Bijou Cafe Menu

Bijou Cafe Restaurant Review:

One of the most popular dining spots in the heart of the downtown Sarasota theater district, the Bijou Café almost rubs shoulders with the city's opera house and the Selby Public Library. Its extensive wine list is as popular as its gratin Dauphinois: potatoes smothered in cream with a hint of garlic and baked with Gruyère cheese to a bubbling golden brown. One of the entrées is the roast duckling, which is slowly cooked, roasted and then completely boned. It's stuffed with fruit dressing and served with a choice of two sauces, a port wine sauce with Bing cherries or an orange-lingonberry sauce with Cognac. Some guests order both. If those dishes sound rich, take heart: Two menu items are aimed at the health conscious. Chicken paillard is pan-seared in virgin olive oil, served with grilled vegetables and fresh spinach. The Bijou Café offers to prepare any item on the menu sans butter, sans salt, sans sauce at the customer's request.