REVIEW: The London Plane

Last weekend I had Brunch at The London Plane in Pioneer Square. I have been wanting to eat at this cafe since it opened a year ago. The London Plane is owned by Mathew Dillon who also owns the popular Sitka and Spruce, The Corson Building, bar ferd'nand, and bar Sajor. It is also a partnership between Katherine Anderson, owner of Marigold and Mint. The London Plane is one of many new restaurants that have opened in Pioneer Square over the last year that has started a revitalization of Seattle's oldest neighborhood.

The London Plane is located at 300 Occidental Avenue South. It is a corner space in a beautiful historic building. The space has huge floor to high-ceiling windows that just flood the space with natural light. When you enter the cafe you are greeted by a large table of beautiful flower arrangements from Marigold and Mint. The counter to the right offers fresh bakery goods and an array of salads, soups, and other delicious looking food items. There is seating available upstairs on the second level that offers up a great view of the main dining area and cafe bar.

I was really looking forward to trying the food at The London Plane. Matthew Dillon had huge success with Sitka and Spruce, so I had high expectations. I decided to start with one of the baked goods, as they all sounded so delicious. I wanted to go with the orange scented morning bun, but they were unfortunately out of them that morning. I went with my second choice, the warm biscuit with seasonal preserve and crème fraiche. I'm not going to lie, this biscuit with the preserve and crème fraiche was one of the best biscuits I have had in a very long time. So I'm kind of glad they were out of the morning bun. 

I love Brunch. It gives me an excuse to have an alcoholic beverage in the morning. Not that I really need an excuse. The Mimosa was very tasty and it was a generous pour. So we were off to a good start. Next came the main dish.

I ordered the salt cured king salmon with marinated beets, fennel, crème fraich and a boiled egg. First off, the presentation of the food was amazing. The food almost looked like a floral arrangement, and it tasted as good as it looked. Everything was so fresh and full of flavor. I really liked the paper-thin shaved radishes. I'm a big fan of fennel, and this dish had just the right amount to not overpower the salmon, which was delicious! The boiled egg was just slightly more than soft boiled and the yolk just slowly oozed when I cut into it. I would definitely come back for more of this dish.

The London Plane is also a specialty foods store. They offer foods, gift ideas, cookbooks, soaps, cards, tableware, and other great food-related items. I highly recommend stopping into The London Plane,either for some delicious food, or to wander through their store items. If you do plan on going for dinner, I would suggest making reservations, as they tend to fill up very quickly.

 

FOOD REVIEW: Loulay Kitchen and Bar

Loulay sign above kitchen.

It was my birthday recently and for my Birthday dinner, my friends took me out to eat at Loulay Kitchen and Bar, Thierry Rautureau's newest restaurant in downtown Seattle. I'm a big fan of Chef Rautureau's other restaurant, Luc in Madison Valley, so I was excited to try out his latest restaurant. Loulay is named for chef Thierry Rautureau's hometown of Saint Hilaire de Loulay in France. The restaurant is located at Sixth and Union on the Sheraton Hotel block.

Huge mirror and lights at Loulay.

The interior of the restaurant is very spacious. There is seating at the chef's counter, similar to Chef Rautureau's other restaurant, Luc. There are high-backed booths and tables in the main dining area on the first level, as well as, a 24-seat bar area. There is a balcony area that gives a perfect bird's-eye-view of the kitchen and main dining area. There is also a mezzanine level that seats about 30 diners and can be used for private parties.

View of dining area from balcony at Loulay.

I loved the energy of the restaurant. All areas were full of diners enjoying their food and wine. I can easily see Loulay becoming one of my favorite Seattle restaurants.

Amuse Bouche of Ceviche on toasted baguette.

Almost as soon as we sat down in our booth, we were greeted by Chef Thierry Rautureau himself! Thierry is well-known to visit with guests at his restaurants. He loves to chat with his patrons and get to know them. I've had the pleasure of talking to Chef Rautureau at Luc, and I was very pleased to see him yet again at Loulay. He mentioned that everything on the menu was delicious, and after looking it over, I agree, it all sounded very good.

Appetizers of Beet Salad, Duck Sliders, and Crab Beignets.

For a started, we were treated to an Amuse Bouche of Ceviche on a toasted baguette. It was the perfect little starter to what would be a most enjoyable dining experience. For our appetizers, we ordered the Beet Salad, Duck Sliders, and the Crab Beignets. All of which were spot-on and delicious.

Lamb and Polenta

For my main course, I chose the Lamb and Polenta. As expected, I was not disappointed. The lamb was tender and the delicious sauce gave the dish so much flavor.

Beignets with sour apples, malt ice cream, and caramel.

For dessert, we ordered the Beignets with sour apples, malt ice cream and caramel. The powdered beignets were reminiscent of the ones I've tried at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 

Chocolate Truffle Cake with a praline bar, lemon cremeux, roasted white chocolate ice milk.

I also ordered the Chocolate Truffle Cake. It was complete with a praline bar, lemon cremeux and roasted white chocolate ice milk. This dessert was the perfect finish to an amazing night of delicious food.

It was a pleasure meeting The Chef in the Hat, Thierry Rautureau.

Chef Rautureau was nice enough to take a picture with us. He is an amazing Chef and I wish him all the best with Loulay. I will definitely be back for many visits.