My spouse
and I dined at Maxim’s 22 for lunch on a Sunday in mid-February (Valentine’s
Day). Maxim’s is open for lunch on Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays and dinner on
Tuesdays through Sundays. (The restaurant is closed on Mondays.) On Sundays,
breakfast/brunch items are also available, in addition to the regular menu. You
can reserve a table by telephone. Maxim’s 22 and nearby Sette Luna share the
same owners.
Maxim’s 22,
which opened in October of 2012, offers a French brasserie atmosphere in the
old Pomeroy’s building in downtown Easton (just steps from the “square”). The
number 22 in the restaurant name holds significance to the family that owns the
restaurant, in addition to being the last two numbers of their address. Several
chalkboards hung around the restaurant describe the beer and wine choices,
fresh oyster options, and cheese selections. The ceilings are high, and in each
of the main dining areas, a somewhat suspended ceiling area features pressed
tin for a vintage feel. Above one corner of the bar hangs metal grating, which
provides an interesting flair. Frosted glass and wood dividers separate dining
areas, and the frosted front/side windows provide additional privacy for
diners. French posters adorn some of the walls. Outdoor dining is available in
warmer months, both on the front sidewalk for parties of two, or in the brick
pedestrian walkway/alley for larger parties. A private room is available for
small groups. One of the main dining areas offers seating at rustic wooden marble-topped
tables only (and is very bright because of the large windows), while another
offers some semi-booth (banquette) seating with the same wood/marble tables. Parking
is available on the street (meters) or in a nearby surface parking lot or a
garage.The menu offers French brassiere (or brewpub) food, which is working-class French food that includes favorites such as steak frites, frog legs, tartare, cassoulet, escargot, raw bar, all served without the pretentiousness usually present at French restaurants. We ordered the charcuterie to start, followed by the beet salad. The charcuterie was delivered on a dinner plate atop Boston bibb lettuce (usually we see it delivered on a wooden board); it included duck prosciutto, cured sausage, and house-made pate [the pate was excellent!], but the only accompaniment on the plate was a cranberry chutney – even the usual mustard was delivered in a bottle, which was a bit disappointing. We had hoped that our meal would be coursed, and that we would receive the charcuterie before the salad, but both arrived at the same time. (I ordered both items, so we assumed that they would not be delivered together.) The beet salad was tasty, although the number of red beet chunks was less than we had hoped for; however, they were supplemented by chunks of poached pears, which was an interesting addition to the usual pecans and goat cheese (there was also a hearty amount of lettuce dressed with a nice vinaigrette). For entrees, we ordered one of their “pastas”, which are really macaroni and cheese (we order the “Josh’s” variety, which includes duck confit and is topped by a sunny-side-up egg and truffle slices) and the Parisienne burger (topped with Gruyere, bacon, and a sunny-side up egg, and accompanied by fries). For dessert, we shared the lemon curd berry tart, which was crowned with a fresh mixed-berry combination and sweetened meringue. (The sweetened meringue was a great addition because it offset the tartness of the lemon.) Our only complaint about this dessert item was that the crust was very hard; even with a knife and fork, it was difficult to cut it into bite-sized pieces. A basket of three kinds of bread accompanies all meals (our favorites of which are the raisin walnut and white baguette). The restaurant was also making berry juice on the day that we visited, which was a lovely purplish color because of the pulverized blueberries/raspberries/blackberries – delicious! On previous visits, we have tried many other yummy menu items such as the beef tartare, marrow bones, and mussels for appetizers, the cassoulet, scallops (with a delicious warm white bean ragu), pork shank (with mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts), steak frites, and duck breast (with hash) for entrees, and the carrot cake and Financier cake for dessert.
We always enjoy our meals at Maxim’s 22 – tasty French food in a comfortable atmosphere.
Update February 2017:
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