A Rare Treat

William took me out for a wonderful French Meal last week.
In celebration of his retirement, we dined at Chapeau! in San Francisco. http://www.chapeausf.com/
If you like French food, go there!
Every dish was a perfect blend of textures and flavors.   I forgot to photograph the fish course.  It was a giant scallop, grilled to perfection, served on a bed of basil Parmesan Risotto.  DELISH!

I chose fois gras for my 1st course

duck with cheese polenta!

William with his dessert of CHOCOLATE!

I had the Lemon Tart with Raspberry coulis

 The chef was so sweet.  He comes out and gives you kisses ( I forgot, it was a kiss on each cheek!) The staff was great; you can tell they really enjoy the food and wine they were serving. It felt like we were guests at a fine banquet, as the chef would come out and serve some of the "show stopper" dishes and stop by the tables and exchange a few words.  We all watched him carve a prime rib with marrow bones to serve to a party of diners.  He brought out the whole roast, then proceeded to create perfect slices, effortlessly.  Into each slice of bone with marrow, he placed and arrangement of fresh herbs and then added the sauce. I think many of us will hope to order that dish the next time.
  William ordered a treat for himself, Remy Martin.  In this bisto, the tables are very close together on the banquette, so our fellow dining couple next to us was very curious about the Remy.  He was French but was busy drinking the Amaretto.  William offered he and his wife a sample of his Remy. As it is very pricey ($16 a glass I think) the couple surprised us and paid for William's drink!  The wished him a happy retirement and became Remy fans as well.  Just the bouquet of the liquor as it warms in the glass is a satisfying experience. The waiter brought the drink with a glass of hot water.  He balanced the goblet on top to bring out the flavors.....ah, such a simple gesture but truly one that enhanced and already wonderful drink.

I hope to visit Chapeau! again (btw, chapeau means "hat" in French, but with a "!" it's an expression that means "Wow!")