One bite at a time!
One bite at a time!
Soufflé time
Friday, October 24, 2008
Friday night I decided to take my boyfriend on a date to the very romantic Café Jacqueline. I hadn’t been there in a while and I wanted to indulge on Jacqueline’s wonderful soufflé again.
Reservation at 8:30 (I do recommend that you make a reservation)
It’s a small place lost in the busy north beach, a bubble of romance waiting for lovers of all ages. From the moment you enter the place your nostrils are teased by the smells of cooked cheese soufflé and melted chocolate. We sat down. On the wall below the lamp a little golden plate with 2 names on it and the date of their first date and the date of their wedding. It made me smile. Yes This is Café Jacqueline!
Our waiter made me laugh, he was trying so hard to be “like ze french serveur” voila, merci and finit?, sorry that only works when the person is actually French.
Anyway, we ordered our first soufflé with chanterelle and garlic. Be patient it takes a while for them to come out so bring someone you like to talk to and like us order a great bottle of wine! To ease the wait we decided to indulge on a couple appetizers.
We started with an onion soup and carrot and ginger soup for my boyfriend. It was good. The onion soup tasted a bit too much like a broth where onions were thrown in, instead of a broth made with onions but it was good, comforting and well seasoned. The carrot soup was nice, of a thicker consistency but tasty. Then we shared an endive and roquefort salad. I am sorry but I am French and I would be very curious to know what type of Roquefort that is? I had a feeling that the menu said Roquefort because it sounds better than blue cheese. The dressing was simple, a nice starter to a dinner and a great way to help us with the wait.
The chanterelles and garlic soufflé was amazing, just as I expected! Nice fluffy pieces of chanterelle and garlic clouds melting in my mouth. Really good!
Our dessert soufflé was a chocolate soufflé and I was disappointed when it came uncooked in the middle. When I complained to our waiter I was told that it was normal! WHAT?? Well, that’s a first for me. The other waiter came to our table and confirmed that it was their way or serving the soufflé. I should have gone back to the kitchen and ask Jacqueline but I felt the place packed and this was suppose to be a romantic dinner not me having to complain about an uncooked soufflé.
As we say in France, J’etais soufflée!
Beside the uncooked dessert, Café Jacqueline stays one of my favorite romantic restaurant in San Francisco.
Summary: The service was just ok. Thanks to the ambiance and Jacqueline’s wonderful light as air delight. I would recommend Cafe Jacqueline for a date, anniversary, you can’t beat the romanticism in that place. My bill for 2: $177.95 ($50 bottle of wine, tip not included)
Café Jacqueline
1454 Grant Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
Price: $$$
Service: ok
Overall: 15/20