I’m reading “Julie and Julia,” a mouth-watering delight. The book describes French meals made by author Julie Powell as she spent a year cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1.
The crazy Julie and Julia project discusses food, wine and life in New York. It’s a curl-up-on-a-rainy-day kind of book. It also gave me several days of craving French-style comfort food. Well, not being a copy cat, I decided not to replicate Julie’s efforts. (That, plus the fact I hate to cook.)
Instead, I ventured out to Restaurant Mirepoix in Windsor. This little bistro is all about elegant, yet comfortable food. Sticking with the savory Sonoma County restaurant trend of using fresh and seasonal ingredients, Chef Matthew Bousquet creates traditional French bistro food with a distinctive twist and a seasonal menu. Matthew opened the elegant, yet homey, restaurant with his wife and general manager, Bryan, in 2002.
Nothing says comfort, or French, like coq au vin, the restaurant’s Thursday special. Chicken with wine. That’s it. Sounds simple enough, but the complex flavors belie its rustic appearance. If you’re adventurous, just order the daily prix fixe menu, which includes a salad, entree, and your choice of cheese or dessert.
Check them out online at www.restaurantmirepoix.com. Better yet, find your way to Windsor for lunch. Call it a holiday and treat yourself.
Oh, and the book is pretty good, too.
