Bastide Restaurant

Closed… but since i already wrote a review and it has been in my drafts for months… here it is
Residing in a quaint side street of busy melrose, Bastide was surrounded by luxury furniture stores and haute couture. We easily found street parking across the restaurant and avoided the $ 5 valet fee! Rather obscure, with only A and B signs on either side of the door, we walked through the patio where it stands a huge olive tree. It’s a rather cozy garden, and was nearly at capacity on a Tuesday night in this reservation-​only restaurant. We decided to sit inside where there was no one else. The décor is very chic and unique, with vintage campbell tomato soup cans as a hanging lampshade in the middle of our granite table. A stone potted plant sat in the middle of our table and glittering beaded curtains surrounded the two walls beside me, dividing other rooms for semi-​private event for larger groups.
Our server gave us the menu and wine list. The menu was rather limited, with a steak, pork, chicken, vegetarian and 2 fish dishes as entrees and about 10 – 15 appetisers and salads to choose from. BREAD came fast and was delicious rolls that had the baguette texture. Wheat, rasin and white. Homemade butter was garnished with a radish and flawlessly melted, rather rich.
We opted for the $ 14 YELLOWTAIL trickled with an apple soy dressing, edamame and sliced green onions. 6 pieces were fresh and succulent with the dressing.
I opted for the $ 34 STEAK, medium rare, with a side of mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. Five pieces of cut steak swimming in a bone marrow jus. I also received a side of mac and cheese. The steak was very tender and the sauce accompanied it very well. The mashed potato was soft and perfect, but not enough! the brussel sprouts were eh, a little bitter, but brussel sprouts are hardly the best vegetables. The mac and cheese, at first bite was rather refreshing! There were mint leaves, but it was still very rich.
Then came the $ 36 PORKCHOP, which was tender and a pretty large portion! I’m not a big fan of porkchop but I could tell it was well made, laying on apple rosemary sauce. Accompanied by a side of long beans, grain mustard potatoes and garnished with fried almonds.
Desserts came when we asked for the check. First they gave us a small scoop of vanilla icecream and a candle. Then came the BUTTERMILK PANNA COTTA, deliciously tart with mint leaves, layered with raspberry consommé

Great restaurant! They keep their menu and specials updated per current chef and the little themed rooms in the French countryside-​inspired house is to die for. I was a little nervous about parking because Melrose is such a busy street, but this restaurant is actually tucked away on Melrose Place and the valet was easy and cheap (only $ 5).
They gave us the runaround on a reservation for 18, saying the day and time was probably not going to work out. The whole thing seemed a little pretentious considering when we called back, the new person who answered the phone said any room and time was available for our party.

Quick summary…
Service 4 out of 5 They took forever to get our main dishes, however they brought us some complimentary foods to hold us down.
Cleanliness 5 out of 5
Food 4 out of 5
I started with a vodka tonic and it did not skew my experience, although it was a damn good drink. I had Turbot on the bone, with some sunchoke purée and it was perfect. I also tried the octopus salad, good but not the best I’ve had, and some sort of pistachio dessert that was OK as well.
Awesome setting, valet only, dress well, and enjoy. Sorry for the half assed review.

Extremely nice restaurant in a nice setting, good service, and excellent food! Headed out for my birthday, and dinner was superb! Sat in the courtyard, we were worried it might be cool but they had heating lamps so we had no issues at all. I started with the truffle risotto, so many truffles, I couldn’t see the rice when it came out, and my wife started with the octopus, then we proceeded to the lamb shoulder (sublime!) and the duck breast. Paired everything with a very nice Brunello. Every dish was superb, and the setting was terrific. A very romantic place for a special event.

After having dinner at Lucques, we walked to Bastide for dessert, coffee and tea. Another one of the awesome take-​your-​date-​here-​restaurants. This restaurant is romantic, unique and eclectic.
It’s semi-​hidden, one street behind the busy street of Melrose. Dining here feels like you’re eating in someone’s house. The interior is divided into differently decorated rooms. Any seat here is great. The front patio is great during warm summer nights.
Okay, on to dessert, we got:
01. CHEESE CAKE ($ 14) — 4 stars
Blood orange sorbet, almond toffee, opal basil and pomegrante
The cheese cake was shaped as a disc. It was rich and creamy topped with sweet and crunchy toffee. Eating it with the sorbet made it refreshing. This cheese cake had many flavor notes.
02. BREAD PUDDING ($ 11) — 4 stars
Brioche, dry currants, gianduja ice cream, whipped cream, toffee sauce, hazelnuts
The bread pudding studded with currants sitting atop a toffee sauce and giaduja is sweet chocolate containing about 30% hazelnut paste. The bread pudding and ice cream went well together. The bread pudding alone was a little drier than southern style bread puddings — good nonetheless.
03. RED VELVET CAKE ($ 11) — 3 stars
Pistachio panna cotta, raspberries, white chocolate ice cream
Probably the least favorite of the desserts I’ve tried. The cake was a bit dry, but eating it with the panna cotta and ice cream helped. You can mix and match flavors to your liking.
04. RICOTTA FRITTERS ($ 12) — 4 stars
Berry chutney, mini vanilla milkshake and cinnamon ice cream
Deep fried and dusted with powder sugar, the fritters were subtly sweet with a hint of ricotta. Then you get to mix and match you fritter with the tasty dipping sauces.
We spoke to Chef Hunter and he was cool. He is passionate about cooking and he specializes in fish dishes. The ingredients they get are of top quality and for a good price point. The desserts were a good intro and I’ll be back to try dinner.

I came here last Fall for the all-​you-​can-​drink $ 15 happy hour on Mondays. It doesn’t appear they still have this option as the website indicates they’re not even open on Mondays anymore.
I hope they bring it back because it really was a great deal. They sent out complimentary small bites and we managed to get 4 cocktails a piece for our $ 15. But since the bites were small, I ended up ordering some food as well.
Now that the chef has changed, I’d be interested in returning. The private room inside is stunning. Very artsy.
Street parking but they do have valet.

3.5 stars. While nothing was mind blowing or amazing here, I had a good experience at Bastide. Summary: considering price, the food was just good enough so that I would come back to enjoy the intimate atmosphere and good service. There were mishaps but they always redeemed themselves …it went a little something like this:
— Valet was $ 5, which is decent in this area.
— My favorite thing here was the atmosphere overall. If I ever do come back, it would be for the atmosphere, and I usually do not rate based on that. It was so perfect for a girls night out or a romantic date. The venue looked very small and was very intimate and décor was beautiful and creative. Our party of 7 was lucky enough to be seated in a secluded room with a window to the kitchen, though most of the time we were too busy gossiping to check in on the chef. We were there for a total of 3 ½ hours and it didn’t even feel like it.
— Service was friendly, waiter gave us some good information.
Free bread was yum yum yummy, and they kept refilling it without us asking, which is nice because the entrees took some time.
–the alcohol. For wine they have minimal choices for under $ 15 per glass, so I opted for a cocktail. We were told they have a «full bar» so I ordered a chocolate martini and my friend ordered a mojito. Neither drink could be made. So we went for lemon drops, which came out delicious. Good come back I guess… though I think its strange that a «high class» venue like this one with a «full bar» can’t hire a more educated bartender… or maybe they shouldn’t tell us they have a «full bar» if they don’t. but I guess people don’t come here to get drunks? anyways…
Food — shared appetizers, 1 entrée, shared desserts, 2 drinks = $ 87
— appetizer: garlic soup ($ 11, note: also offered with lobster meat for $ 18), but I passed) — Very good, highly highly recommended. It tasted like creamy, buttery, lobster, garlic goodness with thin slices of mushrooms. The bowl was small but just enough.
— appetizer: black truffle risotto ($ 19) — while it was good and I found nothing in particular wrong, it failed to impress, especially for the price. The good thing is that they don’t skimp on the truffle and if anything are a bit heavy handed with it. But who ever complains about too much truffle!
Entrée: seabream ($ 27?) — The dish consisted of a piece of fish with skin and some roasted veggies. I thought the fish was a tad dry but the sauce that it came with compensated for that and tasted good. I really enjoyed the vegetables, which were seasoned super yummy. Only considering the food, sure, it’s overpriced, because the fish was a thin cut and not generous, but i suppose you’re paying for the ambiance and service.
Note: My friend ordered the lamb rare. It came out well done and was sent back. By the time it came back, it was cook correctly and was delicious, unfortunately everyone was done with their meals… BUT!!! 2 desserts and a round of dessert wine came out compliments of the chef. Niiiiceee save! Otherwise that may have been minus a star!
Desserts: I don’t remember the 4 desserts that we all shared. I remember passion fruit ice cream and cheesecake. nothing jaw dropping but we finished it all.
Party of 7 — everyone was happy. So what is this place missing? «Amazing» food. That’s my 2 cents!

So, after the first time, I decide to give them another try.
It went great.
I really loved the complimentary bread (plain, olive, bacon w/​garlic n spice, whole grain w/​walnuts). They were perfectly soft inside and crunchy outside. I was told that they bake their own bread and make their own butter. Their breads are sooo good that I would love to buy their bread daily if possible. lol
Here is the list of thing I highly recommend.– I can almost guarantee these stuff would not disappoint you.
–Scallop (appetizer), comes with slices of red radish and cooked blueberry. Scallops were perfectly cooked, very tender and juicy. I personally cook myself, so I know how hard it is to cook scallops perfectly.
–Turbot (entrée), again, it wasn’t overcooked, just right, and the meringue like white sauce tasted great. the mashed potato was pretty good too.
–Chocolate Culant (dessert), comes with passion fruits ice cream (not too sweet, have the perfect sweetness and sourness), gingered pair (I don’t like ginger that much, but I enjoyed it, it does not have very strong ginger flavor) and fondant chocolate (for me, it was a little sweeter than how I like, but I am pretty sure if you have a sweet tooth, you will love it. perfectly sweet & soft chocolate with crunchy outside)
—and Garlic soup, which I had last time, but this time I wanted to try out different stuff, so I didn’t order, but I still remember it was amazing.
Oh, and after the dessert, they also give you a mini desserts combo in one small plate, (there were mini madeleine, mini caramel candy, mini milk/​pistachio? candy, mini citron marshmallow?– im not very sure though, cuz i’ve never had sour/​sweet marshmallow, mini orange jelly candy?, and mini chocolate macaron?)— all of them tasted great, i enjoyed so much, since for me, i enjoy lots of variety than eating a big chunk of same thing… no matter how good they are. I get sick of eating same thing…)
Their service was amazing too (both of the time).
They surely recommend us the right things to order.
Thank you.

Went on a rainy night so we had to sit inside. That turned out to be a huge benefit as we were given the «chef’s room», a private dining room with a one way window looking directly into the kitchen. Directly behind us sat the wine cellar, also visible through a one way window and stocked with some of the most amazing wine I’ve ever seen. I’ve never had a feeling more akin to eating in a person’s home than I have at Bastide (and to me, that’s a very, very good thing).
Had the Garlic Soup, which was the best I’ve ever had, followed by the Tenderloin (very good, but could have been a bit more tender) and the Cheesecake with Raspberry Sorbet (2^nd best I’ve ever had).
It wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t mind blowingly expensive (like Providence) so I’m sure I’ll find myself back there a couple times a year.

A leisurely dinner featuring flawless food in a room filled with floor-​to-​ceiling bookshelves? Even without Ludo Lefebvre in the kitchen or giving me a foot rub, I’m pretty sure Bastide is pulled from my fantasies.
The space is gorgeous, with a somewhat eclectic décor that is nonetheless elegant. Our party of six ate in the Assouline room, and it was a perfect setting for a long, relaxing meal. Service was superb throughout. Our waiter gave us a great «off-​menu wine» that wasn’t more expensive, and helped us choose a crisp sauvignon blanc and a great full-​bodied mantonegro. After we left, he called us to let us correct a tipping error because we had neglected to notice that tip was included in the check.
The food was consistently excellent. The bread basket offered a good crackling white roll, solid olive bread, and a bread with raisins and chestnuts that was a little sweet and wonderful with butter and salt. We ordered a large portion of the menu, and each dish exhibited smart composition and dead-​on cooking.
A selection of oysters with banyuls-​shallot mignonette was fresh with lovely crisp flavor. A yellowtail appetizer with shaved vegetables, sriracha, and apple soy dressing also relied on quality seafood, with great ribbons of the delicate fish. Beef tartare had a bit more heft, but while it was meaty, it was also light. The texture was smooth and luscious, and the beef flavor was enhanced by pickles, capers, arugula, and pecorino.
I don’t really go for salads unless I’m consciously being healthy, but the two we had at Bastide were amazing. The tomato salad with watermelon, feta, fried chicken thigh, mache, and sherry emulsion was the best dish of the night. I suppose the fried chicken helped. That succulent thigh was irresistible. Even so, it didn’t steal the show from the beautiful tomatoes and perfect rectangles of juicy seedless watermelon. The shrimp salad with arugula, pine nuts, crushed avocado, and spicy tomato vinaigrette was another worthwhile dish. The vinaigrette wasn’t really spicy, but the flavors all worked and the shrimp was some of the best I’ve ever had.
My entrée was the steak with peas, mac and cheese, and bone marrow jus. It wasn’t the best of the bunch, but it was a decent steak, cooked a pink medium rare. The mac and cheese was a little disappointing. It wasn’t bad, but it was goopy, more like a thick sauce than the cheesy pasta that I was expecting. The peas were just okay, too, done well past al dente. The other entrees I sampled were more impressive. The salmon with beluga lentils, snap peas, and port wine sauce was cooked sous vide to pink, moist, delicate perfection. This was my boyfriend’s order and he now wants me to cook him sous vide fish at home. Another winner was the short rib special with sweet snappy corn, soft potato purée, and chanterelles. It was delicious, with tender, fall-​apart braised ribs and awesome sides. Pan-​roasted halibut with mustard spaetzle was good, too. The fish was nice and firm, and while the dish was on the sweet side, it was still balanced.
We ordered three desserts and they were very good. A stone fruit soup with nectarine, plum, pistachio, peach, and yogurt sorbet was very tasty with prime quality fruit. It was a literal dessert soup, which for some reason I didn’t expect, but it was well done. A chocolate pudding cake with coconut rum-​vanilla ice cream and mango chocolate sauce was lovely, more of a molten soufflé than a cake and better for it. The best of the trio, though, was the cherry tart with balsamic caramel sauce, whipped crème fraîche, and cinnamon ice cream. I loved this dessert. The crust was just right, not too heavy and with a nice crumble, and I loved the whole cherries in the tart. The cinnamon ice cream was a delightful spicy counterpart, and the whole ensemble knocked it out of the park.
Between the comfortable atmosphere, attentive service, and stellar food, Bastide is a truly special restaurant. I have no complaints, and I look forward to visiting again.

I came here for their $ 15 all you can drink happy hour Mondays. There was supposed to be light fare that comes with this deal, but they were nowhere to be found, sadly. The drinks more than made up for the price though. Still, I was a bit miffed to find that the deal they advertised was misleading. Hmph.

This is probably my most favorite restaurant in LA now… I don’t even know where to begin describing the ambiance, service, and food but here we go.
Bastide is tucked away on a quiet street that actually reminds you of Paris. A+ for the location. As it was our first time going here the lack of signage for valet, the actual restaurant, and even where the hostess stand was did make it a little annoying but once we got in and settled any animosity quickly faded.
The décor of the restaurant is best described as an upscale Parisian book store with a little bit of Andy Warhol. Very low lighting, very limited seating, and high attention to décor makes this experience incredibly intimate. It’s a nice change from some of the more popular restaurants in the area because it truly is all about the dining experience, not the glitz and glam that goes hand in hand with typical LA restaurants.
The menu is limited but every option entices you to the point you want to sample everything. Maybe they’ll bring back a tasting menu? For starters we shared steak tartare. It had a rich, smooth flavor and was adorned with shredded gorgonzola. Never seen it served this way but it was a very pleasant addition. A couple glasses of wine later the main dishes were served: Black Cod in a creamy mussel sauce for me and some chicken dish for mon beau. The cod was buttery smooth and went very well with the sauce.
Now on to dessert, which truly blew the meal and appetizer out of the water. We shared the cherry tart with cinnamon ice cream. I wasn’t expecting to taste all that great. WOW was i wrong! The tart cherries were contrasted by the sweet delicate pastry and delicious cinnamon ice cream. Total foodgasm. Literally… My toes curled, got that tingly feeling in my thighs. Never experienced anything like this before from food. Highly recommended!

***Though Michelin-​starred Bastide has a strong reputation, I was quite surprised by the high quality of food here (I would put their chicken dish up there with the best I’ve had); I know they do constant tweaking here so I am curious if my next visit will be as good as my first***
I never went to the fancier Bastide when it won a Michelin Star or featured chefs like Alain Giraud (Anisette) or Ludo Lefebvre. The newly reopened Bastide is apparently more casual with less elite quality ingredients and thus more reasonable prices (though the prices at the new Bastide are still not cheap). While I cannot compare it to the previous highly lauded Bastide, this relaunch features good food and is a welcomed addition to a very competitive area (featuring Comme Ca, Lucques, The Bazaar, and Jar).
At lunch, Bastide’s outdoor dining patio is nice. Similar to The Ivy (mediocre food) and Alcove, Bastide’s outdoor patio is at the front of the restaurant. The space is very Southern Californian and earthy featuring nice seating (bench-​like booths with pillows; woven chairs), functional granite or granite-​like tables, and nice trees and vegetation (home garden-​like potted plants to small plants on the tables).
Bastide also sits on a nice stretch of Melrose Place. Because of this, the front wall of the restaurant is good – enclosed to provide some privacy but also with recurring open entrances to enable a view of the street. Since the street is not usually busy, it is pretty quiet except for some running water decorations in Bastide that added to the tranquil garden-​like atmosphere.
The complimentary bread basket was tasty (with good variety). There was a wholesome wheat roll, a slightly sweet rustic roll with accents of nuts and dried fruits and a flaky croissant-​like piece topped with browned shallots and olives.
Complimentary gazpacho was provided and it was good. It was much bigger than your standard amuse bouche. Very flavorful and refreshing cold tomato base. All the garnishes were good and plentiful – asparagus, finely minced cucumber, chives, olive oil, and a generous portion of shellfish (some kind of crab).
I started with the yellowtail sashimi. While the yellowtail was not up to the quality you would find at a nice Japanese sushi place like Mori Sushi or Asanebo, the yellowtail was fresh and good. The accompaniments provided a light but assured flavoring without being heavy or over-​seasoned. The yellowtail was dressed in some good olive oil and paired with green beans, thin radish slices, edamame, thin strips of asparagus, a nut mix, and some fresh tiny greens that provided a herb fragrance to the dish.
My entrée was the chicken (which the waiter recommended) and it was one of the better chicken dishes I can remember having at a restaurant. The chicken breast meat was moist and tender while the skin was crispy and flavorful. It was paired with three unique flavors that worked quite well together – a silky smooth and sweet carrot purée, a savory olive sauce and a mild and cool yogurt sauce. The side was primarily couscous pearls mixed with crunchy pine nuts. The couscous was different from what I am used to. These were soft and almost roe-​like with a mild flavor. The chicken was garnished with long chives.
After having a good starter and a really good entrée, the dessert was a letdown. Their dessert menu sounded good, but I went a little ordinary and got the soufflé. Soufflé is so hard to get right and I figured Bastide would do a very good version.
The soufflé here though was either baked wrong or it was designed to be more like a fondant than a soufflé. The chocolate soufflé (dusted in powdered sugar) did not rise that much and had a very rich chocolate liquid center. There was not much of the cake-​like components of the soufflé. It was mostly a liquid chocolate center and it was too rich and too much like eating melted chocolate.
There was a little bit of rum vanilla ice cream (slight rum taste), which was good; there was also some mango chocolate sauce. I did not think the chocolate sauce was necessary given that the center of the soufflé (intentional or not) was all liquid. The mango flavor was not apparent in the chocolate sauce.
Service from the attractive waiter and the attractive hostess was very good. Friendly and casual but also polished and professional.
My lunch at Bastide was one of the better meals I’ve had recently (I would also throw in dinner at Grace and Village Pub in S.F.). The only thing I did not enjoy was the dessert, but hopefully their other choices (which did sound good) are better. I look forward to trying Bastide again and I hope they can prove to be a consistently good restaurant (which is so hard to come by). If Bastide could do that, it would be one of the better restaurants in Los Angeles.
Parking is available on the street by meter.

I’m so happy they reopened after a short hiatus. I love Bastide and it’s elegant garden and extensive selection of wines.
I stopped by for an early dinner without a reservation. I was with my gf and baby in a stroller. We were all dressed perfectly for our early evening stroll. Sporting Nikes, organic cottons and hoodies.
I’ve only been to Bastide once, and it’s been several years, but I would have never attempted to snag a table, especially under-​dressed. Tough times have been humbling for all…
The staff was very professional and smart. They accommodated the three of us and politely informed us that all tables were reserved but if we could dine comfortably in an hour and half, we could have the table.
It was a warm early evening so we opted to sit outside with junior. We each enjoyed a glass of chardonnay, lovely home baked goods with homemade butter and enjoyed our entrees.
I had the most flavorful salmon with savory lentils. My friend had? Can’t recall but I’ve included a picture. She said it was delicious and ate every bite!
I will be returning soon. It’s the perfect place for special company. Perfect lunch spot for a couple of girlfriends from your book club, a romantic dinner date or a nice meal with your parents.
Service was impeccable.

The fact that I was able to find street parking on Friday night was the first big plus. Great location on a charming street, walking distance to good watering holes.
The decors is very french and while lots of folks seem to find it generic and uninspiring, I found it understated and charming given the over the top trendy spaces I seem to find in many other L.A. restaurants. We ate on the patio which is a very nice space underneath a pair of olive trees with copper water spouts trickling water out of the wall and potted lavender all around. All their décor including the bathroom sink (in one of the pictures) was well executed with very good attention to detail.
Their wine by the glass is pricey but we found an Argentinian malbec on the wine list for about $ 40. We started off with some salads and apps. The squid was interesting with the fennel, beans and crispy chorizo slices. We also ordered a seasonal heirloom tomato salad which was good but not great. The salad didn’t really source the most spectacular heirlooms or highlight them very well. I may have had high hopes given my love for heirloom tomatoes but it didn’t really deliver. Someone else ordered the frisee salad which I didn’t get to try.
My main dish was a striped bass which was actually cooked very well with a crispy skin and tender flesh and good overall flavor profile. Lots of complex ingredients and herbs that didn’t overpower. We also had the black cod which came in what looked like a Thai green curry-​like sauce. It was pretty good as well but I found the green sauce overpowering. We also had the pork chop which looked like it could have been deep fried (it had such a good caramelized crust) and was huge. The pork chop wasn’t too dry and was flavored well.
We ended our dinner with a couple of chocolate souffles which were actually pretty disappointing. The souffles had a bready top with more of a texture of a molten chocolate cake than a soufflé sans the rich dark chocolate flavor. The vanilla ice cream and mango chocolate sauce didn’t actually help the dish out either. I didn’t really like any of the components.
Overall, great service, great ambiance (I loved the fact that the restaurant itself is also a book store and looks like someones library), and while not every dish was a winner, it was overall one of the better meals I’ve had in L.A.

While waiting for our table to be ready at the outdoor «bar,» the waiter asked us, «What would you like to drink?»
My poor, starving friend replied, «Can I get a Steak?»
To which the waiter queried, «Would you like that in a smoothie?»
hehehe.
That was just one example of the great service this place offers. They are very attentive and pay attention to detail. For example, without interrupting our conversations, they made sure that we had the appropriate silverware to go with our food. My friend got her steak and she was given a steak knife. I ordered the squid and the black cod, and they made sure that I had the seafood-​specific fork and knife.
Food, honestly, is what it is. It’s not the best, but you don’t come here expecting Michellin stars. You come here for the service and ambiance.
Tip: Valet Parking is $ 5 but there is plenty of street, metered parking before 9pm.

This review is for the lunch menu:
The chef’s creativity with flavors and presentation definitely works here! The food smelled wonderful, looked wonderful, and tasted wonderful. As for the art work on the walls,…well…interesting would probably be the best word to describe it. haha
A group of gfs and I had the yellowtail for appetizer. It was YUMMY!!! There were 5 of us, and we got 3 yellowtail appetizers. Yes, so good we had to order 3! Then I had the risotto with smoked salmon on top and asparagus slices throughout. Wow. YUM! One of the girls got the burger.yummy.and then another girl got the crispy chicken with a salad with a poached egg on top… also very tasty.
Then for the dessert, we got the beignets (ohmahgod…soooo good) and the pain perdu… also very good. tasted like very yummy french toast.
I have to say, I really enjoyed the food here. The chef does a great job engaging all of your senses-​sight, smell, and taste… His use of flavors. wow…I gotta go back…

I went today for lunch at Bastide, which is on Melrose Place — not Melrose Blvd. My mistake, and I was running late for my luncheon.
First, they served us a delicious assortment of breads, freshly made right there. And butter that they make themselves as well. I loved the butter. I had to force myself to stop smearing so much delicious butter on wonderful bread. I guess I have never had homemade butter before, and it was the best butter ever.
I had the soup special which was Butternut Squash soup with mushrooms. Wonderful. Then I had the Cod with white beans and lettuce. Very good, the cod had a brown topping hard sauce on it and alittle mussel on the side.
Both the Butternut soup and the white beans were cooked with bacon. Bacon is not my favorite flavoring, and I think it would be fine in one dish. But to rely on bacon as a flavoring is a bit much. I would rather have tasted less bacon. But the food was still wonderful.
One friend got the mussel soup, another friend the risotto — both of them really like their dishes. We shared an apple tartlet with a scoop of ice cream — and it was an amazing delicious dessert.
The artwork on the walls is weird and doesn’t really seem to go with the rest of the décor, which is a green leaf print wallpaper inside. I like abstract art alot, but it was just not a fitting match for the rest of the surroundings.
I would like to go back and eat outside in the patio area soon. The patio area looked very serene and a good place to eat on a warmer day
There is a bookstore in the front of the restaurant which sells specialty books on the arts. After my meal, it was interesting to look through the books they offered.

After a year of closure it’s open again.
One of the French Cultural Associations threw a little opening party in December just to show it off. Same Peeps. New concept.
Gone for the moment are the formerly fabulous but pricey dinners. In fact gone are the dinners altogether. They plan to bring them back in February, but I would double check that again when the time rolls around.
So a girlfriend owed me lunch. I’d lent her a vintage dress for a holiday party last month; even gave her a little evening bag. She said it the dress went over real well because no one had the same outfit she had. She showed her gratitude by picking up the lunch tab at Bastide.
It’s no longer the hefty tab it used to be, so I didn’t gouge my girl. They’ve come to grips with hard economic times, and while they’re not exactly giving it away, the prices are very fair for this lovely courtyard location on this exclusive street about the length of my thigh bone.
We ate modestly, because it’s the time of year to eat modestly, and I’d pigged out on desserts at a party the day before.
I had the smoked trout. She had the scallops. We picked happily from each others plates. Everything was subtle, but with a confident hand. Fresh herbs, lightly seasoned, letting quality ingredients and presentation speak for themselves. No one here was trying to impress or overwhelm any longer. Not like the former incarnation of this restaurant. Even though this is French, it’s the kind of relaxed, perfectly contained meal I used to have day in day out during the month I stayed with my Belgian girlfriend.
We dragged out our meal with girl conversation. something I’ve badly missed. We had a perfectly brewed cappuchino, then lingered to browse the bookstore. Assouline is the bookstore is affiliated with the restaurant. They have hard to come by, gorgeous art books.
I’d like to return for dinner in February if their prices continue to linger at a normalish level. Their menu is not yet etched in stone, nor is it web posted. I think for lunch the chef is simply shopping and seeing what’s fresh and good. You know how they do.

‘m so pleased and just love it! I shoved off the kids to grandma’s this morning for 10 days and it’s date night!!! Okay, sorry… I didn’t mean to be overly excited that the kids are out of town!
July 4^th, the best time to go. Only 3 other tops there.Yey. I know it’s expensive, but as I always say…” You can’t take your money with you, when you DIE!“
Seriously, we did the 7 course tasting. The experience was just exquisite. We started with sashimi with green apple delicousness. Chef Paul Shoemaker is so talented. The things he could do to scallops, fish, lamb and other stuff is just beautiful and colorful morels of art. I think that I just can’t do it any justice by describing the food. I took pictures– check them out!