Where: 2700 De La Vina Street, 805-682-2272
What: A long standing French restaurant just off upper State Street, with serious ties to French dishes, methods, and presentation.
How Much: Dinner entrees $23-$32, lunch salads $9, three-course “Casual Dinner Menu” $22
The dish: Restaurant Mimosa’s reliably French menu pays tribute to carefully prepared dishes and various regional specialties from Nice (Nicoise) to Provence (Provencal). Its unglamorous Upper State Street location in no way matches the intricate construction of its traditional dishes, such as the playful escargot starter plate. The husband and wife chef team also own Mimosa and maintain tight control on production and creativity in the kitchen. Adventurous two-tops can share plates of duck confit, frog legs Provencal, veal sweetbreads, and venison loin wrapped in bacon. A “casual menu” option fit for a recession offers a three-course dinner for just $22 per person and is changed every two weeks for regular diners. The Meringue Mimosa ($7) basks in pillows of vanilla cream layered with meringue cookies, and an aromatic sugar crusted Crme Brulee ($7) richly lingers in the air. Lunch is served Monday through Friday and dinner served seven days a week.