French Kissing in Kensington

THE PLACE:  BLEU BOHEME (web)

THE VIBE:  FRENCH CAFE

THE PRICE:  MOD - SLIGHTLY EXPENSIVE

OK, this has nothing to do with FRENCH KISSING or anything remotely connected with SEX.  But look, you're reading this so you might as well keep going.  My wife and I found ourselves in Kensington last Saturday night and looking for a place to eat.  We saw this cool French Cafe and wandered in.

Candlelit tables, French writing on chalkboards, the only thing that told you this was San Diego was the chick at the bar texting on her phone instead of having a flirty conversation with her date.  Maybe she's flirting on Facebook - LOL.  Tip to anyone under 40 - put the phones away when you are in a romantic place.  Oh well, not my problem, she's not my date.  Let's look around a bit.

Really, this looks like Paris.  It's hard to believe it's in Kensington.  But can the food match up to the romantic ambiance?  Oh, slight problem - I'M NOT HUNGRY!  Yes, this is the same day I ate that big burger at Union Kitchen & Tap so I had no business going to dinner.  But I checked out the menu and look, Carlsbad Mussels and Frites done up a bunch of different ways.  You can order a large order for around $20, or a half order for $12 or something like that.  A large order is big enough to split but I got a small order for myself and a salad.

Let's get serious - this is a pretty salad but was meh, meh, meh.  Not dressed enough, and the dressing had virtually no flavor.  Big miss, I choked it down but it wasn't the least bit exciting.  But look, here comes the mussels.

The mussels had fennel on top in a saffron cream sauce and IT WAS FANTASTIC, better than France, better than Third Corner, better than just about any mussels I had ever had.  Fresh and clean tasting, not the least fishy, these are not the same oldie moldy mussels you and I buy at Henry's.  Maybe it's the radiation from the Carlsbad power plant but these are the best mussels anywhere.  Get them.  Now, go get them!

To go with them was a dinky, mini, itty bitty plate of odd fries.  Now I know in the picture the serving looks decent but in reality it was the size of the $.99 cent bag at McDonalds after the kids swipe a few when you're not looking.  And weird, really weird, they had lavender on them that made them first taste like they were dipped in Vicks VapoRub, then a bit like they were coated in Pine Nuts.  But then, even weirder, they sort of grew on me and I ate them up and really liked them.  These are not the best fries in the world, but the oddest - in San Diego, at least.  And darn it, not hot!  OK SAN DIEGO, one last time - fries should be hot.  No more mister nice guy, you serve me not-hot fries and I'm calling you out.

 

Luckily, the mussels made up for it.  The food around us on the other tables looked delicious as well and I think Bleu Boheme deserves to be on your short list of romantic and spontaneous dinner spots.  Just go there, get the mussels, slip the waiter a 5 and say "make sure the fries are hot" and I dare you to say I told you wrong.

I LOVE YOU WALLY www.localwally.com