THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Left Bank

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Left Bank Restaurant Review:

This intimate gourmet eatery serving Provençale cuisine adds American ingredients and new techniques. Chef-owner Jean-Pierre Brehier, who bought the restaurant in 1976, appears frequently on TV and hosts acclaimed cooking classes. The main dining room focuses on a huge mural of nudes painted by a local artist. For starters, Brehier treats customers to amuse-gueule, bite-sized delicacies such as salmon tartar garnished with flying fish caviar. We recommend the appetizer of dainty Maine mussels, plump and soft, served in a creamy Pernod sauce that begs sopping by the accompanying bread. The mahi mahi is prepared with Floribbean overtones, crusted in macadamia nuts and herbs. Wild mushroom risotto is perfect, creamy and not too dense. Our vote for favorite dessert is a tie between the crême brûlée du jour garnished with spun sugar and the piping hot tarte Tatin. The Left Bank boasts an award-winning wine list that includes a few bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild (Imperial) for $5,000-$7,500. Call for directions. Getting lost trying to get here in time for a reservation is a common endeavor.