We know, we know… We already have raved enough about the fabulous Bleu Boheme restaurant in Kensington. But we can’t help it – we had to post this incredible dinner deal! If you have a free early evening, it’s well worth checking out the delectable early dinner prix fixe menu they began offering a few months ago. At only $22 per person for three courses, this is a great value on fabulous food. Trust us on this one, okay?
We decided at the very last second to take a trip over to Bleu Boheme – she got home late from work, he didn’t feel like cooking, and he thought it might be fun to go over to Kensington on a Friday night. It probably goes without saying that our arrival at 5:57 barely squeaked by as qualifying for the prix fixe, but the staff was incredibly accomodating. Even though they were all booked up for the evening at their cozy “regular” tables, they were able to seat us at their bar, right next to the drippy candlestick. Our only complaint about that seating arrangement was that the bartender seemed to be spending more time flirting with a couple of women at the other end of the bar, so she had to ask twice for her drink, but overall the service was still exemplary even at the bar.
For appetizers, we ordered one french onion soup and one salad. Now, one thing to note is that their appetizers for the prix fixe are significantly smaller than their regular portions – we’ve had the onion soup before and it came in a huge rammekin. The size of this soup was much more manageable as an appetizer, and came with just the right amount of cheese (we found it too cheesy in the entree size, in the past). Full of beautiful robust onion flavor, this soup hit the mark perfectly. The salad, too, was smaller than an entree size. It was fresh and tasty – but we found it to be extremely heavy on the dressing. She took her first bite and had to wipe the (tasty, even for non-bleu cheese lovers) dressing off her chin. It seemed as though there was more dressing than lettuce, which was a bit disappointing. Our reccommendation would be to definitely order the dressing on the side.
For our entrees, we ordered one Boeuf Bourguinion and one Koulibiac de Salmon. The beef stew was incredible, with large tender chunks of meat and vegetables in a tangy wine gravy. The salmon was equally delectable, in a puff pastry lined with a mushroom paste and spinach and served with perfect mashed potatoes. The salmon was well-done, and so was stronger than seared fish, and the pastry was quite rich and topped with a cream sauce – but it was surprisingly easy to eat. We didn’t feel overly full at the end of the meal (although we did have enough of the beef stew to bring for lunch the next day), but we did feel satisfied.
Dessert was a small scoop of chocolate mousse garnished with a mint leaf. It was cloud-light and airy, with an intense chocolate flavor that ensured the evening end on a high note. The serving looked paltry at first, but was just the perfect amount to satisfy without stuffing.
There are several choices for each of the first two courses, and the second course was full entree size – at less per person than some of the regular menu entree items! Definitely worth a trip to Kensington for a great deal at one of our favorite restaurants!
San Diego Foodie 