Left
Bank Brasserie Larkspur
By
Dining Detectives
The
Left Bank Brasserie has been in Larkspur for over 15 years
serving French Bistro fare. As restaurants mature local tastes
change those that adapt evolve and grow. Bay Area residents
love French cuisine but are also drawn to other European Style
Fare. Owner Roland Passot knew it was time for some changes.
He decided to keep some classic French Bistro dishes but bring
in a new talented local chef to incorporate new menu items
made with more fresh, local and sustainable ingredients and
make Left Bank Brasserie a more approachable everyday place
to dine. Executive Chef Sean Canavan who was trained in Europe
and worked for many years at Kokkari, Jeanty at Jack's and
La Folie in San Francisco is the new chef and Brandon Peacock
is the Sous Chef.
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The
décor is unchanged and still festive in the 110 year
old Blue Rock Inn building in downtown Larkspur. The large
stone fireplace and mahogany bar and colorful French posters
make the restaurant inviting and there is both indoor and
outdoor dining available.
We
started out our dinner with Specialty Classic and Contemporary
cocktails from their Full Bar. We enjoyed the Eva Green which
is made with Pinnacle Vodka, Cointreau, lime and Chartreuse
and also a Classic Cosmopolitan. We opted to have mostly new
menu items but could not resist a few of the French classics.
We started out with a few delicious appetizers. The Salade
au Crab which consists of Dungeness crab, avocado, mango with
a Meyer lemon - vanilla vinaigrette was light and delicious.
The Truite Fumee which is their House smoked trout with horseradish
and crème fraiche was fabulous! We also enjoyed the
classic Escargot with garlic butter and Pernod but will ask
to have more garlic next time. You must have the Soupe a L'Oignon
Gratinee as it is THE BEST traditional French Onion soup we've
ever tasted. The seasonal Squash Soup was excellent as well.
The
Entrees were hearty and quite flavorful. The Canard aux Choux
which is roasted duck breast with hazelnut Spatzle, braised
red cabbage and huckleberry sauce was excellent. The classic
Boeuf Bourguignon traditional beef stew with baby carrots,
pearl onions, lardoons and egg noodles had a fabulous sauce
and excellent mushrooms.
The
Wine List features wines from France, California and around
the world. We particularly enjoyed the 2008 Domaine Auchere,
Sancerre, Loire, France Sauvignon Blanc which was crisp and
dry and 2006 Claudia Springs "Klindt Vineyard" Estate,
Anderson Valley Pinot Noir which paired perfectly with our
entrees.
We
saved room for desserts and are glad we did. We enjoyed the
Profiteroles which are Cream puffs with French vanilla ice
cream served with warm chocolate sauce. The Fondant Au Chocolat
which is a gooey center Chocolate cake with French Vanilla
Ice cream was also exceptional. Cappuccinos and espressos
were the perfect finish to a most enjoyable meal. The Left
Bank has been open for 15 years and has evolved. The décor
is still inviting, the service is still crisp yet friendly
and the cuisine is as tasty as ever, yet even well-priced.
The addition of more European menu items to go along with
the classic French Bistro menu and the use of more local ingredients
continues to make The Left Bank a destination restaurant for
lunch or dinner.
Left
Bank Brasserie
507 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA. 94939
415-927-3331
www.leftbank.com