Seasoned Greetings
Paul’s Cafe has gone from a storefront to a cheery, sprawling cottage with a trellised patio and paintings by local artists. In its new Tarzana location, its stock in trade remains the same--solid California cooking at reasonable prices. (You can add soup or salad to your entree for a buck and, if you bring your own wine, corkage is only $2.) The cafe draws an enthusiastic, noisy crowd.
The French butter pear salad--a combination of radicchio, arugula, endive, pears, spiced pecans and Gorgonzola cheese--is almost as pleasant as the Caesar salad, which comes in a sharp dressing tasting of Worcestershire, rather than anchovies, garnished with a terrific little crisp of fried Parmesan.
The Louisiana crab cakes with lobster aioli are slightly mushy, but the dish is redeemed by the quirky little green bean salad around which the three cakes are arranged. And although the shrimp pot stickers have a good filling, the skin could be crisper. The wild mushroom ravioli with peas and corn are fine, but don’t order this appetizer if you plan to have the duck breast entree, because you automatically get some with the duck. Paul’s likes ravioli garnishes--nicely chewy salmon ravioli come with the filo-crusted shrimp entree.
The entrees are hearty, and the best news is that uptown choices like potato-crusted salmon and garlic-rubbed rack of lamb are all under $17, far less than you’d pay on the other side of the hill. One of the best dishes is pan-roasted whitefish, a beautiful chunk with crisped skin on one side. It comes on a mountain of buttery mashed potatoes with fresh asparagus.
The rack of lamb is a terrific deal--two excellent baby lamb chops served with fresh mint, spinach and goat cheese mashed potatoes. One complaint: No one in the kitchen seems to understand the concept of rare.
The aforementioned filo-crusted shrimp are great, with a nice buttery snap to the pastry. I could only wish that you got more to an order than three mid-sized prawns. The one dish I wouldn’t order again is the roasted duck breast. The meat, already sliced, comes with the ravioli and a nice butternut squash puree, but the flavors are all drowned by an overly assertive orange sauce.
Two good desserts are the “flowerless” chocolate cake, a big, warm fudgey wedge topped with real whipped cream, and a properly caramelized tarte tatin, served hot with vanilla bean ice cream.
Little is brilliant here, but nothing falls flat, either. If you’re like most people, you’ll leave wondering why so few places can get it right at these prices.
BE THERE
Paul’s Cafe, 18588 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. daily; dinner 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Valet parking. Full bar. All major cards. Dinner for two, $39-$58. Suggested dishes: Caesar salad, $6.95; French butter pear salad, $7.95; pan-roasted whitefish, $13.95; garlic-rubbed rack of lamb, $16.95. Call (818) 343-8588.