Although we don’t like to admit it, Santa Clara does not count among the great restaurant meccas of the world. But we have our bases covered, for the most part. We’ve got our pho, our pad thai, our pizza –- what more could we want? Yet some of us have longed for something more. Finally, the wait is over. We now have paté.
Specifically, we have Brigitte’s Foie Gras terrine, marinated with thyme. You can now die happy. This buttery wedge of Sonoma Moulard duck foie gras melts in your mouth like a milk chocolate bar. It is accompanied by little piles of cheering attendants – fruit compote of cranberries, raisins and prune, crisp slivers of pear, and a bit of mesclun, each carefully chosen to elevate your "oh!" to an "oh la laaa!" The dish comes with warm slices of walnut bread for spreading ($15).
The bad news is that foie gras is not always available, but the good news is that whatever Brigitte’s chooses to replace it with will surely be as memorable. Menus can change daily, according to what’s in season. Brigitte's menu is a thoughtful garden of fresh, uncomplicated offerings just waiting to be picked. Just two years new, Brigitte’s strives for authenticity and simplicity in cooking.
There are a handful of starters in addition to foie gras, and most can be ordered petite or regular, like Cauliflower Crème Soup ($4.25/$6.25).
Main dishes offer something for carnivores, herbivores, and oceanivores alike. The Skate and Cod Salad featured several odds-and-ends pieces of pan-fried fish over lemony shavings of fennel, radishes, and carrots ($16.99). It is served with two dollops of eggplant "caviar." If you’ve never had Skate (a.k.a. stingray) before, be prepared for its stringy appearance. But if it’s cooked right, the meat should be delicate and similar to lobster. Brigitte’s politely introduces this French favorite to American palates by mixing it with the more mild-tasting cod.
Pork and Polenta combines six medallions of roasted pork tenderloin with three crisp-seared, albeit under-seasoned, triangles of polenta and a bit of baby greens and dried fruit ($14.99/17.99). Medallions are so-called because of their resemblance to a large medal. Hang a few of these juicy morsels around your neck and watch them come running.
It’s hard to pass up dessert here, so we don’t. We opted for the French classic Oeuf à la Neige, a pillowy soft meringue afloat on a pond of crème anglaise and caramel ($5.75). Moelleux au Chocolate is the French version of molten chocolate cake, and Brigitte’s offers it with crème anglaise ($6.50, or $3.95 without crème anglaise).
After a night of fine dining at Brigitte’s, you may never need to leave Santa Clara again.