Cafe Provencal

For our anniversary last week I wanted to do something different for dinner.

I looked around for places we'd never been to around Conejo and Simi Valley, found a few and started looking for reviews. In the end, I chose Café Provençal, a very small French restaurant in the same strip mall with Rhineland Deli (one of our two very good German deli's in town) on the southeast corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Conejo School Road.

In retrospect, it was a terrific choice.

The attention from owner Serge Bonnet was remarkable, but was not unusual from what I observed over the course of a couple hours (unless you are a long time customer, and then you get more).

Sarah's not a big red wine lover, although she will usually have a glass (maybe more) of Merlot. We both decided to have beef, so I was wrestling with which Merlot to try. Serge recommended the Raymond Reserve Merlot (2001), which was quite good and Sarah wound up drinking more of it than I.

We ordered Terrine Maison (pork and chicken pâté) and by recommendation, Spring Rolls for appetizers. The pâté had a very interesting flavor but the Spring Rolls very definitely caught my attention. Oh my, I loved the taste. The delicate vegetables mixed with a wonderful sweet and spicy sauce! Sarah thought it a bit too hot, so beware if you don't love a bit of heat.

The onion soup was everything I expected and more. The aroma was the first thing I experienced (I looked down and caught a full breath of it) which was terrific. It's been a while since I've had an onion soup that rich. Really good stuff.

For dinner, we'd each chosen the Filet Mignon and decided that we'd each try one of the sauces and share a little bit. I had the Forestière (a mushroom sauce) and Sarah had the Roquefort. Unfortunately, they were both great and when we go again (and we will), I'll be just as conflicted.

The topper on the evening was learning that another couple was there (also for the first time) to celebrate their 21^st. They sent us each a glass of champagne which was such a thoughtful gesture, I wish I had the opportunity to repay it in some way.

It was a wonderful dinner. Serge Bonnet has created something very interesting at Café Provençal. It's a lot like Marcello's, another local restaurant with a tiny foot print, great food and dedicated ownership.

We will definitely be going back.