THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Vie de France

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Vie de France Restaurant Review:

Part of a chain gradually entering the Southern California market, the food at this restaurant/bakery is better than you'd expect from a slick corporate creation. The medieval-style room, with its prominent arches, ornate wrought iron chandeliers and sconces, and rustic wooden tables, looks more like Spain than France, but the menu offers modern takes on classic bistro dishes. Starters include a pâté and Brie plate, a crispy cylinder of brioche stuffed with escargots and whipped potatoes with pesto sauce (a signature dish), a nearly authentic Niçoise salad, and a crab beignet. Entrées---which are less French and less intriguing than the starters---include grilled New York steak with pommes frites, mesquite-grilled salmon, and rosemary-garlic chicken. You'll also find wood-fired pizzas, pastas and terrific wild mushroom gnocchi. One of the few complaints about this refreshing concept is its anemic selection of French wines.