San Rafael - Le Chalet Basque? ... Ranger?
Anyone been?
A few weeks ago while searching for a different cuisine, Le Chale Basque popped up. I saved it off for future reference if eating in San Rafael.
So today, on the NAF board thread about unusual/unique service Ranger tells the tale of this Basque restaurant that he makes a yearly pilgrimage to. Sounds wonderful.
If you are reading, any more info Ranger? And why didn't you let us locals in on this?
There were only two brief Chowhound mentions I could find, one in 2000 and another in 2002. And those people didn't eat there.
Elsewhere on the web it gets high marks for its authenticty, warm service and delicious food.
Website:
http://www.chaletbasque.com/
rworange
May 05, 2006 03:33PM
Believe it or not there are two Basque restaurants in San Rafael. The one the Ranger is speaking about is Cafe Villa at 1600 Lincoln Ave. It's just north of central San Rafael. I haven't been in many years, but it was not bad.
Permalink | Reply
No kidding? What are the chances of that, eh? Anyone been recently?
Anyone been to both and have a run down?
Less about Cafe Villa than Le Chalet Basque. Here's the best I could find. No online menu.
What's the deal? San Rafael big on shepards?
Link: http://dinesite.com/info/rstrnt-239074/
Permalink | Reply
Unlike San Francisco, Marin County has actual farms.
Permalink | Reply
And sheperds?
They must have some sort of Basque community in the area.
I was almost off on a Basque restaurant crawl. It turns out the the recently closed Guernica Restaurant in Sausalito had a Basque menu.
I read that the owner of Guernica took over Le Chalet Basque around 2000. Don't know if he still owns that restaurant. Someone said he was French Basque.
Maybe I should take advantage of Le Chalet Basque before it is too late.
Link: http://cityguide.aol.com/sanfrancisco...
Permalink | Reply
With a sheep and lamb population of 20,000, I imagine there are a few shepherds in Marin County keeping watch over those flocks. Sheepherding is a solitary life. Where I grew up, the Basque sheepherders came out of the hills only one or two times a year. It was a magnificent sight though to see traffic stopped in both directions on the Monterey Highway as an enormous flock was crossing the road. Anyway, a business model based on sheepherders as your main customer isn't going to get very far these days.
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/06/21/MN147361.DTL
Image: http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2001...
Permalink | Reply
The Lady wins a prize!
Le Chalet Basque is more upscale than Villa.
Permalink | Reply
Is the Villa back in business? I thought it closed a few years ago.
Permalink | Reply
We were there... (sigh) 18 months ago if my memory chip is working correctly. That would be tragic if true about Villa.
Permalink | Reply
Well, I WAS going to go tonight since there was less info about it. The restaurant is closed. Only the bar is open and no food.
OK, imagine smiley faces here and a fake rant ...
Ranger ... it was you ... YOU killed it. The weight of its demise falls on your shoulders ... if only you reported it, Chowhounds would have turned into greyhounds racing there. I mean, even your little mention of this place on the Not About Food board made it sound so charming and interesting that it got me into a Basque frenzy, buying books and vacations to Spain.
Tragic indeed.
What do you use your considerable writing talents for ... the last I remember (don't read them all) ... chains. Like they need word of mouth.
OK, so seriously I don't know what killed it. Could have been a sale, owner retiring, bad food, the cut-throat competition from the other Basque place in town ... down-sizing of the local sheepherder workforce ... a deleted post said the other name for shepards was sheepherders ... doesn't sound right though ... silent night, holy night, sheepherders quake at the sight ... I am the good sheepherder ...
Still, its always helpful to sing the praises of the places we love so that the are still there the next time we want to visit ... Have you ever been to Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City ... great lobster roll and fried clams ... keep it open for me.
Link: http://oplobster.com/
Permalink | Reply
Suck! I wrote about it but didn't know about CH. (sigh) Another good restaurant disappears...
Permalink | Reply
Thanks for being a good sport. It was a very nice report, sorry I never got there.
It did get me interested in Basquue food. Looking forward to The Basque Chateau and revisiting Piperade. I'm going to read up a little on it first.
I want to get a dish on both menus that I can compare and maybe compare to other Basque restaurants I may try.
Again, nice eulogy, tho you didn't know it at the time.
Permalink | Reply
OK, the website is a little tricky. My first look made me think "What's so Basque about that?"
You actually have to click on the word "Entree" under the Dinner Menus section and you should see
DINNER MENU
Our Complete Basque Family Style Dinner is Available (Add $4.00)
Pate Maison, Soup & Salad, Ice Cream, or Rice Pudding
Some of the entrees include:
Gambas Biscayana (Sautéed Prawn Olive Oil, Garlic, Tomato)
Frog Legs (In a Garlic Butter and Lemon Sauce)
Poulet Basquaise (Tomato Sauce Bell Peppers and Onions)
Poulet Chalet Basque (Chicken au jus with Garlic Mushroom)
Rabbit Chasseur (White Wine Sauce & Mushrooms)
Langue de Boeuf (Beef Tongue Sauce Piquante)
Tripes a la Mode Basque
Sweet Bread Financiere (Port Wine Sauce and Mushrooms)
Lamb Shank with Beans (Sheepherder Style)
Link: http://www.chaletbasque.com/
Image: http://www.chaletbasque.com/images/ma...
Permalink | Reply
I don't know how to post links, but on the NOt About Food section someone mentions a basque restaurant in San Rafael and it sounds like the one you are talking about. The heading is entertaining service stories (or something like that)
Permalink | Reply
Chalet Basque can be hit and miss, but I like to go if only for the atmosphere. It is very much an old-time San Rafael place, with its own cast of regulars. The owner is indeed French Basque, and is usually around chatting with customers.
We usually go fo lunch, which has a different menu than dinner. As for the food, the country pate can be quite good, though heavy. Last time I ordered the duck confit it was so salty it was nearly inedible -- the time before that it was delicious. My husband likes the hamburger, though there is nothing particularly "Basque" about it.
There is a bar seating area where you can order off the regular menu as well as (I think) 2 separate dining rooms and a nice outdoor patio facing the road.
By the way, this is a different restaurant than the other one mentioned, which has a motel attached to it and is in the city of san Rafael. Chalet Basque is in the county, on the way to China Camp State Park. It is a pleasant place to go for a drink or lunch if you're out that way hiking/biking.
Here's a link I picked up from winesandvines.com; the writer raves about the lamb shanks: http://www.winesandvines.com/winebar_...
Permalink | Reply
Thanks Terri,
The other one I guess is Cafe Villa. Have you ever tried it?
The link you provided mentioned an interesting drink -
"pacheran, that weird Basque aperitif made from wild cherries that tastes like cough syrup, but good cough syrup"
Guess I'll try to educate myself a little more about basque cuisine since I never tried it, unless Piperade counts.
I am wondering if the appeal is just that there is a lot of food at modest prices. This site that has info about Basque restaurants in the US, has a little about the background of these places.
Link: http://www.buber.net/Basque/Food/char...
Permalink | Reply
The piece you linked to is very much slanted toward the Basque food history in the Western states, and doesn't apply to other parts of the country. NY has more than one Basque restaurant.
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
Permalink | Reply
Rats! Posted my question on the General Board before I saw this. And then, it kills me that I actually 'contributed' to that link you provided. Another case of seeing my name in a thread and wondering why the heck I was involved in it.
Anyway, my link in that had to do with the local Basque festival in the summer. It seems like there is also a big Basque festival in Reno every year. So I wonder if shepards get to attend with expense accounts? Sorry, I'm just amused by the whole concept that there actually are still shepards.
Thanks for all the information.
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
Permalink | Reply
ChowFun (derek) and I checked out the local Basque festival a few years ago.
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
Permalink | Reply
They are also called sheepherders.
Permalink | Reply
Yes, sheepherders or shepherds, but not shepards (sic) except as a family name.
Permalink | Reply
Melanie, your perspicacity never ceases to amaze me. I always chuckle at Chalet Basque (which we like very much), because when our children were very young, their two favorite Marin restaurants were "Le Chalet Barf" and "La Petite Garbauge".
Permalink | Reply