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Whenever I take a trip to Paris the first thing I want to do is finding a neighborhood bistro. There I usually order a glass of inexpensive red wine and enjoy a simple yet extremely satisfying supper, usually a bowl of soup and some kind of earthy main course to follow. The frenzied pace of the waiters around me make the slowness and lavishness of my meal even more and enjoyable as I literally unwind and relax, rediscovering the pleasure of a two or three hour meal.

In a country where fast food is more popular than everywhere else in the world it’s hard to come by places that combine culinary traditions, innovation and good quality with the great value and ambiance of a French bistro. But Crust, formerly known as Toucan Grill on Bonita Beach Road, does all this and much, much more.

Walking into Crust Bistro, the first thing one notices is the cool, European inspired minimalist décor: few things around you will distract you from the wine and the food. The room, painted a nice shade of burgundy, is dimly lit and simply furnished. The small bar is packed with happy hour customers enjoying a glass of wine and some snacks, the sound of laughter and chatter giving the dining room a lively, pleasant atmosphere. My dining companions and I sit at a corner table and start browsing through the menu while most of the tables around us quickly fill up with other customers. The wait staff moves around the dining room at a fast, busy pace but manage to take the time to smile an greet everybody.

The wine list isn’t huge, but it offers a good selection of Italian, American, French and South American wines, most of which are available both by glass or by the bottle. The prices are more than reasonable and honest: for less than $10 dollars you can buy most wines by the glasses and bottles aren’t tremendously pricey either. We order glasses of Tormaresca Chardonnay, an Italian white we know very well and love for its smoothness and versatility, although a bottle of Domaine St. Michelle Brut for less then $30 also sounds like an appealing option.

Whether you stop by Crust Bistro for lunch or dinner the menu won’t disappoint you. An Americanized version of a classic French neighborhood bistro, Crust serves the right mixture of traditional dishes such as Cesar salad ($7) and crusted baked brie ($10), and more adventurous offerings like crispy braised duck legs ($18) and salmon marinated in miso ($19). What catches my eye the most, though, is the soup selection: a big fan of stews, chowders and broths of all kinds I always rejoice when I see a menu that offers more than the less-than-original broccoli cheddar or the ever-present clam chowder. Crust’s menu features four soups, all of which sound appetizing and somewhat different: root vegetable chili with cheddar poppers($6), sweet potato bisque with crème freische ($5), white bean puree with white truffle oil ($5) and a tomato rustica soup (also $5). I opt for the latter, while my dining companions order a bowl of chili and one of bean puree. As we wait for our starters to arrive our waitress delivers hot, crunchy dinner rolls and butter on our table. I usually refrain from ruining my appetite with bread, but these rolls are so good I can’t help devouring one of them.

When our soups arrive they look and smell heavenly. My tomato rustica soup is a crossover between a classic tomato soup and minestrone: chunks of tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and onion are slowly simmered to perfection in a tasty, peppery broth, delightful by itself but even better when mopped up with more crunchy bread rolls. The root vegetable chili is also very good: piping hot and tasty it features squash, potatoes and zucchini, the cheddar poppers being a fun and unexpected addition to a classic favorite. The bean puree shines as well: creamy and delicate cannellini beans pair up perfectly with pungent truffle oil, creating a very simple yet sophisticated soup.

For my entrée I order the Lake Victoria perch, a fish fillet seared with a black sea salt crust and served with lemon butter sauce and mashed potatoes ($18.) My dining companions, feeling already full from the soup and the bread rolls, opt for lighter options: an eggplant and arugola salad ($8) and a roasted tomato flat bread ($10.) Again, we’re not disappointed. The salt encrusted perch is tender, juicy and flavorful, the lemon butter sauce delivering the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors that compliment the saltiness of the crust.

The salad and the flat bread turn out to be not so small and light: both more than generous portions, they could have been ordered as a meal on their own. The salad features crispy, fresh arugola leaves tossed with grilled eggplant, buffalo mozzarella and roasted red peppers in a balsamic vinegar dressing. The Mediterranean flavors are all there and the salad makes a satisfying option for vegetarians and health-conscious eaters alike. The flat bread also ranks high with both my dining companions and I: a perfectly cooked thin bread crust is topped with just the right amount of garlic, bacon, mozzarella and roasted tomatoes. Hot and gooey like pizza, the flat bread is tasty and filling with the added bonus of smoky bacon peering through the layers of cheese and tomatoes.

Full and content we decline the waitress offer to see the dessert menu, although the chocolate and ice-cream dessert of epic proportions delivered to the table next to ours looks more than appetizing. I leave Crust Bistro feeling relaxed, remembering once again why it is so important to enjoy my meals the way the French and Italians do: no rush, no fast-food, no impatience. Nourishing your body with food is a necessity, enjoying every second if it is what makes it one of the greatest pleasures in life.