: There are two sizes of salads, and looks can be deceiving. The small plastic container holds more than you might think.

There's also a "design your own sandwich" bar with a breads, meats, cheeses and other accouterments.

A friendly counter person puts your masterpiece together. First, the breads: There are loads to choose from, and they are baked in-house daily. Consider apple-walnut, multigrain, French baguette, brioche, sourdough, French country and others. Our choice was a lightly spicy jalapeño cheese bread. Next, choose a spread. A sun-dried-tomato cream cheese seemed to fit the bill. Meat selections include everything from smoked turkey breast to Italian ham, roast beef to salami. Condiments include standouts like roasted red pepper and fresh guacamole. You can also add veggies from the salad station. Any sandwich can be cooked panini style.

Voilà also features a variety of signature sandwiches. We tried the pan bagnat, a specialty from Nice, France: a tuna sandwich elevated to the level of salade niçoise with the addition of egg, kalamata olives and tomato on rustic bread drizzled with olive oil. Also in the filling, but not listed on the menu, were sliced green bell pepper and purple onions (I hate onions but easily picked them off).

A chicken Caesar sandwich was the favorite; it's served panini style, with succulent grilled chicken slices topped with lettuce, Parmesan cheese and mayo on crunchy sourdough bread.
Signature sandwiches come with bagged chips.

Of course, one cannot go to a French bakery without sampling pastries. A display case by the checkout begs for attention with tantalizing tarts, creative cakes and precious pies. Raspberry cheesecake had layers of raspberry filling, and the cheesecake part was very light and creamy.
We preferred the pecan tart, a minipie with a deliciously sweet crust.

Alcohol is neither served nor missed. There are coffees, espressos and cappuccinos for the breakfast bunch and Perrier, sodas, juices and teas for the lunch and early dinner crowds.
Voilà seemed to be doing a healthy to-go business on our visit, perhaps because the dining space is very small, with seven tables and a small bar that seats four. There's quite a bit more seating outside on the patio.

Voilà brings a touch of class to its Allen neighborhood, delivering satisfaction with flair.

Food – 3 1/2 stars
Atmosphere – 3 stars

Published in The Dallas Morning News: 07.21.06