French on the Cheap: Little Bird

Little Bird is the sister restaurant of the famed Le Pigeon.  Chef Gabriel Rucker won the James Beard Award this year for Best Chef: Northwest.  I won the lottery by getting to have a wonderful lunch with my friend annyong!

The space is so adorable and so very bistro-esque.  Even though we were ordering up a storm, we couldn't resist the bread and salt-topped butter.

Housemade pineapple soda ($3.50).

Yes, it's clear, but it was totally pineapple-y!  Crazy!

Foie gras torchon, rhubarb and muscat grappa gelee, hazelnut streusel ($17).

Heavenly!  I loved this rich and creamy decadence, and I loved the fruity, tart, and nutty supporting cast.

Le Pigeon Burger and fries ($12).

annyong highly recommended this burger, and we had a fabulous time sharing it and the marvelous fries.  Really juicy and substantial.

Baguette, jambon de paris, Gruyere, dijon, greens ($8).

Delightfully simple yet delicious.  So glad annyong and I traded halves!

Bonus pics: annyong's adorable dog (too cute for words) and all three of us!

Great end to a great trip.  You rule, Portland.

An American Brasserie: Currant

We've eaten at Currant twice and enjoyed it both times.  Currant is probably the best part about The Sofia Hotel.

The space is high-ceilinged and comfortable.

Mr. Monkey had fresh-squeezed orange juice ($3).  I got a super cheap mimosa ($3).

For only $8, you can make your mimosa bottomless!  A veritable steal!

Chorizo hash and eggs -- two eggs any style, red chili sauce, toast ($8.95).

The hash was made of sweet potatoes and steeped with spicy chorizo. Great spicy start to the day!

Machaca breakfast burrito -- pulled short ribs, jack cheese, scrambled eggs, red chili sauce ($9.95).

Stuffed to the brim with beefy goodness.  Definitely no skimping on meat here.

Currant feels very different at night.

Hot bread and butter greet you.

Duck salad ($11.95).

Hazelnuts and strawberries? Yes, please!

Moules frites ($14.95).

Strong rendition of the French classic.

Duck linguine ($18.95).

Ample meat, powerful flavors, springy pasta.

Duck cassoulet ($22.95).

Yeah, we love duck.  This was my fave dish of the night.

Chevre cheesecake -- goat cheese, granola crust, raspberry coulis, fresh seasonal berries ($8.95).

Creamy and strong.  Don't get this if you don't love goat cheese.

Currant is a modern French bistro with American warmth and hospitality that's worth visiting.

A Little Taste of France: Cafe Chloe

We've eaten at Cafe Chloe in San Diego a number of times.  It's usually within walking distance of wherever we're staying, and the food is solid even if the service may sometimes be slow.

The menu changes frequently.  It's always filled with delicious seasonal options.

Choucroute garnie special -- smoked pork loin, braised pork belly, lamb and duck sausage, sauerkraut, and steamed fingerlings ($23).

So very Alsacian! Germany meets France! Juicy! Meaty! Tangy!

Pomme frites with trio of dips ($7.50).

Hot, crisp, and irresistible!

Macaroni, pancetta, and blue d'auvergne gratin ($15).

As good as it sounds

One time, we sat outside and could see the fireworks at Petco Park.

Brunch at Cafe Chloe is a joy, as well.  Maybe even better than dinner.  Pretty reliable joint.

Perfect Table for One: Claudine

During a business trip to San Francisco, I returned to my beloved alley (home of both Gitane and Cafe Claude) and had the most wonderful lunch by myself at a tiny eatery called Claudine. I truly savored every bite.

Here are my iPhone instagram photos.

The view from my solo table.

A group of French-speaking senior citizens sat at the table beside me. When the young restaurant host spoke French with them, I got really excited about my meal to come.

Gnocchi Parisienne, braised beef cheeks, onion soubise, mint ($17).

Crazy good. Seriously. Light pillows with melt-in-your-mouth meat and a heavenly sauce.

Panna cotta, strawberries, basil, candied fennel ($7).

Not too sweet. Just tart enough. Fresh. Wondrous. Love love love.

The check.

I'm pretty sure I closed my eyes several times and said, "Mmm."

Go.

A Taste of France: Cafe Claude

Cafe Claude is in the same alley as Gitane. This may be the most delicious alley I've ever encountered.

Having just gone to Paris last month, we still had the food fresh in our memories, so it was going to be hard for Cafe Claude impress us.

But it did! Granted, it wasn't Paris, but it was rather delicious!

The sad part about Cafe Claude, however, was that we sat right under a red light, which even my white balance couldn't counteract. (Oh, who am I kidding? Total user error here.)

Just pretend we got swept away to the 1920s like Owen Wilson did in Midnight in Paris...when color photography wasn't rampant.

Bread and butter.

Who can resist a warm and crusty baguette?

Soupe a l'oignon -- onion soup gratinee with Swiss cheese, baguette croutons ($9).

Really nice version. Super cheesy.

Escargot en croute -- garlic, butter, parsley, almond, pernod, shallots, anchovy, puff pastry ($11).

We love snails! Butter, garlic, and puff pastry could convert anyone!

Coq au vin -- chicken marinated in red wine, bacon, mushroom, pearl onion, fingerling potatoes, roasted carrots ($22).

So wonderfully tender and completely steeped with wine. Happiness.

Epinard -- sauteed spinach ($6).

I ate almost all of this! Poor Mr. Monkey!

Macaroni gratinee -- Emmental cheese, shaved truffles, herbs, bread crumbs ($12).

But Mr. Monkey ate most of this. Fantastic.

Sorry for the ridiculous black-and-white, but I couldn't just dump these photos. This meal was worth sharing with you.

Incredible Tapas in an Alley: Gitane

We had one of the best meals we've had in San Francisco in recent memory at Gitane, an Iberian-peninsula-inspired tapas place in a dark alley.

The restaurant is small, dark, and cramped, but you will love it.

Bacon bonbons -- prunes stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in smoked bacon, spiced port glaze ($10).

These sounded so promising, but they weren't actually that tasty. I was worried that we were going to have a bad meal.

Bastilla -- sweet and savory pastry with chicken, spiced almonds, apricot fennel salad ($13).


Yes! Hot and flaky! Salty and sweet! From this point on, our meal was superb.

Calamares stuffed with bacon and onion, manzanilla olives, cherry tomatoes, heirloom potatoes ($16).

Astounding. Our party of three all agreed that this was the star dish of the night. Even though garlic is not mentioned in the menu description, this skillet was a garlic lover's dream. Super flavorful. Super delicious.

Rabanetes -- sauteed radishes, harissa butter ($7).

A tangy, crunchy, refreshing contrast to our entrees.

Caille -- Tolenas Farm quail, chorizo apple stuffing, celery root gratin and cider jus ($28).

Fabulous! Tender, juicy, and luscious!

Bruxelas -- Brussels sprouts, golden raisins, pomegranate, brown sugar sherry vinaigrette ($7).

Another great contrasting side. Shredded yumminess with tart pomegranate pops.

Beignets with melted chocolate, naughty cream, and seasonal fruit preserves ($7).

A far cry from the glory that is Cafe du Monde, but the lovely dipping options made up for this. I was big fan of the naughty cream, which was basically vanilla bean cream.

I definitely want to come back to Gitane to sample more of its interesting menu. Lucky for me, Mr. Monkey feels the same.