A few months ago, we went to see Keane at the House of Blues in San Diego. It was the first time we left Alyssa with someone else for a few hours to spend time together. We didn’t have any real dinner plans, but Jeannie did some research on Yelp on the drive down from Orange County. She found a few choices nearby the House of Blues, but we settled on Cafe Chloe for some French food.
The restaurant sports floor to ceiling windows, which is reminiscent of a typical Parisian cafe/brasserie/restaurant. The place is casual, yet emotes a certain intimacy that makes you feel right at home.
When we walked in, it was fairly busy due to the fact that it was San Diego Restaurant Week. Not having reservations, and running a little behind schedule for the concert, we opted to sit at the bar for dinner instead of waiting for a table. We ordered the four course menu. Excellent food and impeccable service.
Cafe Chloe – San Diego
Bone marrow with mushrooms. It seems like everyone is serving bone marrow now for an inflated price. Remember when bones used to be trash? Peasant food has certainly been on a growth streak. You can find bone marrow at any Asian supermarket in bulk for a couple of bucks. We usually use it for soup bases.
Mussels. Good stuff.
Take a look at this dish. Can you tell what’s missing? Yeah, it’s foie gras. Because of stupid animal rights groups, you can’t really buy foie gras in California anymore. Instead, French restaurants like Cafe Chloe have to substitute with pate.
Braised pork belly. More peasant food making its way up the culinary ladder. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome!
If I remember correctly, this is a braised duck leg with butternut squash and polenta.
Some fish dish. I can’t remember what kind it was.
Pistachio Bread Pudding. I’m usually not a fan of bread pudding, but this was delicious. If I was local to San Deigo, it wouldn’t be out of the question to come here just for dessert and coffee.
Chocolate Pot De Creme. Delicious!
On a side note, the coffee is excellent here. I asked the bartender what kind of coffee they brew. She told me that they source from a local place that roasts a custom blend for them. If you like the coffee, they do offer the blend for sale. I needed a pick me up before the concert since I was feeling tired and wanted to be alert for the drive home. I think I had about four cups before calling it quits.
Talk to me, Goose.