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.

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