A Stroll through La Promenade des Anglais

La Promenade des Anglais

La Promenade des Anglais opened in my apartment building a few months ago and has been earning a lot of high buzz ever since. As soon as I saw it turned Martha Stewart into a food blogger, I knew Newbie Foodies had to give her a run for her money. I'm not usually a big fan of Restaurant Week, since it's usually not that great of a deal, but I thought it would be a good excuse for me and a few of my coworkers to take a very special lunch outing.

The interior was not at all what I was expecting. Based on some of the photos I'd seen, I was expecting a black and white, high polished setting. What I walked into was a lovely afternoon on a chic boardwalk. The ceiling had the Promenade namesake painted along it and the lighting made it feel like we were sitting by the beach on a sunny day instead of sitting inside a restaurant on a drab and cloudy afternoon. Fantastic.

The bread basket arrived, but we tried not to indulge too much so that we would have room for our three course meal.

Bread Basket

For my first course, I was hard pressed to decide between the Kale & Red Cabbage Salad, the Butternut Squash Soup, and the Roasted Beets. In the end, I chose the Beets and was delighted. They were served with small pieces of cheese covered toast and citrus zest which all balanced delightfully.

Roasted Beets

Then, our second courses arrived. One of my coworkers chose the Pan Seared Chicken Breast and said it was deliciously moist.

Pan Seared Chicken Breast with
Cauliflower Puree and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Another co-diner skipped the tasting menu in favor of the short rib burger.

Short Rib Burger & Fries

The other two of us got the branzino flavored with harissa, eggplant caviar, chickpeas, cerignola olives, and lemon verbena crustacean jus. Just wow. The skin was crispy, the fish was tender, and the sauce was unbelievable. I especially loved how the cerignola olives complimented the branzino. Not gonna lie, I used some bread to swab up every last drop.

Branzino

Dessert was yet another difficult decision, but in the end I couldn't resist he appeal of the butternut squash pound cake with brown butter, hazelnut brittle and zucca gelato. Another winner. A perfect blend of tastes and textures.  

Butternut Squash Pound Cake

So there you have it folks. I was worried that this restaurant would be too stuffy, and while the service was extraordinary, it wasn't stifling. A fantastic spot!