A Taste of France: Cafe Claude

Cafe Claude is in the same alley as Gitane. This may be the most delicious alley I've ever encountered.

Having just gone to Paris last month, we still had the food fresh in our memories, so it was going to be hard for Cafe Claude impress us.

But it did! Granted, it wasn't Paris, but it was rather delicious!

The sad part about Cafe Claude, however, was that we sat right under a red light, which even my white balance couldn't counteract. (Oh, who am I kidding? Total user error here.)

Just pretend we got swept away to the 1920s like Owen Wilson did in Midnight in Paris...when color photography wasn't rampant.

Bread and butter.

Who can resist a warm and crusty baguette?

Soupe a l'oignon -- onion soup gratinee with Swiss cheese, baguette croutons ($9).

Really nice version. Super cheesy.

Escargot en croute -- garlic, butter, parsley, almond, pernod, shallots, anchovy, puff pastry ($11).

We love snails! Butter, garlic, and puff pastry could convert anyone!

Coq au vin -- chicken marinated in red wine, bacon, mushroom, pearl onion, fingerling potatoes, roasted carrots ($22).

So wonderfully tender and completely steeped with wine. Happiness.

Epinard -- sauteed spinach ($6).

I ate almost all of this! Poor Mr. Monkey!

Macaroni gratinee -- Emmental cheese, shaved truffles, herbs, bread crumbs ($12).

But Mr. Monkey ate most of this. Fantastic.

Sorry for the ridiculous black-and-white, but I couldn't just dump these photos. This meal was worth sharing with you.