Foodie Chap With Executive Chef David Bastide of Left Bank San Jose
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) - David Bastide is the Left Bank Executive chef overseeing menus at Left Bank & LB Steak in Larkspur, Menlo Park and San Jose, where he creates a simple, seasonally-changing French brasserie menu featuring a diverse selection of meats, fresh vegetables, fish, seafood, sensational salads, and sumptuous desserts. The escargot to start is a must, Beet salad essential, Ttorro au Chorizo (Seafood & chorizo stew) a treat for the main but don't leave without dessert: Creme Bruleè a winner every time.
We met for our Foodie Chap chat at Left Bank Brasserie in San Jose's vibrant Santana Row. Open since 2003, Left Bank transports guests to an inviting authentic brasserie in Paris, where diners feast upon classic French cuisine in a charming brasserie setting along the boulevard, where people watching is at its best. Inside, the wonderful energy of an authentic French brasserie is in the air. Boasting Santana Row's largest bar, Left Bank is a place to see and be seen. Watching the bartenders concoct and shake up crafted cocktails is a show itself and one of my favorite spots to sit. I tried the Rue Cremieux cocktail, a taste of PARIS in a glass. See the recipe below.
The large, casual elegant main dining room at Left Bank offers everything from a family table of 20, to a quiet, romantic table for two. The open exhibition kitchen provides onlookers a window into the magic our chefs create. Whether simply sipping a pastis or enjoying a full meal, diners capture the true feeling of the Rive Gauche in Paris.
Fourteen plus years of working with local organic farms allows Left Bank to bring the best seasonal ingredients available. Chef David Bastide and his culinary team offer an always changing French brasserie menu of authentic dishes featuring a diverse selection of natural meats, sustainable seafood, fresh local vegetables, salads and sumptuous desserts.
Chef David served up a delish Beet Salad as we talked over the Rue Cremieux cocktail. We chatted about his journey in food from Southern France to San Francisco to Santana Row in San Jose. I learned about how he dived into cuisine early and his diving passion outside the kitchen.
Enjoy and "Chin Chin"
RUE CREMIEUX (ROO KRAY-MOO)
Ingredients:
- Hendrick's, Cocchi, Absinthe, Creme de Mure, Lime, Blackberry
- 1 ½ oz Hendrick's Gin
- ¾ oz Cocchi Americano
- ¼ oz Absinthe
- ¾ oz Crème de Mure
- ½ oz Lime Juice
Method:
- Add, Crème de Mure to the bottom the Collins glass and then fill with ice. Combine all remaining ingredients in a shaker of ice, shake till cold. Pour into Collins glass over ice. Garnish with a blackberry. Glass: Collins Glass Garnish: Blackberry
- Rue Cremieux: There is a street in Paris that is all about color and how sweet life can be. Its name is Rue Crémieux, and its inhabitants would surely prefer that we not reveal it to you because it is a little corner of paradise. This charming street is located in the 12th arrondissement, between Rue de Lyon and Rue de Bercy. It is a little street, 144 metres long, that is pedestrianised and cobblestoned and gives visitors the impression that they have left Paris behind.
For more information, visit:
Left Bank - San Jose
377 Santana Row - Suite 1100
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 984-3500
www.leftbank.com
