Every so often Voilà Bistrot, Madison Valley’s little slice of sunny France, offers a themed dinner. In August we were lucky enough to experience the Provence & Languidoc-Roussillon dinner, complete with a three-course dinner ($45), wine pairings ($20 extra), and a live guitarist.

We most enjoyed chef/owner Laurent Gabrel’s Grilled Sardines, a duo of dollar-bill-sized beauties on a bed of buttery Swiss chard. Summer Vegetable Soup was light and lovely, rife with veggies of the season. 

Bouillabaisse was swimming with seafood and not overly tomato-y. Roasted Half Chicken with Fennel Gratin was simple and satisfying. 

Apricot Pie, all buttery crust with a layer of almond cream, sang of the season, while Pèche Melba boasted a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, a poached peach, and a fluffy dome of whipped cream. An assortment of cheeses from southern France rounded out the dessert selections on a savory note.