Eat Out chats to multi-award winning bistro boffin Carly Goncalvez about the virtues of running a place where everybody knows your name.

Traditionally, a bistro is defined as a small eatery that serves moderately priced, simple meals in an unaffected setting. Do you think 9th Avenue Bistro fits the bill?

Yes I do. Were a small, relaxed neighbourhood eatery where people can just pop by. Diners can expect a plate of creatively presented quality ingredients, without having to worry about over-the-top fine-dining etiquette.

You spent 11 years sworking abroad. Tell us a bit more about this time and the influence it had on your craft.

I worked in quite a variety of restaurants in San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, New Orleans and Florida – all quite divergent in cuisines and styles. One of the places that definitely stands out, is the San Francisco eatery Restaurant Lulu [www.restaurantlulu.com], a Provençal-style place where they serve rustic food like rotisserie roasted loins of pork, chicken stuffed with fennel, olive oil mash, that sort of thing – all presented on clay platters. The quality of ingredients that you got there really stood out.

Why, specifically, did you decide to open a bistro upon your return?

I think that with a bistro, your scope is very wide. You dont have to stick to a certain segment of the market. You can see the broad spectrum of your community in a bistro.

What are your views on the current international trend of Bistronomia, where high quality, gourmet food is made available to diners at affordable prices?

Well, weve been doing that for nine years.

Do you think its catching on locally?

Definitely. Not to take away from the expensive fine-dining places – I think there will always be a place for them – but bistro-style restaurants are more accessible for casual dining. You can also afford to go to them much more frequently than you would to a typical fine-dining establishment.

Name a few of your favourite bistro classics to prepare?

Weve become quite well known for our duck. Its done two ways: the leg and thigh is confit, and the breast is done medium rare with a crisped up skin. We serve it on a gingered butternut-and-sweet-potato mash with cinnamon orange demi-glace. Another favourite is the steak with pomme frites and pepper sauce. A steak prepared well is fantastic.

And to eat?

I tend to stick to the classics, but its also nice to sometimes have some creative out-of-the-ordinary things. If a nice seasonal ingredient jumps out at me on a menu, Ill definitely lean towards that.

What seasonal ingredients are you getting excited about at the moment?

There are lovely artichokes and fennel around at the moment, and the fresh berries are starting to come in too.

Name a few of your favourite local and international bistros?

Internationally, itd have to be Bouchon [www.bouchonbistro.com] from the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Locally, I dont really know. Bistros arent as big here as they are overseas. A lot of places call themselves bistros, while theyre essentially coffee shops.

Lastly, what should no self-respecting bistro be without?

A good homemade bread. We serve ours with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some coarse salt. The identity of a bistro is also important. It has to offer something that sets it apart from the rest.