An innovative modern American restaurant and wine lounge in western Howard County, Bistro Blanc is an oasis of relaxed elegance and great cuisine. The diversity, charm and ambition of the menu at Bistro Blanc directly reflect the personality and tastes of Chef Marc Dixon. This is his kitchen and menu, the culmination of a career learning the intricacies of fine dining from the best in the industry, married to his own desires for simplicity and freshness. He has developed a particular flair with the sous vide method of cooking which gives his dishes a distinctive flavorful touch.

Chef Marc’s taste for fresh produce goes back to his childhood in Kansas and many summers on his family’s farm. He began cooking as a way to earn money at Kansas University and later in St. Louis, then decided to commit his career to fine dining by applying to culinary school. Accepted at several nationally renowned schools, he chose to attend one of the very best, the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. There he learned the techniques and discipline of preparing different regional and international cuisines, and the mechanics of operating a top-flight kitchen.

After graduating among the top of his class, Marc moved to Washington, DC and began working at some of the area’s finest establishments, including New Heights and Todd English’s Olives restaurants. More recently he was the first chef at Iron Bridge Wine Company and worked at Columbia’s Café de Paris restaurant before becoming chef at Bistro Blanc.

In July, 2008, Bistro Blanc opened and has quickly moved into the forefront of the region’s best restaurants. At Bistro Blanc, Marc has the freedom to mix styles and influences from New England, the Mediterranean and Asia, relying on the best of local produce. The menu includes a number of items cooked with the sous vide method, sometimes called “cryovacking” or “under vacuum”. But what is sous vide, and what makes it special?

The technique involves cooking items at low temperatures for long periods of time, sometimes for as long as 72 hours. The food is placed in vacuum sealed bags and given a long, slow bath in precisely warmed water, then cooled. The food—generally proteins like meat, fish or poultry—cooks calmly with a minimum of stress so the protein molecules don’t clench up and the majority of the natural juices are retained. The result is moist, succulent meats that seem to melt in your mouth and retain more of their natural flavor.

Chef Marc learned the sous vide method from one of its primary ambassadors, Bruno Goussault, at a course in Michel Richard’s Citronelle restaurant in 2008. Since then, he has been working to fine-tune his skill with the method and expand to different dishes. Today, Bistro Blanc’s menu includes sous vide salmon, Peking duck breast, wild rockfish and shrimp. All are thoroughly delectable, but the salmon is the perhaps the most popular starting point for diners. Chef Dixon also offers frequent specials making use of the cooking method, so keep an eye out for sous vide on the Bistro Blanc menu and give your taste buds a treat.

OUTDOOR CAFÉ NOW OPEN

Join us for a casual lunch or dinner at our new Outdoor Café or enjoy a glass of wine under the stars.