My favorite French restaurant is no more

[Octaveman]

Liason in Hillcrest closed some time ago so now I'm looking for a good replacement. And I'd like to take my wife there for Valentine's day. Quick suggestions please.

Thanks much,

Bob

[dockhl]

Well, there is always

Mille Fleurs

in Rancho Santa Fe and it looks like you can check availability online.

[FrogPrincesse]

Tapenade in La Jolla. I highly recommend it. The chef is French and created the brasserie "Les Halles" in New York City.

[kalypso]

Also consider La Bastide in Scripps Ranch.

[Swicks]

I second Tapenade.

[Adrian3891]

Contrary to the other two posters on the board, I have to strongly caution against Tapenade. The restaurant served me a caricature of French food. When I was there in the summer, the most ordered dish on the menu was steak frites which, while not dispositive, certainly says something about what the restaurant is claiming as a high-end French experience. Ingredient sourcing left much to be desired. I originally wanted to order the salmon dish that was a "tribute" to Troisgros's salmon with sorrel. Thankfully, the watier cautioned against it because they were using farmed salmon. Take two was an under salted and cloyingly sweet "homage" to Senderen's lobster in vanilla. Nothing else was memorable except for over-salted beef short ribs. They were not memorable because they were good. The wine list was both weak and sparse relative to other restaurants I visited. To be fair, my parents had an excellent meal there the year before, but this was pretty unforgiveable. As to where to go, I've heard good things about Mille Fleurs and Nine-ten but can't comment from personal experience. Based on my meals, Bertrand at Mr. A's serves decent French food with great wines in a spectacular setting (on top of an office tower, outside, over looking downtown). Wine Seller and Brasserie also served acceptable haute French (although the portions were far too large) and has a spectacular wine collection. The atmosphere isn't great there but the service is.

[Swicks]

Interesting, I haven't been in awhile and apparently it has gone way down hill.

[kalypso]

Interesting, I haven't been in awhile and apparently it has gone way down hill.

←

I haven't been in a while either, but I think the previous posters really unfortunate experience wasn't typical. Tapanade is usually pretty reliable, sound like the "B" team was cooking. I haven't gone back since I was on the receiving end of really snotty service, which is totally uncalled for, especially in SD where service isn't so hot to begin with.

I have eaten at Nine-Ten and like it a lot, but it's not French. The food is good the service is usually terrible. Mille Fleurs and Mr. A's are owned by the same family adn both have a long history of serving good food in the French style using French chefs.

[kalypso]

Liason in Hillcrest closed some time ago so now I'm looking for a good replacement.  And I'd like to take my wife there for Valentine's day.  Quick suggestions please.

Thanks much,

Bob

←

Bob, I know it's now past Valentine's Day and this recommendation isn't exactly French, but it is in Hillcrest and why wait for Valentine's Day to roll around again for a date with your wife

Try The Better Half (no web page as of now). It's been open for a couple of months in the space that was formerly occupied by The Abbey, on University between 1st St. and Front, next to Ortega's and across the street from Chilango's.

The chef John Robert Kennedy was cooking at Cafe One-Three on Park Ave. until just recently. His cooking pedigree is pretty impressive for a chef in SD...CCA for culinary school in SF, then on to The French Laundry, Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulard, back to SF to work at Gary Danko and now SD. The food is interesting, creative, almost all of it made in house (including some really good whole grain mustard), and well priced. The bread pudding is probably the best version in the city right now; it's light, almost souffle-like, flavorful and completely seductive. Service was warm, friendly, sincere and some of the best I've seen in San Diego over the last few years. The owner was recently affiliated with the very upscale Blanca in Solana Beach.

The whole premise is built around 1/2 bottles of wine rather than full bottles. I dine a lot during the week and sometimes only want a glass or so of wine, not a whole bottle. I'm also not infrequently a solo diner and the half bottle appeals to me on that level too. Their wine list is extensive for half bottles (it includes champagne splits too) and we were very pleasantly surprised at how knowledgable our server was about the different wines. We basically told her what we liked to drink and she made a suggestion that turned out to be perfect for us. They don't sell full bottles of wine, but diners are more than welcome to bring full bottles with them, corkage is a very reasonable $5.

Appetizers are $7 - 14, entrees $15 - 25, I thought the prices were quite reasonable, plus they do an amuse and intermettzzo gratis. Don't wait for Valentine's Day, grab your wife and go check out The Better Half.

[Octaveman]

Sounds good to me...thanks for the review.

[Kouign Aman]

How about the Wine Seller/Cellar and Brasserie? (sp?)

Its just off MiraMesa Blvd, a few blocks east of 805.

[Honkman]

The Better Half has a webpage now.

http://www.thebetterhalfbistro.com/

I can highly recommend to go there.

Another good french-influenced restaurant in SD is Cafe Chloe

Liason in Hillcrest closed some time ago so now I'm looking for a good replacement.  And I'd like to take my wife there for Valentine's day.  Quick suggestions please.

Thanks much,

Bob

←

Bob, I know it's now past Valentine's Day and this recommendation isn't exactly French, but it is in Hillcrest and why wait for Valentine's Day to roll around again for a date with your wife

Try The Better Half (no web page as of now). It's been open for a couple of months in the space that was formerly occupied by The Abbey, on University between 1st St. and Front, next to Ortega's and across the street from Chilango's.

The chef John Robert Kennedy was cooking at Cafe One-Three on Park Ave. until just recently. His cooking pedigree is pretty impressive for a chef in SD...CCA for culinary school in SF, then on to The French Laundry, Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulard, back to SF to work at Gary Danko and now SD. The food is interesting, creative, almost all of it made in house (including some really good whole grain mustard), and well priced. The bread pudding is probably the best version in the city right now; it's light, almost souffle-like, flavorful and completely seductive. Service was warm, friendly, sincere and some of the best I've seen in San Diego over the last few years. The owner was recently affiliated with the very upscale Blanca in Solana Beach.

The whole premise is built around 1/2 bottles of wine rather than full bottles. I dine a lot during the week and sometimes only want a glass or so of wine, not a whole bottle. I'm also not infrequently a solo diner and the half bottle appeals to me on that level too. Their wine list is extensive for half bottles (it includes champagne splits too) and we were very pleasantly surprised at how knowledgable our server was about the different wines. We basically told her what we liked to drink and she made a suggestion that turned out to be perfect for us. They don't sell full bottles of wine, but diners are more than welcome to bring full bottles with them, corkage is a very reasonable $5.

Appetizers are $7 - 14, entrees $15 - 25, I thought the prices were quite reasonable, plus they do an amuse and intermettzzo gratis. Don't wait for Valentine's Day, grab your wife and go check out The Better Half.

←

[Octaveman]

I know it's a bit late in responsing but thanks for the suggestions. We will definately check some of these places out. BTW, for Valentines Day we went to Piatti Ristorante and Bar in La Jolla. Hard to get something for a reasonable time for dinner a day before a holiday. Anyway, it was pretty good. They had a lamb tenderlon special that was delicious. Not French but good none-the-less.

Thanks again.

Edited March 14, 2008 by Octaveman (log)