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| - We had a five o'clock dinner reservation on a Thursday night, although the reservation wasn't necessary based on the low customer volume at that time. Café Provence is tucked in the corner of a strip mall backing up to Daisy Mountain road. When we arrived, we were promptly greeted by a friendly gentleman behind the bar, who came around to seat us right away. While the atmosphere didn't transport me to the rustic charm of Provence, the dining area was pleasant just the same. It is a small restaurant, having approximately ten tables and the same number of booths. The walls were painted in warm tones, giving a feeling of comfort. The walls were tastefully decorated with interesting pieces of modern art and the tables and booths were comfortable and good quality. I surveyed the dining room to see that it was kept very clean; all the tables were set uniformly and the glasses and flatware were polished. There were only two other guests in the restaurant at the time, and one patron at the bar.
The bartender, who ended up being our server, was a seasoned professional. His timing was perfect and his attention to detail was flawless. We never went without full water glasses--which is essential in Arizona--and he was conscientious about properly spacing our courses, since we had mentioned we were in no hurry. He was also very knowledgeable about the menu, and offered several recommendations.
I had hoped that the wine list would consist of unique French wines, but was disappointed to find the limited list had primarily domestic, mass produced, grocery store wines. We settled on a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($40) which I could have gotten for $17 at the Fry's across the parking lot.
While Café Provence offers several meat based dishes, such as lamb osso bucco, veal oscar, and beouf bourginon, we opted for the seafood menu items to keep things on the lighter side. We started our meal with two appetizers; the mussels and clams ($14) and the calamari ($11). The mussels and clams came in a heavenly beurre blanc broth seasoned with roasted garlic and fennel. Our server brought us a warm toasted baguette to soak up the broth, so none of it would go to waste--it would be criminal to throw any of this broth away! The calamari was dusted with a light, crisp breading that complimented the tender and moist calamari. The squid was tossed in a lemon sauce and topped with diced tomatoes and herbs, this acidity paired perfectly with the sweet calamari meat. My husband ordered a small Caesar salad ($5) which was very reasonably priced for the amount of salad he received. The romaine was bright and crisp and the salad was tossed with the perfect amount of house made Caesar dressing.
Based on the impressive start to our meal, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our entrees. Unfortunately, this was the low point of our dining experience. Upon our server's recommendation, I ordered the Fruit de Mer au Gratin ($23). The menu description said Scallops, Prawns, Crabmeat, Mushrooms, Potato Puree, Asparagus and Lobster Sauce. The server raved about how exceptional this dish was, so I couldn't pass it up. However, when our food arrived, I was presented with a plate holding two ceramic dishes covered with greasy melted cheese--presumably mozzarella, an unsightly dollop of dried out mashed potatoes and a side of unremarkable zucchini. First of all, in traditional French cooking, cheese and seafood do not mix. There is a reason for this--its not good! The cheese over powers the delicate seafood and detracts from its flavors. The menu description does not mention the cheese either; when I read "gratin" I expected a breadcrumb topping, which is traditional. However, after pushing the cheese aside as best I could, I was pleased to find the seafood below was perfectly cooked and the lobster sauce was rich and smooth. The "pureed" potatoes were lumpy, dry and void of any flavor. Instead of asparagus, as the menu promised, I received overcooked, flabby zucchini. My husband ordered the Halibut special ($32) which came with the same disappointing potatoes and vegetables as my entrée. His fish was cooked to perfection, pan seared with a lightly brown, crispy crust and delightfully moist and flaky on the inside.
When it came for dessert, our server suggested the tiramisu ($5), which is scratch made in house. I love tiramisu, so this was an easy decision for me. I did not regret it! This was the lightest, fluffiest and most delightful tiramisu I can ever remember eating. The top layer of mascarpone was so light, it tasted whipped. The lady fingers were perfectly saturated with espresso and rum. My husband ordered the key lime pie ($5), which proved to be just as enjoyable as my dessert. It was made from real key limes, giving it a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. The graham cracker crust was buttery and rich.
As a whole, our dining experience at Café Provence was a positive one.
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