French food a super star

Take a dart and throw it against a wall containing all the area restaurants and you'll likely hit an Italian-themed restaurant. If you missed one, you'll likely hit a Mexican restaurant. Throw a few more darts at the list and you'll still likely never hit a French-themed restaurant. They hardly exist. Maybe 10 full-French dining places in the entire Sacramento region, with the closest two being La Provence in Roseville and Josephine in Auburn. For this column, we'll talk about La Provence, which has been around for two decades. We'll review Josephine and other Auburn restaurants in future columns. Question: Which is better: French or Italian cuisine? Obviously, the answer is in "the eye of the beholder." Both cuisines stress the freshest of ingredients. Italian cuisine is generally more "homey" and approachable, although in the hands of a master chef, they can turn out some fantastic looking and tasting food. French cuisine, on the other hand, concentrates on complexity, presentation and sauces. Their cuisine is arguably the super star of the world's cuisines. The French started the Michelin Guide, which grades the best of the best restaurants around the world. Not surprisingly, French restaurants have garnered the most Michelin stars overall but the current top-ranked restaurants reside outside France (in two recent "best Michelin restaurant" rankings, a French restaurant only appeared once in the very top tier). La Provence is the brainchild of Stephen de Jardins, who built the 2003 Diamond Creek residential development in Roseville with an embedded French-style restaurant always in mind. Construction included recycled timbers in the ceiling and the use of area stones for the flooring. Des Jardins' speaks fluent French and has made dozens of trips to France over the years. The country French-style restaurant was built with the capability of both indoor and outdoor dining in mind. A gas-log fireplace separates the two main dining rooms with a solarium room off the main dining room. There is a beautiful bar area and a pastry/espresso purchase room. Taste test Over the years, my companions and I have eaten both lunch and dinner offerings at La Provence. One of my favorite starters is their French Onion Soup. We just returned from a short holiday in Paris and I frankly like La Provence's French Onion Soup over what I was served in France. It's thicker and has more cheese (perhaps more American taste). For a recent lunch, I ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich, which is a breaded chicken breast, smoked ham, Gruyere cheese and Dijon mustard on a delicious bread. My companion had their sauteed prawns with Meyer lemon and chive compound butter, served over basmati rice. The sauce is exquisite. On other occasions, I've had their Hamburger Provencal and their Pastrami Rueben sandwich. The dinner menu offers a nice range of selections. I've had their duck and short rib offerings; my companions have, at various times, had the salmon and scallop dinners. Vegetables vary throughout the year for seasonal selections. La Provence offers a two- or three-course Prix Fixe dinner (first course: soup(s) or salad; second course: chicken, salmon or short rib entrées; third course: dessert). $34 per person for two courses and $38 per person for three courses. The restaurant also offers vegetarian dishes – a portobello burger, vegetable lasagna and two types of pasta. The restaurant has a very nice selection of Northern California and French wines, and their house offerings (all French) are modestly-priced for a very nice pour. Their champagnes and sparkling wines are mostly from France (naturally). Verdict La Provence is a white-table cloth restaurant with knowledgeable and attentive staff and a consistently excellent kitchen. Like other quality, specialized restaurants, they hold wine-food dinners throughout most of the year, led by their winemaker. La Provence will set you back a bit more price-wise than other restaurants but you will get a great meal at a reasonable price for the quality, service and atmosphere. Richard Pearl is a Lincoln resident who, as an extensive business traveler and wide-ranging tourist after retirement, has eaten in more than his share of restaurants worldwide. Email him at richardpearl.lnm@gmail.com with comments or ideas for other unique restaurants.