Shell Escargot and Beef Tartare
I returned to Chez Maman West in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood with Rayna for dinner last week, and we were absolutely blown away!
Chez Maman West
Escargot de Bourgogne
It all began with Escargot de Bourgogne, with parsley, butter shallots and white wine. I love escargots, and this plate was especially fun because the escargots were huge and came in their giant shells which you usually do not see in restaurants!
Escargot de Bourgogne
Just look at that shell! Epic Escargot.
Rayna happy with her Escargot de Bourgogne
Beef Tartare & Quail Egg
This dish was an absolute flavor adventure: beef tartare (raw beef), dijon mustard, capers, shallots, toast points, all topped in a darling quail egg. The dijon offered a great sharp kick to the beef, and the tiny quail egg gave a sophisticated feel to the palate.
Les Moules Provencale & Fries
For our first entree, we noshed on these tasty Les Moules Provencale, complete with tomato concassee, basil, garlic & bell peppers with a side of french fries. These mussels were light, elegant and seasoned just right. There was no overwhelming fishy ocean flavor, rather a big bucket full of juicy goodness.
Les Moules Provencale & Fries
A close-up of another aspect of Les Moules which I enjoyed: The many bright colors! From the dark black shells, to the light meat, the bright red tomato and healthy green basil really stood out. The bucket it was presented in was simply darling as well!
Grilled Salmon
I can safely say this Grilled Salmon took the cake as our favorite savory dish of the night! The salmon was so soft and buttery, perfectly pink inside and full of immense flavor. The roasted fingerling potatoes were a great solid touch to juxtapose the light fish, and they had even more flavor that kept you coming back for more. Their garlic flavoring whisked Rayna and myself off to the ballpark, with happy memories of garlic fries. The entire dish was surrounded by fines herbs creme fariche, which was a perfect sauce to the fish and potato plate. As full as we were at this point, the food was just so good our tastebuds were overriding our full stomachs!
Cinnamon Pain Perdu
We had this slice of heaven to top it all off! Cinnamon Pain Perdu, with marinate fresh berries, apple syrup & chantilly. If I were to liken it to anything, it would be an amazing pillowy french toast. This dessert was created with the perfect blend of sweet deliciousness and healthy fruits!
Our dinner at Chez Maman West was an epic culinary adventure. The owner David was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and thoroughly involved with our dining experience. We felt very special from the moment we arrived, and our stomachs felt very special throughout the meal! We ended in a happy french food coma. I would highly recommend this authentic French pocket of San Francisco dining to anyone in the city!
