On a glorious September evening, our group made a visit to Bleu in Mashpee Commons. I am embarrassed to admit that this was my first trip to Bleu from my lower Cape residence and, now that Labor Day had come and gone, so had my traffic excuses. I quickly realized that if a trip to France is not in your upcoming plans, a visit to the restaurant Bleu can provide the joie de vivre of Paris without ever leaving Cape Cod. Owner and executive chef Frederic (Fred) Feufeu, along with co-owner and wife Carri, have carved out a chic space boasting an undeniable je ne sais quoi in Mashpee Commons.
Chef Feufeu’s culinary journey began in his hometown of Cholet in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. He spent his teens living and working along the Brittany coast, where he attended Les Sorbets culinary school. There he mastered the techniques of French cuisine, including how to make “a hell of a great mayonnaise,” according to son, Tristan, but as Fred laments, “they didn’t teach you how to run a restaurant.” Post graduation, he embarked on some serious resume building, from the bistros and brasseries of Paris to hotel fine dining in London. Through the culinary grapevine, he learned of a post at the Rainbow Room in New York City. In 1988, he came to America, at the tender age of twenty-one, where he ultimately worked his way up to the role of sous chef at the Rainbow Room. He later accepted the position of executive chef at the prestigious St. Regis Hotel. Over the next decade, Feufeu worked at various establishments around Manhattan before landing at 14 Wall Street. Then, the horrific events of 9/11 radically transformed the city and its inhabitants.
Fred and wife Carri, who met and fell in love as coworkers at the Rainbow Room, decided to move their family from New York City to Cape Cod where Carri’s mother, Susan Maggio, was a Wellfleet resident. Feufeu had become familiar with the Cape, having vacationed here over the years. Maggio spotted a posting for the executive chef position at Contrast at Mashpee Commons and passed it along. Feufeu interviewed for the job and was surprised a week later when the owner dropped in at his New York City establishment to sample his cuisine.
Shortly after, Feufeu was welcomed as executive chef at Contrast, in the same space now occupied by Bleu. “It was an American bistro-style menu that kind of intrigued me because it was a different vibe than the traditional Cape restaurant. There were some French items, the owner was cool and open to different things,” Feufeu recalls. Yet, it wasn’t to last. As Feufeu explains, “Unfortunately, he could not stay afloat financially. Seven months after I came on board, he had abandoned the business. I signed a lease with Mashpee Commons and reopened the space as owner after some quick renovations. I chose the name Bleu as it is the national color of France, but also the name was a popular one in the New York City restaurant scene. Initially, I searched for another word to pair with Bleu before finally deciding to keep it simple with just the one word.”
“When we first took over, we were French leaning but not overtly so. I was not sure if the Cape audience would be so accepting of the cuisine,” adds Feufeu. It was 2003 and the economy was different from today. The misconception of French cuisine being overly expensive was a concern when crafting those first menus. In the early days, Bleu offered a more eclectic fare, including items like lavash pizzas, despite the restaurant sporting a very French moniker. Feufeu’s focus was on sustaining a workable business. Gradually, the menu’s emphasis shifted to more of Feufeu’s French bistro cuisine, and his clientele embraced these changes. Plates highlighting fresh local seafood, like dishes he had prepared while working on France’s Brittany coast, made their way onto the menu, along with Feufeu’s more modern take on many other French classics.
Bleu, now in its third decade with Feufeu still at the helm in the kitchen, has anchored itself in the Cape dining scene. Feufeu ascribes to teachings of Auguste Escoffier, the father of modern French cuisine, who stated that “consistency is an important cornerstone of success in today’s modern kitchen.” To achieve this goal himself, Feufeu has surrounded himself with a dedicated culinary team that includes son Tristan and long-term sous chef Benoit Jugieau. “Sixteen years ago, I was down a man and made a job posting. I got this resume and did a double take when I saw not only was this guy from France, but from the same region as me. He seemed happy to come on board here and cook the familiar food he grew up eating,” Feufeu explains. The two have worked closely together ever since. Two of Jugieau’s children are also part of the Bleu family.
Bleu runs on a seven-day-a-week, year-round schedule, serving lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch (September through Mother’s Day). Feufeu concedes, “It is easier for me now. When we first opened, I was here every day and only had Sunday nights at home. The stores were open until 9pm (now 6pm), and the workdays were longer. I have found a rhythm with the support of my professional staff. It now allows me a more manageable five-day work week.” Daughter Lucie and son Tristan have both been part of the employee roster since their early teens. Lucie, now a Boston nurse, still returns to pitch in, having rotated through front of the house positions including host, bartender, and server. Tristan trained in both front and back of the house roles, starting out as a prep cook. He is a graduate of the Food and Beverage Management program at Johnson & Wales University and is now a full-time sous chef. Fred explains, “It was important for him to learn the business aspect of all this.” Tristan also handles the social media and has parlayed some of his business knowledge to help set up in-house systems like ChowNow, a digital platform which was critical when COVID hit, as it allowed Bleu to streamline online ordering.
Of note upon arrival is the exterior side patio, which provides outdoor seating for approximately forty guests. It is still open on this balmy evening, and evokes a romantic French sidewalk café, dotted with marble-topped tables and navy and white rattan bistro seating. There is also a retractable German awning system Feufeu purchased when outdoor dining exploded during COVID that allows the sides to also lower and enclose the space based on the weather.
Since our reservation is indoors, we proceed to the interior meticulously designed by Carri Feufeu. “Carri,” states Fred,” is not just the decorator but manager, florist and our in-house therapist!” Her artistic eye has created an elegant space boasting hues of blue complemented by touches of gold. To the right is the main dining space which has two distinct dining areas. The smaller space, still referred to as the “red room”, harkens back to the Contrast days when walls sported bright primary colors. Today, a giant black U-shaped banquette encircles a cozy space that encourages intimate conversations. Mirrors and framed artwork – including an authentic vintage Fap’anis poster advertising a French anise liquor – adorn the wood-paneled walls. The main dining space is awash in blue walls, black wainscoting, and white-cloaked tables. The atmosphere is sophisticated but not pretentious.
Daniel Dorsey, general manager, oversees the front desk. A nine-year member of Bleu’s team, Dorsey confides, “these are the best people I have ever worked for; they are loyal, trustworthy, and honest. People stay here forever and even our summer crew returns yearly until they no longer can due to graduation. You would have to blast me out to get me to leave.”
Dorsey notes that Bleu also has an extremely devoted customer base. When COVID closed the doors, the regular clientele kept things afloat with take-out orders and the purchase of gift cards. Feufeu reflects, “The tips we were receiving were crazy generous and most of the skeleton staff still working here were family, so we would take that tip money and split it among those who were laid off, from dishwashers to servers.”
The lounge area, where we dine this evening, features a wood bar surrounded by marble-topped tables and comfortable black leather seating. Directly over my seat is a framed photograph of the owners themselves, back in the early days of their relationship, exchanging a sweet kiss on the subway. Fred shares, “when Carri and I were vacationing in Paris, my mother-in-law had that photo of us blown up and framed to poster size and coaxed our manager to hang it there. I admit, it took me a while to adjust to it.”
Both the restaurant and lounge are full and bustling, but despite the crowd we find the acoustics are good. The soft tinkling backdrop of Parisian music contributes to the overall ambiance. We order cocktails while perusing the dinner menu. The specialty cocktails change seasonally. A popular winter warmer is Phil’s Butter Bourbon, a riff on an old fashioned, featuring a house-made brown-butter-infused bourbon, maple syrup and black walnut bitters. A year-round favorite is Bleu’s version of the Cape Cod Cosmo, the perfect blend of tart and sweet: Triple 8 cranberry vodka, orange liquor, blood orange purée and lime. There is also an extensive wine list curated by GM Dorsey, with input from Carri. The list is, of course, very French but includes many solid West Coast selections. The wine program at Bleu has been the recipient of multiple awards for excellence. We select a bottle of the Château de Lescours Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, a lovely Right Bank Bordeaux with hints of berries and spice to complement our evening’s selections.
A basket of crusty slices of Pain d’Avignon baguette arrives table side along with butter and a black olive spread. Server Melissa challenges us to guess the secret ingredient in the tapenade. Not one one of us was correct!
Our starters arrive. Escargots de Bourgogne Farcis are six garlicky, buttery, tender morsels. The rich Steak Tartar is a high-quality filet finely diced, with capers, shallots and a quail egg topper. Plating is so gorgeous at Bleu that we are hesitant to taste, but once we do, we cannot stop. A decadent foie gras goes perfectly with a sweet apricot jam and cranberry walnut bread. At Bleu, the foie is prepared “au torchon” or wrapped in a cloth and poached to give it a sliceable cylindrical shape. Les Rillettes is a traditional French meat spread made by slow-cooking various chopped meats until tender. At Bleu, a well-seasoned and savory braised pork and duck confit pâte is accompanied by cornichons, cherry tomatoes, whole grain mustard, and toast.
Do not sleep on Fred’s Bacalao Chowder. After years of listening to guests’ requests, along with gentle prodding from Carri, Fred created a French version of this New England staple. The result is a delicious, creamy, fragrant soup brimming with salted cod, bacon, and leeks.
Our server Melissa has been fabulous, allowing us to dictate the pacing of our dinner. Like Jugieau and Dorsey, she is one of the many professional staffers at Bleu with career longevity (18 years). She also brought her two children on board as high school bussers who worked their way up to college servers.
Mains are as excellent as the starters. A luscious pan-seared salmon arrives capped with ripe truffle honey peaches over a brandade base of crispy potatoes cooked in olive oil enhanced with sweet lobster and leeks. The fall version of this dish features the salmon bathed in sage brown butter with figs and a butternut squash purée.
Throughout the year, Bleu’s menu offers a variety of fresh seafood primarily sourced from Falmouth Fish, including day boat haddock, sea bass, and striper, depending on seasonal availability. Some of Bleu’s more popular viande (meat) entrées stay unchanged for the most part, including the best-selling filet with a four-peppercorn sauce tempered by crème fraîche, with sides of French beans and addictive bacon and onion Yukon potatoes.
Unanimous accolades from all for both the cook and the flavor of the herb-encrusted New Zealand rack of lamb, textbook medium rare, boosted by a green pistou (basil, olive oil and garlic) and a rich bordelaise sauce. A rustic menu staple is the French stew or cassoulet. The ultimate in comfort cuisine, Fred’s recipe calls for a medley of slow-cooked pork, smoked bacon, garlic sausage, and white navy pea beans topped with brioche breadcrumbs and a succulent confit duck leg. This hearty meal is one of Tristan Feufeu’s favorites. “What it lacks in beauty, it makes up for in flavor,” he acknowledges.
Lunch offerings include most of the same small plate selections as dinner. There are also salads and sandwiches, including a Croque Monsieur: ham and Gruyère cheese on an egg-battered sourdough. Plats de resistance (mains) include an herb-crusted day boat haddock and the ever-popular steak pomme frites: grilled sirloin in lemon garlic butter served with French fries and grilled tomato.
Sunday brunch, available outside of high season, has become a local favorite. A rotating lineup of musicians provide entertainment, and a typical brunch line-up might include a choice of crêpes, omelets, eggs Benedict and quiche, as well as lunch favorites like mussels and steak frites. This is where Tristan shines. “Breakfast is my favorite meal and over the years I’ve got my father to loosen up a bit,” he jokes, “he now allows my creative input into some of the menus. This past week I added a savory Turkish breakfast bowl (garlic sausage, chili oil, poached eggs all atop a Greek yogurt spread) into the mix and it sold well. We are more experimental at brunch, playing around with some more unique selections and we host a lively crowd that is open to it.”
No matter what time of day you dine at Bleu, house-made desserts will have you saying ooh-la-la. Chocoholics will find satisfaction with both the hot chocolate truffle cake with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, as well as the airy bittersweet chocolate mousse garnished with whipped cream, berries, and cookie. We also indulged in a pistachio crème brûlée, a contrast in textures: a smooth custardy interior, finished off with a crunchy caramelized surface sprinkled with chopped pistachios, all complemented by a buttery Madeline cookie. The final footnote to a stellar evening is decadent house made chocolate truffles, delivered alongside the bill.
The elusive Fred Feufeu is still working the line as we bid au revoir to the attentive Bleu crew. He is admittedly more comfortable in his back of the house and is happy that Carri is comfortable handling the meet and greets out front. After twenty-two years, he is still passionate about food and Bleu. Tristan notes, “we grew up with this family business, and we have all been invested and cared for it, however, for my father it is different, this has been very much his third child for all these years.”
“Someday,” Fred muses, “I may be tagging along and supporting his (Tristan’s) dreams whatever they are. For now, I will continue to do this, as long as it is still fun, and for me it still is. This is the kind of job you cannot sustain if you are watching the clock or thinking about the hours you put in.” Cheers to Frederic Feufeu and may we all find some of that same joie de vivre that keeps Bleu his happy place after all these years.
Vanessa Stewart has spent almost four decades in the restaurant business, where she’s worked almost every job imaginable. Her forte is as a “libationist”, and nothing excites her more than not only a restaurant, but a bar that incorporates the freshest of ingredients.
Todd Marcus started taking photos as a kid in the ’70s inspired by his dad. His career in professional brewing led to the founding of Cape Cod Beer in 2004. Todd has since transitioned from amateur to professional photographer with more opportunities to keep his childhood passion alive and growing. A proud father of two sons, Todd lives in Centerville with his lovely wife Beth.
Bleu
10 Market Street, Mashpee Commons
bleurestaurant.com
