Bistro

At the Bistro, Jean Béraud

A bistro or bistrot /ˈbiːstroʊ/, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet, a bean stew, are typical.[1]

History

Bistros likely developed out of the basement kitchens of Parisian apartments where tenants paid for both room and board. Landlords could supplement their income by opening their kitchen to the paying public. Menus were built around foods that were simple, could be prepared in quantity and would keep over time. Wine and coffee were also served.

Today, Bistros are mostly still part of the hospitality industry. They are often connected to hotels, bars and pubs. They still often serve cheaper simplified menus, and/or menus that are not tied down to a specific cultural cuisine.

Etymology

Plaque about the legend of the origin of the word "Bistro" at 6, place du Tertre, Paris
French-styled bistro in Münster, Germany

The etymology is unclear, and is presumed to come from a regional word: bistro, bistrot, bistingo, bistraud, bistouille or bistrouille. The first recorded use of the word appears in 1884.[2] A popular folk etymology of the word claims that it originated among Russian troops who occupied Paris following the Napoleonic Wars (from быстро, "quickly"). This etymology has been generally discredited due to its manifest illogic,[3] and to the 69 year gap between the proposed origin and the first attestation.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Porcelli, Joey; Fong, Clay (2006), The Gyros Journey: Affordable Ethnic Eateries Along the Front Range, Fulcrum Publishing, p. 98, ISBN 978-1-55591-579-7
  2. ↑ Jacqueline Picoche, Dictionnaire etymologique du Français, Dictionnaires Le Robert, 1994, p. 51
  3. ↑ David L. Gold, Studies in Etymology and Etiology Universidad de Alicante, 2009, p. 19-47.
  4. ↑ Alain Rey, Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Dictionnaires Le Robert, 1998, p. 408.
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