There are several quaint towns on the Peninsula that are perfect for shopping and dining. Menlo Park is one such town that has both upscale shops and some excellent restaurants. Left Bank Brasserie is a perfect restaurant for this stylish, yet non pretentious town. They recently brought in Executive Chef Brendy Monsada and gave him the opportunity to go beyond the standard French Bistro fare and include his own dishes that feature South of France Provencal flavors with California influences using fresh, local and sustainable ingredients. The stylish décor and upbeat atmosphere exudes lively French Brasserie. We particularly loved the large French Parisian Posters, high ceilings, stunning lighting, beautiful floor with diamond inset tiles and our comfortable booth, which was so cozy and allowed us to sit up high, There is a semi exhibition kitchen, separate Bar area with Bar Dining/Menu and a TV for sports fans. There is also a private dining room upstairs with a full view of the main dining area.

Left Bank Brasserie has both a full bar which features classic and contemporary cocktails and an extensive Wine List with French and California Wines by the glass or bottle. We enjoyed a Mes Antibes cocktail which was made with French Grey Goose vodka, pomegranate juice and lime and was quite tart and a Grey Goose Cosmopolitan which was delightful, as we perused the menu. Organic breads made with French countryside recipes by Bay Bread and Pellegrino sparkling water were soon at our table and we settled in and awaited our appetizers.

Encornet Farcis Calamari

 

The Encornet Farcis calamari filled with house made fennel sausage, tomato savory herb sauce and fennel salad was fabulous!! We particularly loved the delicious sauce. You must have the Chicken Liver Mousse with black truffles, fruit compote, radishes, mustard, and toast points. Another excellent choice, for those who like goat cheese, is the Tart Aux Figues which is made with a thin tart crust, Redwood Hill Farm goat cheese, figs, cured ham and arugula. The Escargot En Persillade which was baked escargot in pernod garlic butter was fabulous. The Steak Tartare made with chopped natural Bassian Farms beef, capers, shallots, Dijon mustard, dressing, and a quail egg was the best we had ever tasted as the flavors of the meat came thru and were not masked! A glass of 2009 Kunde “Magnolia Lane”, Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc which was light and had grapefruit notes was the perfect pairing for our appetizers. We always appreciate when the wine is served a small carafe, allowing you to pour when ready and give you portion control.

Lamb Shank

The entrees were both excellent. We loved the Truite A L’Oseille which was a steamed Rainbow Trout with sorrel sauce, fennel confit, olive oil and mushrooms fricassee which was light and healthy. The Jarret D’Agneau was a fabulous braised Lamb Shank with dry lime, tumeric spice in a lentil and chickpea stew. Quite luscious! The 2007 Textbook Vineyards “Fin de Journee” Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley was dense, had a deep color and paired perfectly. We ordered Double Espressos and asked for assistance choosing desserts. We were told that the Chocolate Mousse with chocolate ganache and the Profiteroles made with three cream puffs, French vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce were the most popular. We loved them both as they were not too sweet and you are able to pour your own chocolate sauce on the Profiteroles which is so wonderful!

Profiteroles

We really enjoyed our dinner at the Left Bank Brasserie in Menlo Park. The cuisine was delicious, the décor was lovely, the service was attentive and the prices were very reasonable. We did not try some of their most popular offerings like theirSoupe A L’Oignon Gratinee, Moules Frites or Brasserie Steak Frites, which will make us return soon.

Left Bank Brasserie

635 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park, CA. 94025

650-473-6543

www.leftbank.com