Eats - French

Absinthe
398 Hayes St.
San Francisco, CA
415/212-0101
Lunch: ***
After finding Jardiniere closed, we decided on a frenchy lunch in Hayes Valley. I had a Ginger Rogers (rum, ginger juice, mint, and ice) which was light and refreshing, even though the ginger was overpowered by the mint. More like a gin mojito than anything. We split a caesar salad, coq au vin (pricey at $20), and a ribeye steak with fries. I'd been going on about having steak frites in Belgium when i was an exchange student, so it seemed appropriate. Everything was very nicely done, although we had to ask for bread to soak up the sauce from the cog au vin. Service was very good, except for the "Is there anything I can do to make your lunch more enjoyable?" question at the end, which makes me gag slightly. Would I go again? Probably, although I think there are more interesting choices in SF. We followed with dessert at Citizen Cake down the block. $55.25 before tip. 08/21/2005

Grand Cafe in the Hotel Monaco
501 Geary St (at Taylor)
San Francisco, CA 94102 - 415/212-0101
Lunch: *****
A self-described French-California brasserie, this is the place to go on a Saturday Union Square shopping trip. A friend of mine and I wandered in here after a fruitless search through the usual suspects for a simple Saturday lunch in downtown San Francisco—Aqua, Boulevard, Ruth Christ, Morton's, Bix—all closed. Finally, we saw the Hotel Monaco and checked to see if they had a restaurant. Yes. And what a restaurant.

The space is spectacular, dominated by enormous columns, metalwork chandeliers, and an enormous Art Nouveau mirror. We were actually seated in a private but not so great booth in the far corner, but our waitor Edward was very accomodating, explaining ingredients, including where they could be purchased, to my stoned, OCD lunch companion with patience.

We started with a pea shoot salad with a lovely dressing and brandy-soaked raisins (fantastic) and a hot broiled artichoke with tomatos (the latter being the only disappointment) , then dug into half lobsters on ice served with drawn butter, which were perfectly cooked, sweet, and delicious. For the main course, I had the schnitzel, which was beautifully done, paired with out of this world buttered noodles with herbs (I crave these to this day). For dessert I had a lovely rhubarb tart, which was crunchy and sweet-tart with a tender buttery crust. We'll be back. 06/21/2003

Update Jun 17, 2007: We've been back here a couple of times since the first review, but this is the only time we hadn't just come from a beer bust in SOMA. After two fresh-squeezed but mediocre orange juices (they refill as many times as you want, which sort of explains the $4.25 each price tag), I decided on another "all appetizer meal" which consisted of: foie gras (not bad, but I couldn't remember why I ordered this when it arrived), steamed mussels (not bad, but again not as good as Lulu's), ham and cheese croquettes (my boyfriend LOVED these), salmon tartine (I'd skip this one) and some decent french bread. My boyfriend just ordered a $15 Kobe burger, which I consider highway robbery but that's what he wanted. Total before tip: $87.34. I have to say that this was a special lunch for Gay Pride Weekend, so I don't mind paying a bit more. If you're not being lavish, you could easily get away with paying half that amount. Service was perfect, as always, despite the fact that we were wearing leather chaps and the rest of our gear.

Update Fall, 2007: We returned for a special lunch, but were disappointed. The quality of the food has declined (soups served cold (unintentionally), weird timing of when dishes appear, poor seasoning on others). Even the staff seemed aware of this and tried to make things right as much as possible. We may not go back for awhile.

Left Bank - Menlo Park Location
635 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
650/473-6543
Lunch: **
An airy setting and decent bistro fare. Prices are reasonable, and service is first-rate. Parking can be tight at lunch and dinnertime. Reservations recommended.

Left Bank - Santana Row Location
1100-377 Santana Row, San Jose CA 95128
Lunch: **
A nice room, actually on par with their Palo Alto location with high ceilings, nice leather banquette seating, and an outdoor area. The food is again quite good, although not extraordinary for bistro fare. I had the veal cheeks on my last visit, and they were quite good: nicely braised with a flavorful sauce. My friend had the steamed mussels, and loved every one of them. 05/03

Update 08/09/03: Went for a late lunch with a friend of mine after a waitress informed us that the retired ladies stop coming after about 1 p.m. We led off with french onion soup (with a giant wad of cheese) and a salade d'epinard of pears, pecans, roquefort, and spinach obviously. Tasty. He had a croque monsieur, which looked more like a panini, huge and hammy and cheesy. I had the pork dijonaise with peaches, which turned out to be a very nice combination indeed. Service was excellent. And for you straight boys the waitresses are the most beautiful I've seen in San Jose. With coffee after and chardonnay & campari before. Before tip: $53.25.

Update 10/04/03: Went for a lazy late lunch with a friend. We had gambas au Pernod (shrimp with Pernod) and Salade Cote d'Azure (a really lovely roasted beet salad with a sprinkle of greens and mustardly vinegrette). My friend had the moules frites, which I've described before, and I had the steak tartar, which I haven't had in years. The beef was mixed with A LOT of tabasco, so you might ask them to go light on it if you decide to take the plunge. A minimalist variation on tarte tatin followed; basically sliced apple on top of a puff pastry shell. FYI: The waitstaff don't always know what a dish's French name (vs. its Left Bank-ified name), so it's better just to describe what you mean. Before tip: $55.97 with two ice teas.

Update Jan 30, 2007: This remains a good place for a nice "fancy" lunch, although the food is a notch behind Grand Cafe in SF. After iced teas, we had Salade Lyonnaise, Moules Frites (always recommended, but not as good as Lulu's in SF), a bowl of so-so bisque, a croque d'agneau which wasn't so great, and a nicely done dish of salmon. Before tip, $61.98

La Papillon
410 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129
408/296-3730
Lunch: ***
If you want french food and a pleasant, clubby atmosphere in San Jose, this is your spot. Very nice setting; not up to San Francisco ultra-chic, but comfortable and not stuffy. My foie gras appetizer was delicious, seared with a lovely if unidimensional bacony demiglace-enriched sauce. My duck was tender and cooked medium, but suffered from a too sweet a sauce. The souffle was nicely done for dessert, although I should have opted for a cheese course. Service is attentive without being cloying, although I wish they would relax a little. Valet parking is available and I recommend you take them up on it; the neighborhood is iffy and street parking is scarce. 02/02

Papillon
37296 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94536
510/793-6331
Rating: ***
I took my friend Randy here for a belated birthday dinner. To say that this place is hard to find is an understatement; it's on a four-lane highway in the middle of nowhere. The interesting thing about this place is that they still serve dishes which seem archaic today, the dishes your parents (or grandparents) would consider "fancy French food" in the 50s. That's not to say that it was bad. These are classic dishes for a reason. I started with a caeser salad, which I don't recommend—better to go with the house salad which has more interesting greens in a sweetish vinegrette. At my friend's insistence, we both had pepper steak which was flamed tableside in a butter and brandy sauce. I cannot eat steak au poivre with its solid pepper crust, but this had just enough pepper on the outside to keep in interesting. Anyway, the meat was fantastic; a 3" filet that was perfectly cooked. We finished with crepe suzette, again flamed tableside (do you see a trend here?). The waitor prepared this with great style, and although I don't care for dessert crepes or super sweet desserts in general, it was a nice finish to the meal. My friend also chose a merlot, which was fruity and light. The interesting thing was that the acidity was so short-lived that it felt like it was carbonated (probably not a wine lover's dream, but I thought it was great fun to drink). $132 including the bottle of wine before tip. 12/03

Rue de Paris
19 N. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113
408/298-0704
Dinner: *
Intimate, but not cozy. The food is overpriced and not very good. Skip it. 04/01