Authentic French Brasseries — Menlo
Park
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
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There
are several quaint towns on the Peninsula that are perfect for
shopping and dining. Menlo Park is one such town that has both
upscale shops and some excellent restaurants. Left Bank
Brasserie is a perfect restaurant for this stylish, yet
non pretentious town. They recently brought in Executive
Chef Brendy Monsada and gave him the opportunity to go
beyond the standard French Bistro fare and include his own dishes
that feature South of France Provencal flavors with California
influences using fresh, local and sustainable ingredients. The
stylish décor and upbeat atmosphere exudes lively French
Brasserie. We particularly loved the large French Parisian Posters,
high ceilings, stunning lighting, beautiful floor with diamond
inset tiles and our comfortable booth, which was so cozy and allowed
us to sit up high, There is a semi exhibition kitchen, separate
Bar area with Bar Dining/Menu and a TV for sports fans. There
is also a private dining room upstairs with a full view of the
main dining area.
Left
Bank Brasserie has both a full bar which features classic
and contemporary cocktails and an extensive Wine List with French
and California Wines by the glass or bottle. We enjoyed a Mes
Antibes cocktail which was made with French Grey Goose vodka,
pomegranate juice and lime and was quite tart and a Grey Goose
Cosmopolitan which was delightful, as we perused the menu. Organic
breads made with French countryside recipes by Bay Bread and Pellegrino
sparkling water were soon at our table and we settled in and awaited
our appetizers.
The
Encornet Farcis calamari filled with house made fennel sausage,
tomato savory herb sauce and fennel salad was fabulous!! We particularly
loved the delicious sauce. You must have the Chicken Liver
Mousse with black truffles, fruit compote, radishes, mustard,
and toast points. Another excellent choice, for those who like
goat cheese, is the Tart Aux Figues which is made with
a thin tart crust, Redwood Hill Farm goat cheese, figs, cured
ham and arugula. The Escargot En Persillade which was
baked escargot in pernod garlic butter was fabulous. The Steak
Tartare made with chopped natural Bassian Farms beef, capers,
shallots, Dijon mustard, dressing, and a quail egg was the best
we had ever tasted as the flavors of the meat came thru and were
not masked!
A
glass of 2009 Kunde "Magnolia Lane", Sonoma Sauvignon
Blanc which was light and had grapefruit notes was the perfect
pairing for our appetizers. We always appreciate when the wine
is served a small carafe, allowing you to pour when ready and
give you portion control.
The
entrees were both excellent. We loved the Truite A L'Oseille
which was a steamed Rainbow Trout with sorrel sauce, fennel confit,
olive oil and mushrooms fricassee which was light and healthy.
The Jarret D'Agneau was a fabulous braised Lamb Shank
with dry lime, tumeric spice in a lentil and chickpea stew. Quite
luscious! The 2007 Textbook Vineyards "Fin de Journee"
Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley was dense, had a deep color
and paired perfectly. We ordered Double Espressos and asked for
assistance choosing desserts. We were told that the Chocolate
Mousse with chocolate ganache and the Profiteroles
made with three cream puffs, French vanilla ice cream and chocolate
sauce were the most popular. We loved them both as they were not
too sweet and you are able to pour your own chocolate sauce on
the Profiteroles which is so wonderful!
We
really enjoyed our dinner at the Left Bank Brasserie
in Menlo Park. The cuisine was delicious, the décor was
lovely, the service was attentive and the prices were very reasonable.
We did not try some of their most popular offerings like their
Soupe A L'Oignon Gratinee, Moules Frites or Brasserie
Steak Frites which will make us return soon.
Left
Bank Brasserie
635 Santa Cruz Avenue
Menlo Park, CA. 94025
650-473-6543
www.leftbank.com
