Left Bank Brasserie- Larkspur
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
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The
Left Bank Brasserie has been serving French Bistro cuisine
in Larkspur for more than 16 years. Restaurateur Roland
Passot has created a wonderful dining destination where
the food has been consistently delicious, the service has been
consistently friendly, knowledgeable and attentive and the atmosphere
is always lively and relaxed. Every few years there is a new chef
who helps to keep the cuisine fresh and spice things up! The new
Chef De Cuisine Fabrice Marcon is originally
from France and has worked at Michelin Star restaurants in Europe,
as well as in San Francisco and the Napa Valley. The cuisine is
still prepared with Farm to Table, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients
but Fabrice adds some slight nuances that have amped it up!
We
chose to dine inside this evening even though the sidewalk seating
on this warm summer night was also inviting. We love the décor
in the 112 year old Blue Rock Inn building which includes a large
stone fireplace, mahogany bar and colorful French Poster Art.
We ordered Saint Geron Sparkling Water and Cocktails to start
while we looked at the menu. The Watermelon Refresher with vodka,
watermelon, cucumber and lime which was refreshing as advertised
and an excellent Cosmo with Grey Goose which was made with fresh
lime juice was especially good and wet our appetites.
The
Appetizers that we tasted were all better than ever. We loved
the Mousse De Foie De Volaille which was spicy, creamy,
smooth chicken liver mousse served with toast, relish, olives,
and pickles. The Croquettes De Morue which was Crisp
Salt Cod Fritters with cabbage, fennel coleslaw and saffron aioli
was also delicious and a French favorite!
You
must have the Steak Tartare which was excellent chopped
natural beef with capers, shallots, egg and Dijon mustard. We
were quite pleased that we had the Soup of the Day which was Pureed
Corn Soup served in a Turin. It was fragrant, nourishing,
light and served nice & hot. The Entrees are hearty portions.
Our favorite entrée was the Magret De Canard Aux Peches
This was a delicious roasted duck breast with peaches, chickpea
fritters and a phenomenal gastrique sauce. The Halibut was great
tasty as well. You must try their sides. We loved the Sautéed
Spinach with roasted garlic, as well as the Mashed Potatoes
which were light, fluffy and delicious.
The
Left Bank has an Award Winning Wine List. We like that
wines by the glass come in small carafes, so you can monitor your
pour. We enjoyed the 2009 Domain Tremblay, Quincy, Loire Valley
Sauvignon Blanc which was crisp and had citrus notes and
the 2009 Kunde, "Magnolia Lane" Sonoma Sauvignon
Blanc which had grapefruit and floral notes with our appetizers.
The 2008
Davis Family Vineyards, "Guyzer Block" Russian River
Syrah
which was rich and velvety paired perfectly with the duck.
We
always save room for Desserts and are so glad we did. We were
very happy with the Warm Beignets with coffee crème
which were light, lovely and definitely some of the best we've
ever tasted. The Mousse Au Chocolat was an excellent
creamy chocolate mousse with rich chocolate topping and fabulous
caramelized bananas. Illy Espressos served piping hot were the
perfect finish to our excellent dinner!
The
Left Bank in Larkspur is a perfect destination restaurant
for Lunch, Dinner or their popular Sunday Brunch. We were pleased
to see that the cuisine was better than ever and the service was
still excellent. Rob, our server, was very knowledgeable and helpful
and enhanced our dining experience. We knew that this was the
place to dine, when we noticed our "Foodie" friends
from Palm Springs at a nearby table. They always dine at the Left
Bank when they are in town!
Left
Bank Brasserie
507 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA. 94939
415-927-3331
www.leftbank.com