A new diner serving American classics and French dishes is open for business at the former Baby’s Burgers and Shakes location in downtown State College.
Oeuf Boeuf et Bacon (that’s French for “Egg, Beef and Bacon”), a French diner, opened on Friday at 131 S. Garner St.
The restaurant is owned and operated by acclaimed chef Gillian Clark and partner Robin Smith, best known for their Washington, D.C.-area and New York City restaurants specializing in comfort food. Clark told StateCollege.com she had been introduced to potential restaurant development opportunities in the State College area, but when those fell through she saw a chance to bring something new to the area herself.
“So we kind of spun it on its ear and decided, well what if people from France came here, they ate at a diner and they just thought ‘That could be a really neat place if they served French food too,’” Clark said in August. “It’s a classic American diner but it’s done through a French lens. So we have some classic diner things but we also have sort of like a French aesthetic.”
The menu reflects Clark’s goal. Breakfast features dishes such as French pastries, an egg sandwich, select omelets, chicken fried steak, pancakes, waffles, French toast, baguette and gravy, shrimp and grits and bourgeois scramble (eggs scrambled with lobster, scallions, sundried tomatoes and tortilla).
Sandwiches include the diner classic open-faced turkey sandwich, croque monsieur and fried chicken.
Fried chicken is Clark’s most famous dish, the one that helped land her on several Food Network shows with Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri and drew a big following at her The General Store and Post Office Tavern restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland.
It makes another appearance on the kids menu with from-scratch chicken tenders.
Burgers (beef and ground chicken) are joined on the menu by French onion soup and salads like salmon niçoise, salade paysanne and tarragon chicken.
For later in the day, there’s beef bourguignon, braised short ribs, steak, fish and frites, white bean and chicken chili and Clark’s “Sacre Bleu Plate Specials,” a daily special mixing up French and American dishes.
Classic diner staples like ice cream sodas, milk shakes, egg cream and root beer floats are offered alongside pies, crepes suzette, fresh fruit turnovers and more.
“I want to bring really good cooking to the folks of State College, and an experience,” Clark said. “You can get a classic Coke and an egg anywhere, but I think food should be in a context that is fun. People can enjoy the experience of being in a restaurant that is a little different, that is presenting something unique and imaginative.
“I think people will get it when they come in that it’s not just a regular greasy spoon. It’s a buttered spoon.”
Oeuf Boeuf et Bacon’s hours are:
Sunday – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday – closed
