Birch Street formerly Bistro Elan Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
Posted by Foodnut.com
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Reviewer: Foodnut.com Birch Street 2362-A Birch Street (Near California Ave.) Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-327-0284 650-327-0188 (Fax) |
Bistro Elan moved around the corner in July, 2011 and is now called Birch Street. The new location is smaller with only 20 seats indoors. They offer a selection of 4 entrees every evening.
2362-A Birch Street (Near California Ave.)
Palo Alto, California
650-327-0284
Bistro Elan is a French-Californian bistro in the California Avenue shopping district of Palo Alto. The focus on local, organic, and sustainable ingredients from the local farmers market.
Decor, Vibe – Bistro Elan has simple decor, pictures on the wall, a large clean, open kitchen, and has beautiful dining area in the rear garden patio. Most of the folks dining or in the 30s to 50s and many were well dressed. Better dressed than many places in San Francisco! The place was busy and loud.
Menu
Bistro Elan Menu changes regularly, they have five entrées to select from. Not a lot of options for vegetarians
Bistro Elan Full image set
Picks:
Amuse bouche of rock shrimp and guacamole on the crostini was excellent.
Salinas Asparagus soup ($9.75) brioche, Parmesan croutons was super hot, had a low-key flavor, and was very smooth.
Sautéed fresh calamari ($14.75) risotto, chorizo stuffed, lots of butter beans, arugula, artichoke, and oregano salad had three good sized, tasty and tender stuffed pieces. Could’ve used a couple more pieces and less beans though.
California white sea bass ($25) parsnip purée, sautéed spinach, caramelized shallots, red wine reduction was a very good fish with good quality but a little bit firm. The surface was crispy and was highlighted with the crunchy parsnip chips. The parsnip purée was very good unlike other versions will try elsewhere.
Sonoma duck confit and risotto ($24) fresh morel mushroom, asparagus, Parmesan risotto was an excellent rendition of the classic. The duck meat was very tender and flavorful, the skin was crispy but could have been thicker. Duck sauce was excellent. The risotto was in great quantities and was solid.
Macaroni gratin ($7) came hot out of the oven had some nice al dente macaroni and good quality cheese.
OK:
None
Pans:
None
Bistro Elan had decent service with waiters patrolling most of the time, food came fast, water was never in short supply. The food here was very good, clearly one of the better places in Palo Alto and the Peninsula. An obvious comparison would be to the French bistro Chapeau in San Francisco, Chapeau has clearly superior food. If you’re looking for a quaint little French bistro on the Peninsula, you have found the best bet. Other restaurants we have reviewed nearby include The Counter, Jin Sho, and The Oaxacan Kitchen.
Two-page Wine list, glasses from $7.75, bottles from $28.
Birch Street Overall Rating: 
(Very Good
Come Back? 
| Food Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Service Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Atmosphere Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Value Rating: | (Good) |
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary
| Alcohol: | Beer, Wine |
| Attire: | Dressy |
| Hours: | Tu - Sat 11:30am - 2:00pm, Tu - Sat 5:00 - 9:00pm, Closed Sunday and Monday. |
| Parking: | Street |
| Reservations: | Yes |
| Prices: | $24 - $39 |
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- Mayfield Bakery and Cafe, Palo Alto
- Calafia Cafe Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
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5 Responses to “Birch Street formerly Bistro Elan Restaurant Review, Palo Alto”
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May 11th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I was very sorry to see that the foie gras is gone from the Bistro Elan menu. Ambjorn’s classic preparation was outstanding.
September 6th, 2010 at 7:42 am
THANK YOU! We dined at Bistro Elan last night. What a treat! It was fabulous. The place was hopping so I’m not sure how we even got in with our last minute reservation. We loved the food, the ambience, the waiter, the whole package! I’m going to describe the food so you can stop reading now if you want.
They had an “amuse bouche” of a smoked salmon bite which I enjoyed and a delicious light cheese souffle “bite” with chives. Yum. We had the gravlax and the early girl tomato salad to start. I honestly think the gravlax was one of the best things I ever ate. I was 1/2 way through when I said – “shoot – we should have taken a photo”. Then, of course, I was so absorbed in our food that I completely forgot about photos. For the main course Rob had the halibut and I had the scallops. The scallops came with shrimp infused risotto and there were actual large shrimp in it! Rob’s halibut was delicious, though the zucchini on the side was the only slight disappointment of the night. We then splurged and shared a chocolate souffle. It was really light and tasty. Honestly, the whole meal I kept thinking I was in SF or even Paris but certainly not a sleepy street in Palo Alto.
September 6th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
The foie gras is not on the menu, but it is very much available. Outstanding. Nice portion, melt in your mouth, blood orange is perfect pairing.
February 2nd, 2011 at 12:02 am
[...] cuisine with molecular elements. Coi is more refined and has more of a vegetable slant. Nearby are Bistro Elan and Oaxacan [...]
May 9th, 2011 at 11:04 am
[...] Bistro Elan, Palo Alto [...]