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The girls, the guys, escargots and egg burger on french roll
Gamine French BistrotFor letter G of our Alphabet Dining, the votes aligned to Gamine, a French spot in the Marina district known for it’s burgers. Fun fact: “Gamine” is a French word describing a mischievous woman, such as Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffanys” (who just so happens to be one of my idols). The website doesn’t explain the connection between this and their food, which leaves me curious!
Starters
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Mmmm Escargots & garlic butter!
A French staple, escargots (snails) never disappoint. Gamine seasoned them deliciously with a thick garlic butter, and served them on a sophisticated white doily.
Becca’s first escargot!
Upon discovering that Rebecca had never before tried an escargot, we of course insisted that she try one now. She was a trooper not only because it was her first one, but because she had just removed 2 wisdom teeth a couple days before!
Entrees
Veggie Burger
Peppers & zucchinni sauteed w/olive oil & scrambled egg, avocado on french roll
Fries & aioli | Seasoned mixed greens
We all ended up getting burgers (yes, even poor Becca with her sore jaw), since Gamine is known for them. Since everyone ordered the Basic Burger, I opted for the Veggie Burger. Instead of a patty, my burger came with peppers & zucchinni sauteed w/olive oil and scrambled eggs, and topped with avocado on french roll. Fries, aioli, and seasoned mixed greens came on the side.
Veggie Burger w/ peppers, zucchini, avocado & scrambled egg on french roll
I was expecting more of a veggie patty resembling a burger, but perhaps this is my fault for not inquiring more on my order. The ingredients were all flavorful and fresh, but I would consider this more of a sandwich than a burger. Also, the “veggies” turned out to be 90% bell peppers and 10% zucchinis. I would have preferred more variety. I paid extra to have the avocado added.
I would have also preferred more flavor in the aioli that came with the fries – it was a bit bland for this American ketchup-lover, but again, that is simply my personal preference.
Basic Burger w/egg on french roll | Fries & aioli
Basic Burger w/ bacon on french roll | Seasoned mixed greens
The Basic Burger with bacon was delicious! It was full of flavor and hearty without giving you a food coma, and came with a side of seasoned mixed greens.
Basic Burger w/cheddar cheese on french roll | Fries & aioli | Seasoned mixed greens
Chester ordered the Basic (Cheese) Burger. He enjoyed it, but said it was nothing to write home about. Just your average cheeseburger.
Overall Experience
All in all, our experience at Gamine was pleasant, but stopping short of extraordinary. The service was good – friendly, knowledgeable, and with a French accent! The venue was quaint, romantic and sophisticated, and our seat by the large window shone a nice, natural light onto our plates.
Unfortunately, the food left something to be desired. I had heard great things about Gamine’s burgers, and was not especially impressed. I expected my veggie burger to be in a patty, and would have preferred more variety in the veggies (it consisted of 90% bell peppers and 10% zucchini). While the Basic Burger w/bacon and the Basic Burger w/egg were flavorful, the Veggie Burger and Basic Burger w/cheddar cheese were just okay. Seemed to be a bit of a hit-or-miss situation. Also, the aioli that came with the fries was too bland for my taste.
tl;dr – Meh food, good service. Would recommend for a casual weekday dinner but not for a special occasion.
