i've been wanting to try this restaurant for few years now, and last night i've been treated to a wonderful birthday dinner at last. the food was definitely not disappointing. the restaurant's split into a bistro/cocktail area out in front of the restaurant and hosts dinner in the back where the servers are all donned in tuxedos with tails. they strive for elegant atmosphere and serve a wonderful european and slightly californian cuisine that my husband describes as "continental."
we ordered the prixe fixe tasting menu with paired wine. we started with a light tomatoe salad with olive and mint oil. i'm not a huge tomatoe fan, but i really liked the sweetness of these fresh tomatoes. then we proceeded to butter fish from hawaii wrapped in bacon on top of fava bean puree. i thought they accidentally served scallops, because the fish tasted like... butter. the grilled quail was next, which was very tasty. at this point, i was starting to get really full from cleaning up the plates and enjoying the wines. by the way, the wine choices were excellent except for the pinot noir, which i found to be a little too strong for me. anyhow the next arrive, the rare venison, in wine sauce was surprisingly good. i thought it would be have a strong taste, but it was pleasantly lighter and more tender than i thought. the peach melba as dessert was too delicious of a dish to arrive so late in our night when we were full from the rest of the meal.
because it was my birthday, the restaurant offered a certificate for two free souffle on our next dining experience. they also served us complimentary glasses of champagne as we enjoyed some jazz music at the cocktail lounge.
the night was absolutely wonderful except for the bathrooms that probably need some renovation and updating.
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