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At Bacchus, owner Bruno Laclide’s passion for wine and Executive Chef Jean-Marc Hardy’s talent for elegant yet unpretentious food set the tone. And while inspired wine pairings and signature wine sauces make the menu undeniably French at its core, classic bistrot fare has been raised to something extraordinary here.

Bold or subtle, the key to food and wine pairings at Bacchus is a culinary exercise in yin-yang (via France) that is sure to satisfy any palate. Try the tartare de thon avec foie gras poelé—tuna tartar with pan-seared foie gras—served with peach compote, roasted sunflower seeds, and crispy shredded filo. A perfect accompaniment is a dry Sauvignon Blanc, Poully Fumé, Domaine Chatelain 2007 (Loire) for its long finish full of minerals, and fruit and herbal notes reminiscent of pineapple, honeysuckle, and lemon verbena.

The salade du Périgord with its tender and sweet Boston lettuce, crunchy and bitter radicchio, topped with duck three ways—confit gizzards, lightly sautéed pink-on-the-inside hearts, and thinly sliced smoked duck breast—and drizzled with a sweet and sour raspberry vinaigrette is mouth-watering, especially when served with a refreshingly light, long at the finish Rosé, Cheateau Pourceux 2007 (Rhone).

Celeriac (a.k.a. celery root)—an underutilized ingredient—is celebrated too. Rendered silky and creamy in consistency, it is topped with a crispy-skinned, medium-rare duck magret in a blueberry and red wine sauce. It is perfect with Prieur de Meney 2003, St Estèphe (Bordeaux), a light to medium-bodied, fruity Cabernet-Merlot blend that lends just enough fruit to this rich and gamey duck entrée.

The goat cheese and poached pear filo-based beggar’s purse served with fig jam will have you wondering: appetizer, dessert, or both? No matter as long as it is paired with Chardonnay, St Veran Domaine Thomas 2005 (Burgundy), rich with minerals and exotic fruit flavor.

And when simpler fare is called for you’ll find classics such as escargots, or muscles in white wine sauce or angus beef burger, both served with thin crispy frites, for example.

Whatever you choose at Bacchus, in the able hands of Laclide and Hardy, you will be pleased.

Bon appétit!