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Photo By: Erinn EichingerVegan Sandwich at Madeleine’s Bistro.

Unexpected surprises delight at vegan Madeleine BistroBy Erinn Eichinger

I’m a carnivore, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. A leg of lamb, studded with garlic? Delicious. A juicy steak, cooked to a perfect medium-rare? I’m in.

But in the end, I’m just a food lover in general. My only criterion is that it tastes good. So when heard about a “gourmet†vegan restaurant, I knew I had to try it.

I must have driven past Madeleine Bistro in Tarzana 100 times since they opened in 2005 without ever noticing it. When we walked through the door we saw simple, classic décor – wood tables, white linens and muted green walls. The menu is small, but it’s better to do a few things well than to have so many offerings that you can’t possibly do them all justice.

We started off with soup (cup, $5; bowl, $7). Asparagus soup, easy to do vegan style, was vibrant in color and flavor. I reached for the salt, expecting I would need it, and was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t.

We also tried the French Onion soup. I wondered how they were going to pull this off – the best part about French Onion soup is the crust of cheese on top. Alas, no baked cheese here; instead, rather sad bits of stringy soy cheese floating near the bottom. But the news gets better from here. Although it didn’t look like your classic French Onion soup, it had a nice flavor. The broth was rich, and, dare I say, “meaty†tasting.

Next, we ordered a Club Sandwich ($14). Half of the fun of this meal was seeing how the restaurant would interpret classic lunch choices in a vegan fashion. I thought the club sandwich looked good. The “chicken†was actually breaded seitan, which I have since learned is a pretty name for wheat gluten (or “wheat meat,†or just plain gluten). The flavor was yummy, but it did get a little mushy as the meal went on. There was also tempeh bacon, which is soy based, but again, it tasted meaty to me.

We also tried their “Bigger Maque†burger ($13). This also looked very delectable. The no-meat patties were highly seasoned, in a good way, and the bun was light, but sturdy enough to stand up to the “meat,†tomatoes and sauce. I’d order it again. But the best part about the dish? The fries and ketchup. These were the most perfect little crispy pomme frittes I’ve had in a while.

How often does a carnivore like me end up at a vegan restaurant? Not often. So, with that in mind, we decided to go all the way and order dessert. Sorbet seemed like a pretty safe bet. There were three kinds, raspberry, lemon and kiwi. These were fabulous – tart and sweet at the same time, and creamy too. The fresh strawberries and raspberry sauce drizzled over the top was a nice touch.

We also ordered the Crème Brulée, which I was a bit more skeptical about. Crème Brulée is all about the eggs, and how in the world would they get around that little hitch? Their version looked great, and even had the nice sugary brown crisp on top. But sadly, it was no match for the original. It lacked the creamy, eggy consistency that makes the dish so decadent and delicious. And the flavor, although good, wasn’t spot-on. But hey, if you live in a world where eggs are a no-no, then this is a keeper.

Overall, Madeleine Bistro served us a tasty and satisfying lunch. The prices are a bit high, but when you consider the effort the chef takes to make these ingredients taste as good as they do, it doesn’t seem so bad. I’m looking forward to going back and trying out their dinner menu.

 

Madeleine Bistro, 18621 Ventura Blvd. Tarzana. (818) 758-6971 www.madeleinebistro.com Open for lunch and dinner Wed – Sun.Erinn Eichinger can be reached at her blog: www.sundaydish.typepad.com.

 

Peter vv

 

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