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Our City Our Schools Our Sports Our Kids |
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Let's Eat Out at...
91 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
If you still have not tried Cafe Bizou, you will definitely want to put this on your list of places to lunch or dine. It is a Stauffer family favorite and a first choice for our special occasion celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, and a great place to take out-of-town guests.
The decor is comfortable and most inviting with crisp, white tablecloths and bouquets of fresh flowers on every table. In the evening, candles lend a romantic touch to the atmosphere. This is consistently a very busy restaurant so reservations are a must! With the incredible low corkage charge of $2, you can bring your own favorite wine, but Cafe Bizou also has a very good wine list.
This restaurant demonstrates again and again how successful and popular a restaurant can become and remain a big hit year after year. The restaurant manager, Fabrice, makes all the patrons feel welcome with his friendly greeting and he defintely keeps everything running smoothly and efficiently. The service is excellent and I can't compliment Robert Farrell, our server, enough. We are sorry that he is moving to Kauai. Aloha Robert! We will miss you and that magnetic smile.
The menu at Cafe Bizou offers a wide variety of entrees and everything is prepared to perfection. There is definitely something to please everyone. Another reason for the terrific success of this restaurant is the reasonable prices. With your entree, for $1 more, you can add a small fresh green salad with honey mustard dressing or a cup of delicious soup to complement your meal. What a great deal! There is a nice selection of appetizers that are also reasonably priced. My favorite appetizer is the fabulous tuna tartare with smoked salmon served with toasted French bread. (This is now an entree on the luncheon menu as well as an appetizer for the dinner menu. Guess what I will order for lunch?) Other tasty appetizers are the baked mushrooms stuffed with chicken and spinach mousse or the lobster and salmon ravioli in lobster sauce.
If you fancy sweetbreads, they are excellent served with potato pancakes, asparagus and mushrooms in a balsamic sauce. Pasta is always popular and the spicy chicken fettuccini with mushrooms and roasted bell peppers in a Cajun wine sauce is delicious. Salads are special at Cafe Bizou. The Caesar salad is traditional, always crisp and flavorful. The spinach salad with mushrooms, chopped egg, red onion, tomato and crisp bacon is very good. I also like the grilled Ahi tuna salad that is served with avocado, ginger on mixed baby greens.
Choosing an entree is a bit of a problem as everything is good. Definitely consider the rack of lamb with gratin potatoes, which is my husband's favorite. You can't go wrong with the sesame-coated salmon, or the Ahi tuna grilled rare with Shitaki ravioli if you are fond of fish. I am a real fan of sauteed sand dabs with caper butter so I seem to gravitate to this entree often. The steak au poivre, sliced and served with a brandy cream sauce, or roasted pork tenderloin with garlic-mashed potatoes are both delicious. The daily specials are terrific bargains so give them serious consideration. Save room for the wonderfully rich flourless chocolate cake served with whipped cream for dessert. Yum! At Cafe Bizou, you will never be disappointed with your meal. This restaurant is dedicated to pleasing diners by featuring delicious food, courteous professional servers, a delightful ambiance and reasonable prices.
Starting as a small restaurant on Ventura Boulevard in 1994, Cafe Bizou's popularity continues with three successful locations in Pasadena, Sherman Oaks and Santa Monica. It is no surprise that this restaurant was voted the No. 1 most popular restaurant in the Los Angeles area in a recent Zagat Guide. Make reservations by calling (626) 792-9923. For more information, visit www.cafebizou.com.
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Robert Farrell