There was a definite French theme to this last weekend, spanning Saturday's visit to our favorite bistro here in Santa Rosa to a visit on Sunday to a lively French Antiques fair/Flea Market in San Rafael. Some images from a yummy dinner at Rendezvous Bistro (an establishment not making its first appearance on this blog!): barbecued oysters served with a lovely garlic butter parsley sauce:
Country pâté and baguette with grainy mustard and cornichon pickles:
Grilled salmon served with delicious French Puy lentils (must buy some for fall cooking at home!) fennel and artichokes
Jamison's hearty and tasty burger with roasted tomato, served with amazing truffled french fries and a truffled aioli:
This cozy and consistently delicious restaurant is about 15 minutes from our house, a nice walk that takes in a range of architectural styles, gardens....and cats!
Sunday's French themed market in San Rafael offered a transporting mix of objects, many French, others American...a feast of old things in colorful, nostalgic, bric a brac'd collision
How beautiful are these old French seed packets?
Love these warm colors and curvy pear shapes
Refined confections!
The farmer's market was a adjacent to the antiques fair...we admired this amazingly aromatic mint
My treasures from the antiques fair: a Victorian creamer set with one tiny tea cup, all embossed with Japan-inspired flower and bamboo motifs:
....and a French apple picking basket that seems to have jumped from an Impressionist painting
Today's bento featured salmon and lentils from the bistro, fennel blossoms, a tiny lemon from one of our trees, garden-grown arugula and baby tomatoes from the farmer's market:
Happy cooking this week, mes amis!
You live in a dream. Thank you for taking me along!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your dear and warmhearted bento friendship!
ReplyDeleteI adore your little teapot bedecked with nasturtiums. What a lovely outing.
ReplyDeletel love the leaf sampler - somehow it seems right at home with your bento and that salmon!!!! Looks perfect! Does the new puss cat come running when you photograph the bento?
ReplyDeleteGoodness, You Know how to LIVE!!! Making haste to add your favorite bistro in Santa Rosa and the French Antiques fair/Flea Market in San Rafael to my extremely long wish list of places I must visit.. after seeing your photos!! Gorgeousness!
ReplyDeleteHi Robin, thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteHi Blorgie-C! These thjings have a certain affinity, felt like re-connecting long lost friends :)Kitty has gotten curious about a couple of bentos, especially when salmon is involved...
ReplyDeleteHi Berrygirl! I think you'd really enjoy this bistro--so relaxed and laid back yet elegant and wonderfully consistent great food. Thanks so much for coming along on this outing :)
ReplyDeleteThe oysters with garlicky butter parsley! Yum! Everything looks amazing. Love the bento, I wish I had it for my lunch today! I am into vintage kitchen items, so I would love going with you here.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynds! What are your fav vintage kitchen items to collect? Sharing the bento and (I wish!) some of those divine bbq oysters with you :)
ReplyDeleteOoooooh I want those seed packets! Too cute to be true. Your colourful foto's brighten up my day! :) Looks like you had a fun day at the fair.
ReplyDeleteHi Gnoe! I found them pretty amazing too :) Thanks for your visit, sweet pal. Is fall chill upon you in the Netherlands? Still some summer-like days out here, for now....
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn, I replied before but it must not of gone through. I like to collect vintage mixing bowls and baking dishes...they come in so many sizes. I have some vintage glass juicers that work very well. I also have some vintage potato mashers...they come in so many shapes and patterns. I have some sugar shakers and egg cups too...just to name a few! :)
ReplyDeleteCool--this was fun to read! I love the great colors of vintage mixing bowls...hmmmm, I should start collecting them too!
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