Paris Found at Left Bank, San Mateo

Recently added to the menu authentic French delicacies – les tartes flambees and house made pates – were reason enough to forgo my trip to Paris (not feasible anyway with our euro-to-dollar situation and their fears of our flu), and settle for the Left Bank in San Mateo, one of the five locations owned by the chef/owner of La Folie, Roland Passot. I now can wholeheartedly recommend both the classic Alsacian thin crust tarts topped with duck confit, onions and mushrooms, or shrimp, chorizo and tomato sauce, or with other delectable combinations, and the pates, be it chicken lever truffle mousse or duck and pork rillette, or just an old favorite chunky country pate. Also added to the menu are two innovative meals: a TGV speedy lunch, named after a high-speed French train, and a $21/21h supper, served in two courses after 9 p.m. Not that the old tried and true menu is not enticing enough with fresh oysters, creative appetizers, and daily specials of slowly cooked classics like beef bourguignon, bouillabaisse, or duck a l’orange. Left bank San Mateo executive sous chef, Brendy Monsada treated my dining companion and me to his own spicy tomato-y lobster bisque and some silky-smooth seared foie gras. Brian Emerson, manager, admitted that it is not unusual for the kitchen crew to feel a sudden kinship with one or another party in the dining room, and spoil the patrons rotten with additional niceties, just because… A wonderful glass of rose (Lebreton Domaine des Rochelles cabernet d’Anjou) added a refreshingly sweet, fruit forward note to my tart Perigord, and some great pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon tastes were duly noted (Kenneth Volk, Santa Maria Valley 2006 pinot definitely prevailed even over good French ones). The wine list with all the martinis, aperitifs, and pastis, is very much Left Bank, Seine, as well as the ambience – red velvet curtains, antique posters, intimate booths, and an open kitchen decorated with a copper porker – a symbol of the restaurant. Located at 1100 Park Place, San Mateo. For reservations, call 650-345-2250 or visit www.leftbank.com. Photography by Yuri Krasov. 1. Bar at Left Bank. 2. Outdoor seating. 3. Executive sous chef Brendy Monsada. 4. Steak frits, so French!