Wine, Dine & Entertain - Ranch & Coast

Say "Oui" To French Cuisine
I don’t mean French fries, but the purely seductive idea of eating real food with all five senses, allowing less to seem like more, valuing quality over quantity. After all, savoring rich, authentic French food, served in a warm and intimate setting, doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure.

Enter Cavaillon, an upscale Parisian bistro located in beautiful Santaluz, and you’ll find yourself instantly distracted by the energy that flows through the room’s warmly lit, soft yellow interior. The restaurant is named after chef/owner Philippe Verpiand’s hometown in the southern region of France where everyday life consists of friends and family. "I want my guests to have the very best dining experience by enjoying a fresh gourmet cuisine in a cozy atmosphere," he says.

Verpiand has been mastering gourmet cuisine throughout France and the United States for over 20 years. His talents were refined through work with world-renowned chefs in Provence, Biarritz, and the French Riviera. Verpiand also served as the chef de cuisine for the past seven years at Tapenade Restaurant in La Jolla.

Truthfully, I’m not particularly fond of escargot, which is the French word for snail. However, knowing that it is a delicacy enjoyed in the Mediterranean countries, especially France, where the best snails are harvested, I felt it was worth another try. To my surprise, the Escargots Classique with parsley and garlic butter sauce turned out to be a tasty melt-in-your-mouth pleasure.

Soup makes for another great first course. The Lobster Bisque tastes of a robust blend of pureed lobster with heavy cream and spices, making it the ideal choice for bread-dipping. The French Onion Soup is light and delicious, consisting of sweet onions immersed in a rich beef broth with tiny bits of short ribs and black truffle oil — no traditional soggy bread and cheese added, which I prefer.

One of the most common types of wild ducks sought for its meat is the wild mallard. The Mallard Duck Leg in Port Wine Demi-Glace is cured for one day in salt, pepper, and aromatic herbs, and cooked in its own fat (confit style). It is tender and juicy, with a strong gamey and slightly oily taste. A side of the super-whipped Butternut Squash Mousseline is so creamy and fluffy you’ll beg Verpiand for his secret. But trust me, he won’t tell you.

Many regions of France have variants of "coq au vin," cooked in the local wine. Verpiand remains true to the integrity of this country dish, its history, and its soul. Served with creamy red potatoes and petite vegetables, the two chicken thighs are slow-cooked in a Burgundy wine sauce. The end result is an unequivocal melding of succulent ingredients in faultless sync with one another.

I adore scallops only if cooked al dente. When overcooked, they are chewy and tough. The sweet and savory marriage between four seared scallop gems, with du Puy lentils, green apple, caramelized onions, and balsamic vinegar is the blueprint of the way it should be done. Add the Sautéed Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto to this culinary repertoire, and your meal is complete — well, almost.

Dessert is an intoxicating excuse to linger longer. I decided to follow my father’s Italian tradition of eating fruit after dinner; however, I cheated with the tempting accompaniments. The Confit Tangerine is poached in five different syrups and cooked slow until tender. It is so sweet — devour the whole thing, skin and all. Top it with a dollop of velvety Chocolate Crémeux for that orangey-chocolatey combination. There’s more — a madeleine cookie and tangerine sorbet. Sadly, my eating partner was disappointed to discover that I hogged it all for myself. (858/433-0483, www.cavaillonrestaurant.com)
— Maria Desiderata Montana, photography by Vincent Knakal