Day 203: Thank Goodness for the Walk Home

We live in an an awesome neighborhood with lots and lots of phenomenal restaurants.  The problem is, we rarely leave the neighborhood due to the lack of taxis in this city and our mutual refusal to act as a designated driver.  So, once in a while I start to get tired of the same old same old, no matter how delicious it is.  Such was the case tonight.  Fortunately, I remembered a neighborhood joint that we hadn't visited in 157 days (a side benefit of keeping this blog is the ability to easily recall such details!).

The Baker Street Bistro has very good food, but what I like best is the atmosphere.  Step into this restaurant and you will feel as though you've been instantly transported to France.  Who doesn't need a little mini-vacation on a Friday night?

My husband and I shared a green salad and the cheese plate to start.  The highlight for me was the disc of walnut crusted goat cheese, followed by deliciously sharp cheddar.  A big wedge of blue cheese offered the pleasant surprise of not being TOO bluey for me (I'm a bit of a blue cheese wimp).  The Emmentaler was the one we both liked least, but to fair, that mild cheese had a lot to compete against compared to the other stronger flavored wedges on the plate.

We also shared our entrees.  I opted for the lamb stew, which was just so appealing after a long, rainy SF day.  It was okay, but lacked the elusive "something".  I probably wouldn't order it again.

My husband chose something from the specials list:  quail stuffed with mushrooms (pictured).  It sat atop a bed of mushrooms, spinach, and diced potatoes - all blessed with super garlicky flavor.  The technique used to prepare the quail was really interesting.  All of the meat had been removed from the quail, minced and seasoned, and returned.  So, the quail looked whole until we cut into it.  Unfortunately, the result was kind of dry, but once it was mixed with the veggies, it was really good.

Of course, as you can imagine, I was totally stuffed after this meal.  Fortunately for us, Baker Street Bistro is a longer walk than most of our usual dinner places.  That walk was much  needed tonight!!