A Food Affair Encore

Today's post is an update on A Food Affair, still wonderful after all these years! It's been 11 years since they opened, and I am so very grateful to call them my French home away from home. Still family run, Babette welcoming guests and running the front of the house and Christian creating the recipes and doing the cooking. It's always a pleasure to walk into this softly lit, warm, and inviting oasis.

During Covid 19, I mainly ordered take out, but as the vaccines and boosters eased our concerns, it was nice to finally go out to eat again at my favorite restaurants. A Food Affair has managed to not only maintain their heart warming piece of Provence on Robertson Blvd, but they have also retained their standards of delicious dishes and professional service.

It's also been fun to introduce new people to this marvelous place! We started with Wild Alaskan crab cakes, served with a caper saffron yogurt sauce, and mango, green papaya, scallion, and bell pepper for $19.95

I love their Organic Artisan Salad for $14.95 with persimmons, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, almonds, tomatoes, and aged balsamic.

The Scottish salmon and crispy calamari served over grilled corn, asparagus, cauliflower riced risotto, and honey chipotle for $34.95 is a wonderful dish for pescatarians who want a hearty bowl filled with a medley of flavors.

I ordered Mom's boeuf bourguignon for $33.95, still the best version I've ever eaten anywhere in the world. Made with prime beef, wild mushrooms, carrots, and served with pappardelle, this was easily enough for 2, so of course I took home leftovers for my second meal ;) 

People say you can't go back and expect things to be the same, but thankfully I can go back to A Food Affair and it is the same in all the ways that count, wonderful people, excellent food, and a place that warms my heart.

American Beauty Venice

I went to American Beauty Venice to celebrate friendship and the holidays, kicking off a wonderful end of 2022 and beginning of 2023. Life is a beautiful circle of old and new and American Beauty was a perfect place to incorporate both with old friends and a new place. 

We shared many plates, some of which were eaten before I got a chance to take a picture :) The wood grilled flatbread for $12 with labneh and smoked honey was devoured before I could even pull my phone out of my purse! It was a sesame topped hit, with everyone at the table.

Heritage Pork Baby back ribs for $34 with sweet and spicy glaze, pickled daikon and kohlrabi. The ribs were very tender, and the slaw was a nice vinegary compliment to the generous serving of rich pork. It was good enough to take the leftovers home, but I would have preferred a bit more spice or seasoning to the pork.

American Beauty is known as a steakhouse, so we ordered one grass fed NY strip for $ 65 medium (table consensus) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so perfectly seasoned, that no one touched the side sauce.

As a non meat dish, I chose the grilled Orata (a type of sea bream) for $34 with ajo bianco, grape and leek. It was very nicely done, with crispy skin and tender flesh. Anyone with allergies should note that it is served with hazelnuts.

I did not get a chance to taste the lamb chops since the meat lovers at the table pounced on them as soon as they arrived, but I heard they were delicious!

I also chose the broccolini for $13 which were so good that we nearly ordered another serving.

The onion stuffed hash brown for $15 with sour cream was a perfectly done huge patty that we managed to divide without using knives ;)

I loved the oyster and shiitake mushrooms with cippolini onions for $18 and could have easily eaten this as my main dish.

We ordered the burnt cheesecake for $12 (which was eaten before I got a picture) along with the apple pie for dessert and the table devoured both, so if you have a sweet tooth, save some room for dessert!