Café de la Presse Debuts Culinary Tour de France dining program Left Bank Brasserie Menlo Park Adds a Dessert Buffet to Their Sunday Brunch 231 Ellsworth Introduces New Four-Course Tasting Menu

Beginning in September, Café de la Presse in San Francisco debuts a monthly changing Culinary Tour de France dining program. Each month, a different region in France will be showcased through their traditional dishes and wines which will be offered a la carte, in addition to the regular menu, and will be available at dinner only.

The first stop on this tour is Bordeaux, in the Gironde Aquitaine.

Bordeaux is associated with the great wines produced in the region and is also the name of the busy port and capital city of the Aquitaine region. The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.

Below is the menu of classic Bordeaux dishes that will be offering during September:

Terrine De Foie Gras Au Sauterne, $19.00
Duck Foie Gras Terrine, Sauterne Jelly

Six Huîtres, Mignonette, $15.00
Six Oysters In Half Shell

Entrecôte Bordelaise, $36.00
Grilled Ribeye Steak, Bone Marrow, Bordelaise Sauce

Magret de Canard aux Cèpes, $24.00P
an Roasted Duck Breast With Porcini Mushrooms

Filet D’ Esturgeon Roti, $24.00
Roasted Wild Sturgeon With Green Lentils

Poire Pochée Au Saint Émilion, Sorbet Au Cabernet Sauvignon, $8.00
Poached Pear With Saint Emilion, Cabernet Sauvignon Sorbet

Pots De Crème Au Chocolat, Meirveilles Au Cognac, $8.00
Milk Chocolate Cream With Cognac Fritters

Café de la Presse
352 Grant Ave. (at Bush St.)
San Francisco, CA 94108
415-398-2680
www.cafedelapresse.com

Dinner served Monday – Thursday, 5:30pm - 9:30pm/Friday – Sunday, 5:30pm - 10:00pm

Left Bank Brasserie Menlo Park, known for their Sunday brunch, has added a new $6.00 per person dessert buffet which includes a chocolate fountain with fruit and pastries for dipping, plus the restaurant’s signature profiteroles and crème brûlée as well as fondant cake, cheesecake, petit financier, macaroons and more. Brunch is served from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

Unchanged is the availability of French-style breakfast entrees such as Oeufs Bénédicte, Pain Perdu (French toast), and Crêpes, plus Le Tarte Lyonnaise (leek and onion tart with applewood smoked bacon), Moules Frites (steamed mussels, spinach, white wine, shallots, garlic, pommes frites), and Le Canard Deux Façons (roasted duck breast and leg confit with a seasonal fruit sauce).

Left Bank Brasserie
635 Santa Cruz Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 473-6543
www.leftbank.com

Left Bank Brasserie hours of operation:
Monday - Thursday: 11:30am - 10:00pm
Friday: 11:30am - 11:00pm
Saturday: 11:00am - 11:00pm
Sunday (Brunch/Dinner): 11:00am - 10:00pm

231 Ellsworth Executive Chef Isaac Miller has introduced a new four-course tasting menu priced at $64.00 per person/with wine $99.00 per person, and it’s available nightly.

Sample Tasting Menu

Seared heirloom tomato, shaved coffee bean, Barely Buzzed cheddar, and mango vinaigrette 2006 Silex d'Orfeuilles Vouvray (Chenin Blanc), Loire Valley, Reugny, France
******
Butter-poached lobster, fennel tempura, carrot purée, sea urchin bisque 2006 Domaine Bernard Morey Chassagne-Montrachet “Vieilles Vignes” Appellation Chassagne-Montrachet Contrôlée, Côte-D'Or, France
******
Rack of lamb, corn ratatouille, rosemary brown butter sauce 2005 Traverso Wines “Stag's Leap District” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California
******
Peach soup, lychee nuts, new crop almonds and basil foam Sommelier's nightly selection of Riesling

231 Ellsworth Restaurant
231 S. Ellsworth Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
650-347-7231
www.231ellsworth.com

231 Ellsworth Restaurant hours:
Lunch Tuesday through Friday 11:30am – 1:30pm
Dinner Monday through Thursday 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Dinner Friday and Saturday 5:30pm – 9:30pm