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Philippe Trosch is back.

The chef, who helped the Ventana Room earn its five-diamond rating from AAA, plans to open a new restaurant in January. Bistro Philippe will be in the space currently occupied by Firecracker, which is owned by Bob McMahon.

McMahon and Trosch are partners in the new venture.

McMahon is the owner of the Metro Restaurant Group, which includes McMahon's Prime Steakhouse, Smoke, Metropolitan Grill, Old Pueblo Grille and the Grill on the Green at Canoa Ranch Golf Club.

Trosch will have creative control over the new bistro.

The Ventana Room hired Trosch in October 2002 to help it make the leap from four-diamond to five-diamond status. Five diamonds, according to AAA, means the ultimate dining experience.

Trosch left the Ventana Room, Tucson's only five-diamond restaurant, in October 2006.

He says his new bistro will be a modern take on the classic French brasserie.

"It will be something that is quick," Trosch said. "A place where you can get a small bite, but also someplace where you can get a full meal if you want to."

The new restaurant will have five dining areas, each named for a different French region. The interior will resemble a Parisian street scene.

"We will have everything from a Paris street inside," Trosch said. "Street lamps, awnings and pictures on the wall of markets, bistros and cafes."

But no pigeons, we hope.

There also will be a dessert bar, where diners can order a glass of wine and a tarte aux poires or other treat. The bar will feature weekday happy-hour specials.

Trosch said his restaurant will be affordable — at least compared with the Ventana Room, where a three-course meal costs $85 and a five-course one is $120. The prices at the Ventana Room are high, in part, because the restaurant spends a lot of money shipping in fresh ingredients from around the world.

Trosch said Bistro Philippe will place an emphasis on local produce and meat. He said entres will cost less than $20 and will include duck foie gras, artisan pâté and crêpes.

"I have a great relationship with (produce) farmers in Willcox," Trosch said. "And also with cattle farmers in North Arizona."

Trosch says his will be a contemporary French restaurant. Think: low-carb.

"This is not the regular French bistro you get in the countryside of France," he said. "We are in the 21st century. We have to lighten up."

In that spirit, Trosch said the menu will include vegetarian options such as braised endive, various pastas, a croque monsieur without ham and a variety of egg dishes.

But it's about more than just the food.

"What I'm looking for is to get more love from our customers," Trosch said. "I want them to love us and to be the best local restaurant."