out and about: the french gourmet

Part of the fun of living in the town one grew up in, is the evolution of restaurants - those you loved as a child, and how they have grown to be a part of your future.

Case in point, the french gourmet. Growing up in bird rock, we were situated closer to pacific beach than downtown la jolla proper and used both towns as our playgrounds. The french gourmet was/is on the direct border between la jolla and pb, and was/is a hop skip and a jump from my childhood home.

We grew up going on the regular, eating french pastries, and taking home fresh baguettes. I can even remember when the chocolate mousse cake was a staple at price club (now costco).

Jamie and I did cake tasting for our wedding at the french gourmet, and while we ended up being too afraid to drive the cake out to palm springs ourselves, it would have been our choice had we married in town.

Every year on the first day of preschool, this is where jamie and I would head for brunch. And through the years, we have attended countless iron horse wine dinners (it’s the one place in town I found that carried iron horse after my disneyland discovery of the the brand), champagne tastings, and double dates.

Suffice to say it’s been a lifetime of excellent meals.

The beer list is very small, and while they have stone ipa in cans… mr. ipa snobby only likes his in bottles. All this to say that the “lager” was recommended as the best seller… and jamie whole heartedly agreed. He said it was the best lager he’s ever had and would willingly drink it again.

However if that’s not your jam, they will go next door to the bar and grab you a beer of your preference.

While they have a fun cocktail menu, which includes my fav french 75; I was feeling a dirty martini. And while not “french” per see? It was pretty darn good.

Also, service starts out with fresh baked baguettes. Which are so tender on the inside, crusty on the outside, and served with softened butter. Chef’s kiss.

soupe à l’oignon gratinée: swiss cheese, crostini

If you want the real deal french onion soup, look no further. Super cheesy, crostini, jam packed with onions. It’s the hearty comforting soup you dream about. And while it’s the perfect meal starter? They also have a larger size available for anyone who wants to make it more of a meal.

small french gourmet house salad: local baby greens, cucumber, mushroom, tomatoes, & vinaigrette

One of my favorite house salads around. Fresh, clean, light and so flavorful. It was also perfectly dressed. A great way to start off the meal without overstuffing yourself.

house sparkling
crispy duck fat brussels sprouts: smoked onion chutney, parmesan, pickled onions & balsamic reduction

Cheers! While I had ordered the sparkling rose; they brought the regular sparkling instead. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it, since sparkling is sparkling. And honestly this was not a bad sparkling. A little more sweet than I like, but not so sweet that I bothered to send it back for the rose.

If there is duck fat anything on a menu, I’m prolly gonna order it. And these brussels were no exception. Crispy on the outside, tender without being mushy on the inside.

And the juxtaposition between the smoked onion chutney and the pickled onions was a perfect balance.

Pro tip: you can ask for them to be made vegan. Win win for all.

salmon dijonnaise: whole grain mustard, fresh citrus, tarragon crème

Is there a better flavor combo than fresh salmon and dijon mustard? I’ll wait.

The salmon was fork tender, fresh and flavorful with every bite.

It was served with fresh vegetables - which were green beans and what I think was cooked jicima or turnip. Either way, delish. Especially when dunked in the tarragon cream under the salmon. So good.

beef bourguignon: boneless tender beef, red wine sauce with pearl onions, mushrooms, carrots

When in france, no? I mean who can resist the frenchist of french beef dishes ever when eating at a french restaurant? The meat was fork tender, the vegetables soft without being mushy, and the gravy was (as jamie said) exactly what you would imaging when dreaming of this dish. And the boy’s been to france multiple times, so we defer to his palate on this one.

Entrees are served with your choice of frites or au gratin. Jamie beat me to the punch and order them au gratin with this dish. While we knew we were going to order both with our differing entrees, personally? I would pair the au gratin with the salmon, and the frites with the bourguignon to create an almost poutine situation. Just saying.

raspberry bagatelle: layers of white sponge cake dabbed with kirsch syrup, filled with bavarian cream and fresh raspberries , and topped with whipped cream and white chocolate shavings

Confession time. I have never had the raspberry bagatelle. The strawberry on the other hand. Now that was always my go-to, and would have been one of the two flavors in our wedding cake.

After tasting the raspberry version however, I’m thinking had it been offered way back when, I might have chosen it instead.

What sets the french gourmet pastries apart from all others is the consistent quality of the cake itself. So (pardon) moist, and absolutely flavorful on its own.

chocolate mousse cake: chocolate mousse layered between chocolate sponge cake dabbed with orange liqueur, frosted with chocolate mousse and covered with dark chocolate shavings

This was the famous costco cake. We used to bring it home and devour it in almost one sitting (and we are talking about a costco sized cake here). I so miss those days. Although my waist prolly thanks me.

This was our second flavor choice for our wedding cake had we been able to go with the french gourmet, and while I love a bagatelle… is prolly my favorite cake offering (if a napoleon doesn’t count, that is).

If you are looking for a classic meal, don’t sleep on the french gourmet. I for one will be back, per usual.