French 75 Welcomes Pascal Olhats’ Savoir Faire
By Glori Fickling
The acquisition of illustrious executive chef Pascal Olhats as consulting chef for French 75 several months ago, has elevated the chic restaurant to an enticing new level. Utilizing the concept that a superlative dining experience may not necessarily be expensive, he has augmented the standard menu with an extraordinary category featuring 2 and 3-course prix fixe epicurean dinners at a mere $32 and $37, each to please the most fastidious gourmand. Beyond these are nine entrees from the grill from $22 to $30 with choice of field greens or potatoes plus four delectable sauce embellishments.
Most recently this innovative recipient of ten prestigious Zagat awards launched the first in a series of planned Night Life events where we recalled our first meeting in 1988 at Tradition by Pascal, the flagship among his half dozen award-winning dining establishments. The president of French Chefs Association, Pascal had earlier demonstrated his considerable culinary expertise with an impressive demo under the front Garden Tent as enthusiastic guests sipped Townley wines courtesy of Shane Townly who was showcasing paintings from his Laguna Beach and San Clemente galleries while musicians entertained outside.
Diners enjoying 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. seatings indulged in a 3-course repast realizing wondrously that a mere $40 had purchased this memorable experience. Selections from a luscious quartet of starters ranged from cognac sautéed wild mushrooms atop puff pastry to a tempting mound of balsamic infused heirloom beet salad nestled with herbed goat cheese and garlic roasted almonds. Among such seafood and poultry entrees as coq au vin and wild salmon scaloppini, I happily shared Bouillabaisse in a spicy saffron bouillon of mussels, scallops, snapper and seabass, then tender slabs of roast duck breast anointed with foie gras cognac jus atop delicate potato slices and petals of brussel sprouts.
Super surprise arrived as the delectable yin and yang of desserts. delicate berry adorned vanilla bean crème brulee for a satiating light finale; devastatingly warm chocolate souffle sumptuously dripping with fudge-topped vanilla gelato for a heartier complement.
Looking forward, trendy\wine and cheese tastings are projected under the Garden Tent. So, do stand by, or call ahead, for these and Pascal’s next Night Life celebration at this captivating dining destination.
French 75. 949 494-8444
1464 So. Coast Hwy. Laguna Beach
www,french75.net
Laguna Journal's restaurant editor, Glori Fickling, has been writing industry news and reviews for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines since the mid-sixties, most recently on line ocnow.com (terminated temporarily last month by Cox Communications) and along the way, our own popular Laguna Journal for which she has contributed features over the past ten years. Early on she was a West Coast fashion editor for internationally renowned Women's Wear Daily, fashion stylist for a major department store, introduced fashion shows along the South Coast, and designed her own line of maternity clothes based on the A-line concept prior to its exploitation by fashion icon, Yves St. Laurent. Her claim to fame, however she says, was co-authoring with her late-great husband, Forrest Ellison "Skip' Fickling, the eleven world famous Honey West mystery novels which became an ABC TV series in 1965 continuing on to garner a coveted Golden Globe, an Academy nomination and a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allen Poe award. Restaurant information for Laguna Journal may be expedited by reaching Glori at wibcom@aol.com or by phoning 949 494-4710. www.lagunajournal.com