454380 Fri Oct 26 10:26:52 -0700 2007 2 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3069833 Well, I had a 6:30pm reservation at Comme Ca and had a drink at the bar. I proceeded to ask the bartender for Belvedere vodka and he quickly mentioned that they only carried 4 vodkas (hangar one, a polish vodka, 2 others). I opted for the polish vodka with some grapefruit juice, and was pleasantly surprised by the fresh squeezed essence of the ruby red grapefruit. Refreshing after inhaling soot all day..... We proceeded to the table where we were given the ceremonial baguette in paper, with butter that was hard and not soft enough to spread. Baguette not as good as from Delice, BreadBar, or even Bristol Farms... hard and a bit of too much chew for me. I perused the wine list and was drawn to the Bourgogne which seemed to be great value at $39. Bursts of fruit, hints of caramel.... wonderful. we had the bottle decanted in a very manly decanter placed prominently in the middle of our party. We proceeded to order the Roasted Beef Marrow and Oxtail Jam, Escargots Persillade, and French Onion Soup. My marrow was perfectly roasted and unctuous as i spread it on my toasted bread and applied a little fleur de sel...... not as good as my fave bone marrow in the world (crispo in nyc) but nonetheless excellent. the oxtail jam was significantly infused with the flavor of orange peel, with hints of sweetness, i did not mind this however others in my party felt that the flavors were too strong. The escargots were not propery salted and tasted a little boring. The French Onion Soup was phenomenal...... i miss soups like this especially when I long for places like Balthazar and Pastis (both nyc)...... superb onion concentration with sweet undertones, along with rich strings of gruyere were profound. Oysters were then served.....(I wished they served the oyster before our appetizers because the flavors of the oysters were muted by the intensity of my orange peel oxtails) They were called Shookum (?? sp) from Washington State. The other choice were for malpeques from PEI, but we opted for these. The main courses arrived shortly after we finished our appetizers. We had the Crispy Skate Grenobloise, Paleron of Beef Bourguignon, and the Duck Confit. The two standouts here were the Skate and Duck Confit. While I can eat confit like a kid eating cake and ice cream, this once again unctuous piece of fatty softness had great duck flavor. smoky, with crispy skin on a bed of braised cabbage was perfect. the skate was prepared in a brown butter sauce with haricot verts, and it was cook with the outside crispy with very complex flavors. The members of our party had the beef bouguignon and while tasting very similar to a traditional beef short rib, the seasoning was a little strong in the salt department. As a side we ordered the pommes frites and they were heavenly. Other posters on the board mentioned something close to micky d's fries but these were way better. my suspicion is that they are fried in the duck fat that was used to simmer my confit. Ha!! i have my cardiologist on speed dial. We ended the evening with a trio of cheeses: my favorite epoises, a strong nutty sheepsmilk cheese, and a nice goatsmilk cheese. We ended the night with a creme brulee that was just recently fired, and the caramelization from the sugar coupled with the pudding like custard was divine. Topped off with some Calvados......mmm. Service from our waiter was professional, and yes there were some lapses such as reminding our server that we had a side of pommes frites. However my overall impression is very good, service was friendly, and that it is 3 blocks from my residence. I will return again, and enjoy this new gem in LA. Hope you all try this place out!! Fri Oct 26 10:26:52 -0700 2007 13928 Schweinhaxen 1 3069883 I was the poster who compared the pommes frites to McDonald's fries, but only in the most complimentary way. Both have that meaty taste about them (although McDonald's fries are from beef extract now), which is why the comparison came about. I personally love McDonald's fries, a trait I share with the late Julia Child, who, from what the husband of her biographer once told me, always lamented the fact they stopped frying them in beef tallow. I see the boeuf bourgignon's saltiness was not limited to my night, either. I wonder if they're salting the meat as well as using bacon in the sauce preparation. Had the crème brûlée been offered Tuesday night, we'd have ordered that in a heartbeat. I hope it's still there on my next visit. Fri Oct 26 10:41:09 -0700 2007 3069833 100515 Woolsey 2 3069980 I love Micky D's fries...... dont be mistaken. Beef tallow is quite flavorful...... Fri Oct 26 11:07:50 -0700 2007 3069883 13928 Schweinhaxen