Anisette Brasserie

alain giraud, who used to be the chef at bastide, opened his own restaurant. and i was in full anticipation.

the space is actually quite large and almost cavernous but for the dark part. i liked the high ceiling and the wines along the wall. it was pretty loud and crowded. definitely make reservations.

service was great. particularly, our french server made excellent recommendations. he suggested that i get the scallops as an appetizer. it was nicely seared and lovely. he also suggested that i get the duck confit. crispy texture and tender inside. my friend got the onion soup with gruyere. she said it was excellent and not salty. she also got the moule frites, which she said was similar to what she had at bouchon las vegas (i think she thought it was good but not earth shattering good).

the server suggested a fruity dessert, which i was not into, so i ignored his suggestion and went for the profiteroles. bad idea. the bread tasted a bit stale. but the chocolate and ice cream were good tho.

i asked whether he recommended the hot chocolate. he said it was not fresh and it was only good for breakfast or brunch. i appreciate that in my server.

that being said, it was a lovely meal. without alcohol or tip, it came to about $50 something each.

**sorry for the pix quality, i used my cell phone camera**