My wife and I went here last night on a date night. I was excited to go to a French restaurant after all these years. The food, service and ambience were excellent. Our server Paula (?) knew the menu and wine list inside and out and helped to create a perfect date night. The food reminded me of many small local restaurants up and down the Rhône valley in Provence.
Well balanced cuisine is the main theme of French food. We had grilled Octopus, escargot and foie gras to start. The escargot is cooked with a delicious flakey small pastry that well balanced the earthy taste of the snails. The foie gras was creamy and smooth with a raspberry compote that perfectly paired with the foie gras. Did I mention the Sautern wine that came with the foie gras...delicious. The grilled octopus was paired with a nice amount of paella-like rice.
On to the main course. We ordered the Bouillabaisse and Cassoulet. We wanted to split both and our server accommodated us by sending us the Bouillabaisse first. You could taste the sea in the broth and the seafood was a nice mix of mussels, small clams and a white fish with a crispy crust that was moist and tender underneath. You feel like you're in Marseille while eating this.
Oh Cassoulet! How I love you. This epic French farmer dish was lovingly done. The beauty of French food is they take heavy ingredients like beans, lardon (pork belly), sausage and duck and some how balance them into a not heavy tasting experience. This restaurant nails it!
We finished up with an incredible cheese plate that we consumed rather quickly. Small amounts of strong tasting fromage. Oh yeah, it was good.
Anyway, I highly recommend Aix. It's legit. Note, the two bottles of Chateau Neuf de Pape may have biased my experience. But that is the point, isn't it, after all?