Costa Mesa Restaurant Week 2011 – Le Chateau Garden Bistro

When I learned about the Costa Mesa Restaurant Week, I was super excited. After all, Costa Mesa boats many fine restaurants. What better way to try them but during restaurant week in which the best sampling of foods were presented as Prix Fixe menu? After checking out the menus on the official website at http://www.costamesarestaurantweek.org/, I made 5 reservations at 5 different restaurants, Le Chateau Garden Bistro being the first.

The restaurant is located inside Ayres Hotel and Suites Costa Mesa. We walked by a fountain courtyard with outdoor seating’s which was quite beautiful. Inside, the restaurant is small with a little bar. Although we had a reservation, it was not really needed as there were not too many diners. We were seated quickly and got our menus. We had already checked out the Prix Fixe menu before coming so we knew exactly what we wanted to order.

Neither Allen or I drink often, so our drink of choice is often iced tea. We also got a basket of bread with minced olives and butter.

I started my meal with the Bountiful Summer Garden Salad – Delicate Butterleaf with Sundried Cherries, Cranberries, Candied Walnuts, Sonoma Goat Cheese and a Poppyberry Vinaigrette. I loved it! I could eat 2 plates of this and make it a full meal!

Allen chose Napa California Salad Summer Char Grilled Iceberg with Smoked Shitake Mushrooms, Vine Ripe Baby Roma Tomatoes, Shaved Maytag Blue Cheese and a Light House Italian Vinaigrette. This was very good, also. The iceberg lettuce was very fresh and crisp, but I thought the Shitake Mushrooms were a little too chared and some tasted bitter. The blue cheese was also very strong so we left quite a few uneaten.

After the salad, we each got a small serving of sorbet to cleanse our palates. It was very refreshing. I wish I could have had more for dessert!

Second course for my meal was Choose Three Selections to Build your Trio Entrée Plate Accompanied by The Chef’s Pick of Farmer’s Market Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes or Rice Pilaf. I picked Filet Beef with Roasted Shallot Demi Glace, Natural Atlantic Salmon with Shallot Balsamic Reduction and Sautéed Spinach, and Jumbo Thai Shrimp Sweet Peanut Chile Dressing. The beef was excellent. It was tender and flavorful. We asked for medium and it was cooked perfectly. The salmon was just OK. I thought the sauce was a little too strong. The shrimp was the weakest. I thought it was made with Shrimp Cocktail and thrown together with the sauce. Absolutely no thought into it. It tasted cold and blend despite the sauce. The mash potato was overly seasoned. It was too salty and with a funny taste.