La Rose Bistro (Berkeley)

DINNER DATE: 02.11.12 @ 6 PM

Not "Ooo-Laa-Laa!" great but  much better than okay.

La Rose is a lesser-known cute little bistro in Berkeley not far from more popular Berkeley eateries such as La Note, Venus and Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen. At close to 6PM,  these famous Berkeley restaurants had over an hour wait for dinner.

Enrique and I found ourselves wandering the streets of Berkeley looking for a restaurant that would feed us.

Enter La Rose--
La Rose is a small, unpretentious casual bistro with friendly warm and friendly staff.  Some of the staff are French and spoke French but far from th stereotype of the infamous French snootiness.

DECOR/AMBIANCE:
It was cozy and the signature red Parisian awning that was visible through the picture window makes one forget that they are in Berkeley. The decor was simple with French-themed faux prints that you will find sold at the Z Gallerie. La Rose is indeed a cute place to have a casual romantic dinner.
It seems to be popular among the older set.

DRINKS:
VUEVE DE VERNAY BRUT, LOIRE VALLEY (FRANCE) $7
*Bright with fine bubbles, fresh on the nose, vibrant floral and fruit driven with clean citrus finish.
- As described, it was a nice bubbly for the price.  It was cute that it was poured from the small bottle which was left on the table. I got 2 pours for $7.

APPETIZER:
FOIE GRAS WITH FRIED QUAIL EGG ON BRIOCHE AND APPLE $14
-Soon to be banned in CA and not willing to go into the politics of this delicacy, I took this opporutunity to eat it while I still can. I honestly had silkier and tastier foie gras. This was a little too firm for me but it was okay. The quail egg, apple and brioche complimented the foie gras.

SALADE DE CRAB $7
*Dungeness crab cake with lemon-caper tartar sauce & mixed green salad
-Enrique enjoyed his appetizer. There was a 50-50 crab and filler and he even got a little piece of crab shell. Good and reasonably priced.

MAINS:
MAGRET DE CANARD ROTI $22
*Duck Breast in honey-pepper sauce, asparagus, fried polenta & caramelized apple
-A very nice dish with well-structured sauce. The tender duck meats did not have even the slightest hint of gaminess and actually also very tasty. Overall a delicious meal except I wished the duck could have been "melt in your mouth" tender.

PETONCHLES POELES $23
*Pan seared Scallops with sherry wine sauce, parsnip puree & snap peas
-A simple dish but delicious perfectly seared scallops according to Enrique.

DESSERT:
APPLE AND BLUEBERRY ROSSOLE (?) W/ HONEY AND ICE CREAM $6
- Ooooo-Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
2 darling little pies with apple and blueberry fillings, drizzled with honey and a side of vanilla ice cream. I almost licked the plate clean that Enrique asked if I wanted another one. I was tempted but I declined.

CHECK: $99 including tax and tip with 1 bubbly and 1 soda

VERDICT:
La Rose is a hidden gem in Berkeley. Solidly good French food with warm unpretentious service in a cozy venue. Prices are very reasonable and portions are filling.

GOOD TO KNOW:
*BART-able (Berkeley BART).
*Call for reservations before you go.
*Service was friendly, attentive but very slow. This is a meal that is meant to be savored. Just load up on the complimentary warm bread with delicious cilantro dip.

Catch

 

 

DINNER DATE: 02.04.12 @ 5:45 PM

On a cold nippy night in San Francisco (which could possibly be almost year round) and you are finding yourself craving a hot bowl of liquid comfort; but you are not really feeling ramen or pho......

FOOD:
Let me tell you--Catch's SEAFOOD STEW $22 will warm them cold bones and fill thy belly.
*This ciopinno in tomato broth is loaded, I mean, loaded with mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops and fresh fish. The menu says it includes crab meat but I think I was too busy to notice since worse than a starving alley cat I licked this bowl clean. But unlike other cioppino that I had, this stew was not fishy but I remember the fish pieces being melt in my mouth.

 

It might be pricey at $22 but believe me, this bowl was huge! It came with 2 cheesey toasts but I gave them to my man, Instead I dunk the complimentary warm bread which was so good they could have been Acme or Acme's sister. I have been very good at not eating bread at restaurants but there are certain situations where you just have to welcome carbs at your dinner table like your long-lost friend. Paired with warm bread soaking up the broth doused in Tabasco (I did this on my own), every spicy bite was like heaven!

Enrique wanted the beef ribs but I told him that if a seafood restaurant, order seafood. He listened and ordered the FETTUCINE WITH MAINE LOBSTER MEAT IN GARLIC CREAM SAUCE $ 23.00. He truly enjoyed his dish and liked the chunks of lobster meat in his pasta.

 

APPETIZER:
My man ordered the FRIED MIX OF THE TIGER PRAWNS, CALAMARI, ROCK COD AND GREEN BEANS WITH TARTAR SAUCE 11.50
*A big platter of fried greasy seafood. Aside from the tiger prawns which was crispy battered in cornmeal I believe and were the only ones that were not greasy, I did not like this plate at all.

 

DRINK:
The POMEGRANATE MARGARITA $11 but so worth it since it was made with Patron Silver was like nectar and gave me the nice buzz that gave me a nice healthy appetite for dinner.

 

DESSERT:
BANANA SPLIT $7.50 is ever my man's favorite. A good choice since it was sweet way to end a sweet dinner.

AMBIANCE/DECOR:
Catch is spacious but cozy. It looks like it was decorated by Pottery Barn next door. Brick walls, high ceilings, oil lamps on every table and beautiful colorful contemporary art work. There are two sections--the enclosed patio and the main dining room that are separated by glass which gives a sense of continuity between rooms.

 

We were seated by the glass and metal gas fireplace with faux wood in the center of the patio. It was indeed very warm and cozy. This would be a nice spot to drink your cosmo or one of the signature drinks.

 

The long bar is also attractive as well as the dimmed dining area.

VERDICT:
A cozy classy casual place in the Castro to have a seafood dinner and enjoy a round of drinks. A nice place for romantic date nights or dinner with your friends, even family dinners. Service was very friendly and very attentive. A server was constantly filling our water glasses.

CHECK: $88 before tip
Thanks to Groupon, our final tab was only $64 including 20% tip. A great deal!

ADDICTIVE FACTOR: 5 Catch's Seafood Stew is freaking unforgettable! I want another bowl, pronto!

GOOD TO KNOW:
*Difficult parking in the Castro but possible.
*1000 points on Opentable are available at certain times.