Chef Audrey’s Bistro & Bakery with its unique and creative culinary concoctions gives Warner Robins diners a welcome reprieve from chain restaurants that dominate the town.

Written by Véronique F. Saiya

Audrey George, a native of Birmingham, Alabama decided to open her European-inspired restaurant, Chef Audrey’s Bistro & Bakery in April of 2004.
George thought Warner Robins would be an ideal location for her restaurant. The city, though made up of interesting multi-cultural residents, was overrun with chain restaurants and lacked cozy and unique dining experiences that a privately operated restaurant could offer.
George takes pride in creating dishes that leave a lasting impression, and though she has had professional training, she takes pride in having learned her first cooking lessons from her mother, Mrs. Rosa L. Patterson.
A certified Executive Chef and Pastry Chef, with a degree in Food Management and Technology, George received her degrees from Jefferson State College. She states that she also completed an apprenticeship with the American Culinary Institute. She has served as both Pastry Chef and Executive Chef in several upscale hotels and restaurants, and was the owner of a previous restaurant located in North Georgia—Bistro Petit Four.

George has been the subject of many articles and was chosen as one of the “Chefs of the South” by Atlanta Journal Constitution. She has prepared exciting meals for a host of celebrities, including two United States Presidents and Vice President Gore. George even has a Thursday night cooking show, Now We’re Cooking, featured on Cox Cable WCOX 15, Watson Cable 15, and FVSU TV 21.
Though my husband, Ken, and I have only dined at the restaurant for dinner, I would love to try lunch sometime, as the lunch menu offers a host of unusual sandwiches all served with George’s freshly baked breads. The crab pita with lump crab, peppers, and cayenne mayonnaise promises to be especially inviting, and the sundried tomato & Jalepeno crusted turkey with Swiss cheese and Cajun horseradish aioli on tomato basil bread—sounds delish!

Upon entering the restaurant, I immediately noticed a startling discrepancy in the décor. I found formal white table cloths, silver place settings, crystal oil lamps, fresh flowers, and lovely oil paintings that adorned the walls—all of which were attractive and complimentary. What was incongruous however, was the hodgepodge of chairs. Vinyl & metal chairs were mixed with metal fold away chairs. Not only are they an eyesore among an otherwise pleasant ambiance, but they are also uncomfortable. Luckily, the good food here makes up for the poor seating.

Since we were really hungry, we decided to begin our meal on a grand scale, thus we ordered a salad, and three of the five appetizers that were offered, in addition to our entrées, and desserts.

House salads accompany all entrées, but I also wanted to try one of the other five salads offered on the menu. I chose the spinach salad that was garnished with bacon, mushrooms, eggs, garlic croutons, and smoked trout. The roasted red pepper vinegarette had a sweet and spicy flavor that blended well with the contents of the salad.

If you order an appetizer, I would highly recommend trying the wild mushroom tart. This memorable dish was hands-down the show-stopper of the evening. A variety of domestic and imported mushrooms helped to create a bouquet of flavors and interesting textures. The mushrooms were served in a flaky tart with chunks of country ham. The tarts contents were immersed in a unique and delicious cream sauce.

The crab & crawfish cakes were lightly browned on top, with a super moist interior and served with a side of Cajun horseradish aioli sauce. The aioli sauce with garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil added a piquant flavor to the dish.
For our final appetizer we chose the angel hair pasta that was tossed with scallops, peppers, onions, and mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce. If you like subtle and sweet sauce—you will enjoy this dish which is also available as an entrée.
Other appetizers included the veggie lover—roasted eggplant, tomato, onion, goat cheese, fresh basil, and sprouts; and Brie with fresh fruit—served warm with fresh bread. The bread here is excellent; but unfortunately, if you don’t select the previous appetizer or order a soup or salad, you’ll miss out as it is only served with these items.

Diners may choose from eight entrées that include selections in poultry, beef, pork, and seafood. Ken ordered the Beef Wellington—a classic dish named in honor of the 19th century Duke and vanquisher of Napoleon. The dish was prepared in the traditional way and consisted of rare beef tenderloin and pâté ensconced in a pastry puff shell. Since the dish includes pâté, and I detest liver, I left its description to my husband who found the dish to be wonderful.
For my own entrée I selected the roasted pork loin. Incredibly moist and tender, the loin was served in a curry and peach sauce and topped with whole mushrooms.

The yellow curry, like all curries, offers a uniquely pungent melange of flavors like coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, cassia, and pepper, to name a few. As curries go, this one was extremely mild, not hot. The introduction of sweet peach slices into the curry reminded me of westernized versions of chutney, where rather than using an Indian-style piquant relish from sour fruits, less tart fruits and sugar are used.

Both of our entrées were accompanied by sauteed green beans and sweet potatoes duchess that were quite good. The green beans were well seasoned and not over-cooked, and the sweet potatoes tasted of brown sugar, cream, eggs, and butter.
The house-created dessert selections vary from week to week, but usually contain customer favorites such as french apple tart, Key lime pie, french pastries, chocolate nut torte, apple pie with Stevia, chocolate brownies, and chocolate ganache.
For my dessert, I selected the white chocolate coconut torte. This rich yellow cake was encased in a fluffy and creamy icing of a whipped cream consistency and flavored ever so slightly with coconut shavings. I really appreciated the fact that the coconut flavor and sugar did not overwhelm the dessert which is so often the case with coconut desserts.

Overall, Ken and I really enjoyed our meal here, and found the service both friendly and attentive.

Chef Audrey’s Bistro & Bakery
CUISINE American with a European Flair
PRICE RANGE
LUNCH from $4–$9
DINNER APPETIZERS from $6–$8
DINNER
ENTRÉES from $14–$18
RESERVATIONS Suggested for parties of 5 and more
ALCOHOL Not available/BYOB
CHILD PROVISIONS No children’s menu or highchairs, but can make menu items “child-friendly”.
SPECIAL PROVISIONS Catering for groups up to 1500 and free delivery for orders over $10.
HOURS
LUNCH M–F 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Sat 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m
DINNER M–Sat 5:30 p.m.–8 p.m.
ADDRESS
Jasmine Place Shopping Center
115A Margie Drive
Warner Robins
PHONE (478) 953-7480