THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bijou French Bistro Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bijou French Bistro Restaurant Review:

William Bradley, chef at one of GAYOT's Top 40 restaurants in the U.S., Addison at The Grand Del Mar, is serving as culinary director, while his former sous chef Shaun Gethin is the chef de cuisine at this French bistro set in La Jolla. Bradley's menu shines, thanks to his sophisticated touch with French classics, and the restaurant's concept suits the opulent setting of hand-painted frescoes, wrought-iron chandeliers, booths and decorous draperies. Oeufs mayonnaise are creamy morsels, while the steak tartare is redolent of tarragon. Lyonnaise salad is artfully presented with its Windsor Farm poached egg and dollop of hollandaise atop frisée and bacon, spritzed with Champagne vinaigrette. Other possibilities include spinach quiche, French onion soup, steak frites and coq au vin, all executed with finesse; pomme frites are irresistible. One of the bistro's culinary highlights is the gnocchi a la Parisienne, which features delicate nuggets, fragrant with lemon, bathed in brown butter with slivers of kalamata olives. Ask the erudite sommelier to pair this dish with a crisp Burgundy from Bijou's wine list curated by Addison's wine director Elizabeth Huettinger. Pastry chef Michael Luna presents traditional desserts such as crème brûlée with the essence of orange, airy beignets and a pot du crème with salted caramel.