RendezVous Bistro

Our appetizers  included escargots with garlic parsley butter (served in-shell with proper “digging” utensils, they were tender and meaty and the sauce was great for bread-dipping) and crab cakes (three dollar-sized cakes, pan-fried golden with crisp edges and meaty interiors, with plenty of spicy aioli).

By then, we’d switched to a Côtes du Rhone Villages red blend and a Del Bondio Chardonnay. They both went well with the roasted beet spinach salad, which came out looking like a flower, with thin-sliced golden beets fanned along the outer edge and reds in the center, with the lightly dressed greens in the middle. Toasted pine nuts, a sprinkle of paprika and several dollops of goat cheese rounded out the dish. The soup of the day was a smooth and mild potato leek, which was delicious topped with some fresh ground pepper.

If you’re inside, you can watch the crepes being made. We sampled a selection including Isabelle (grilled chicken, goat cheese, caramelized onions, pine nuts and sundried tomatoes), Simone (beef with cream and Fontina cheese, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms), Audrey (duck confit with caramelized onions and Béchamel sauce), Laetitia (chicken, spinach, mushrooms, crème fraîche and Fontina cheese), and Gabrielle (smoked ham, Fontina cheese, mushrooms and Béchamel sauce, topped with a fried egg). All of these rich, delicious creations are served with a mixed green or potato salad and are filling enough to be a meal. Rabbaa says each is built on ideas for other dishes—for example, Simone is inspired by Philly cheese steaks, while Gabrielle gives a nod to eggs Benedict.

Our entrées included braised short ribs (no knife needed), an earthy dish with creamy mashed potatoes and blanched green beans, carrots and plenty of sauce. They went perfectly with the L’Astoria Meritage (lively, deep red). Next were the fresh, plump steamed mussels, served with a light Provencal sauce and plenty of fries.

For dessert, we enjoyed some of the sweet crepes, including Madame Suzette (Gran Marnier, orange juice, butter, orange zest and melted sugar), Thalia (apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and Calvados), and, our favorite, Muriel (Nutella with bananas and strawberries, topped with powdered sugar). Everything we had was served with a beautiful presentation and a smile—no wonder we left grinning, too.