Eat Me!: Cafe Bizou

Wonderers!  Good Afternoon, and welcome to the second installment of Eat Me!  I hope you are all enjoying your Superbowl Sundays (perhaps even with Superbowl Sundaes?), but I'm glad to be a happy break between football and commercials.

Today's restaurant up for review is Cafe Bizou.  It was my Gamma's 92nd birthday, and my aunt decided to treat her to a ladies lunch, with my cousin Evelin, her care taker Chris, my mother, and myself.  Since they all live on the westside of LA, we ate at the Santa Monica location -- there are also locations in Sherman Oaks, and Pasadena.  I have never been to their Pasadena location, but I can tell you that the one in Sherman Oaks is considerably smaller in size than the Santa Monica location.

About the Restaurant:
Most of the food on the menu is French Provincial, or French inspired.  There is always a bread basket centered on the white table cloth, along with a small ramekin of butter tabs (yes, real butter) and wine glasses.  The atmosphere is clean, and simple.  Nothing too extravagant, just classic, elegant decor which gives the restaurant a refined, yet comfortable feel.  Dark wood furniture with clean, white tablecloths and napkins.  I always dress to eat there (a little nicer than casual), though it's not necessary at all.  Jeans are perfectly acceptable.

Usually, when I eat at Cafe Bizou, I'm there for dinner, and the menu is a little more extensive.  My regular order is the Rack of Lamb (you will find it on the dinner menu) which is absolute heaven.  I salivate just thinking about it.  However, since I was there for a ladies lunch, I had to make my selection from the lunch menu.

The Food:

Mmm... bread... *drool*

As I mentioned before, there is always a bread basket on the table.  As a girl who struggles with weight maintenance, the bread basket at any restaurant is usually a no-no.  Why fill up on bread when you have lots of other tasty treats to eat instead?  Well, at Cafe Bizou, the bread is so good, it requires little to no butter (though as long as you have real butter in front of you, why pass on the opportunity?).  I remembered only having the french bread in that basket, however, there were also a few pieces of raisin-nut bread, which, if you have the opportunity, you should totally try.  Both breads are delicious, and compliment each other nicely.

Our next course was a salad.  There are two options for salad - the house salad with your choice of dressing, or a Caesar salad, for which you have to pay extra (I believe the extra charge is around a dollar).  I opted for a house salad, with a Honey-Dijon vinaigrette at the suggestion of our friendly waiter, who mentioned the dressing is their most popular.  The dressing didn't disappoint!  Sweet, tangy, and not overpowering, it was a very nice compliment to the lettuce and tomatoes, without covering the taste of the veggies themselves.  Very refreshing!

My Gamma even plated it nicely for me

My Gamma got Tuna Tartare for lunch.  For those who don't know, this dish is deceptively rich.  It's served in quenelles with slices of cucumber, and arranged in a neat starburst on the plate.  The flavor is really good, though since it wasn't the taste I was seeking, I wasn't particular to it that day.  Perhaps on another occasion I would have found it more pleasing, but from the bite I had, it just wasn't my deal.

My mother ordered the Beef Stroganoff.  It wasn't my first choice, but I definitely wished I had considered it more strongly.  More to the point, I wish I had let myself indulge in more of the leftovers we brought home, regardless of the carbs.  There are so many flavors I love on this plate.  The beef is tender and just melts in your mouth, while the pasta adds a textural change.  I typically prefer my pasta to be a little bit more al dente, but the texture of the pasta doesn't deter from the savory explosion in your mouth.   It's hearty, it's warm, the sauce is just the right consistency... delicious.  And yeah, "warm" is a flavor.  So is "crispy".  So there.

So pretty!

As I looked at the lunch menu, trying to decide what I wanted (since my usual order was not available to me) I was torn between the Roasted Balsamic Chicken Breast, the Chicken Pomodori Panini, and the Sesame Coated Atlantic Salmon, which I ultimately ended up ordering.  It was the burgundy wine sauce that sold me.  The potato pancakes are really more like wedges of polenta, but they are a lovely compliment to the salmon, which was cooked to perfection.  Nothing on this plate required the use of a knife, which is great.  The salmon flaked just as it should, and none of the polenta pancakes were so tough that the side of a fork wouldn't cut through them.   The wine sauce was delicious, but, like any wine reduction, it can be a bit bracing on your tongue if you get too much in your mouth without something to absorb it.  I used it to dip a bit of leftover bread as well.  Tremendous.

At the end of the meal, they brought out a complimentary flourless chocolate cake for the birthday girl.  They also brought it out with six spoons so everyone at the table could enjoy some.  It's served on a plate with raspberry coulis and a dusting of powdered sugar over the top.  There is no picture (because I was too busy enjoying it to take one) but you can be sure that it's a winner.  There's nothing wrong with warm, flourless chocolate cake.  But definitely one or two bites is enough... unless you want to go into a chocolate-induced coma.  Can't say I'd mind that...

So, once again, Cafe Bizou did not disappoint.  I recommend it for anyone in the LA area (or even not in the LA area!) looking for some semi-casual fine dining.  Delicious food, great service, lovely atmosphere... and just in time for Valentine's Day, they offer a Prix Fixe menu for the occasion.  Great for a date night!

Cafe Bizou (in Santa Monica) can be found at:

BIZOU GRILL, Santa Monica
2450 Colorado Ave. Suite 1050 W,
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310)453-8500