A Visit to France for a Monday Happy Hour!

With Along Comes Mary turning 1-year-old this week, I think its pretty awesome some of the opportunities that I have been able to share with my readers recently….like, trying french cuisine for the first time at Dominique’s Kitchen in Redondo Beach this week. This is an absolute gem of a new restaurant nestled on the famous Pacific Coast Highway just minutes from the ocean & pier. Walking in, you truly feel transformed as this is an intimate bistro, having the tables close & cozy to one another & the warm atmosphere makes you feel right at home.

The choices have something for everyone on their happy hour menu, available each Monday from 4p-6p. The price is right & you will find wines as well as sangria & beers (like Stella Artois & Fat Tire) along with hearty appetizers like garlic fries served with mayo, salami & cheese plates, soups & escargot….more on that later! 😉

My friend, Harmony, had a delicious glass of Chardonnay that was light with flower notes, while I tried the Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon, which is one of the best reds I have had in a while. It was filled with notes of berries, as well as a hint of vanilla. Our waiter, Casey, started us off with complimentary olives, brie, white beans & arugula. While I am not usually a fan of brie cheese, this was more enjoyable for me than others I have tried. Casey was super helpful at recommending plates & wines to us, first selling us on the soup of the day, which was mixed greens, an incredibly flavorful, looking to be pea soup, yet has asparagus kale & collard greens, as well. 

I also had the cheese & fruit plate, which was excellent & went perfectly with my wine. The plate also included walnuts, dried cranberries & apricots. Next up, since we were feeling very adventurous….& with some encouragement from Casey, we did indeed order the escargot…translation: baked snails with garlic butter. It was one of the most unusually delicious foods I have tried in awhile….if you like mussels or oysters, I bet you would enjoy escargot. The garlic butter was everything that I imagine french food to be: extra rich & creamy.
If you’re in the LA area, Dominique’s is the bistro to have this dish at. Prior to venturing out on his own, Dominique himself was a chef at the great Taix Restaurant in LA….& funny enough, I have been there also, with Harmony!

Although dessert sounded very tempting, we were full but will definitely be returning to try that & more very soon.

Dominique’s Kitchen is open 4p-9p/10p Friday & Saturday, & closed on Tuesdays. They are at 522 S. Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach. Reservations are recommended, you can reach them at 424-247-9054.

(*Disclosure: Special thanks to Dominique’s Kitchen for having me to review them. I was provided with complimentary menu items & all opinions are my own)