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A TASTE OF PARIS IN SAN FRANCISCO
by Lee Daley
When thinking about Redwood Shores in San Francisco’s South Bay,
the image of Oracle’s immense glass towers mirrored in the region’s
lagoon waters come to mind. Science and technology may be the main draw
to Redwood Shores, but Bay Area Francophiles often find this high tech
mecca to be the ideal getaway for a much needed Parisian-rendezvous.
Here, overlooking the same idyllic lagoon waters that reflect Oracle’s
presence, the French luxury Sofitel Hotel offers guests an escape that
encompasses fine cuisine with intimate dining, an informal but fashionable
bar scene with lively music. and a French market-style café/bookstore.
LE BAR:
Adjacent to the restaurant, the Bay Bar recreates an era that flourished
in the Thirties prior to the Prohibition years... Bay Bar Manager Julien
Laracine told me,” it is our goal to give each and every guest a
truly memorable beverage experience—that begins with a fantastic
product coupled with an intense and passionate love of our profession.”
For my evening interlude at Bay Bar, I enjoyed a rum drink flavored with
fresh ginger over ice. A disc jockey on duty contributed a lively, upbeat,
musical background to the ambience.
LE RESTAURANT:
Newly appointed Executive Chef Emmanuel Robert is now accompanied in the
kitchen by another French import, Emmanuel Billaud who joins him as Chef
de Cusine for the hotel’s popular restaurant,“Bay 223.”
Both their credentials are as impressive as the menu
.
Robert is a graduate of the Culinary Academy of Arts at Nantes and Sainte
Luce, France. During the last twenty years he has gleaned much experience
in France, most notably at the Two-Star Michelin rated Le Grand Louvre
Restaurant at Paris’ Louvre Museum. Newly named Chef de Cuisine,
Emmanuel Billaud brings his own sense of the “best of France”
having trained with Three-Star Michelin chef Alain Ducasse.
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Chef Emmanuel Billaud |
Cozy booths in the “Bay 223” restaurant nestle at random and take advantage of lagoon views.. The restaurant serves full breakfast, lunch and dinner and has an extensive wine list featuring seven premium Champagne selections as well as California , French and other international wines.
What impressed me most was the freshness of the ingredients, the blending
of traditional French cuisine with Northern California innovation and
the attentive, unobtrusive service.
Although my dinner consisted of five courses, including a pre selected
fromage serving, each dish complemented the total experience. Whenever
I have dined in France, I have always had the notion that a two hour dinner
is a luxury the average Parisian considers his or her due. Wonderfully,
that same ambience was evident the evening I dined at “Bay 223.”
Images of a long past but unforgettable meal in a Parisian café
flooded my thoughts and suddenly my personal time clock was reset. Life
seemed calmer, saner and tuned into the present. It was a lovely way to
shift focus at the end of a demanding work week.
LE CAFE:
Off the sleek lobby, a combination café/bookstore features a rack
of postcards done in the classic black-and-white photographic motif found
along the quays fronting the Parisian capital’s ’ Seine River.
For sale along with the cards are several coffee table books. Paris
Vertical and Paris City Highlights are two I perused and
again was transported to the City of Light.
Spend the Night
To complete your escape to Paris, spend the night with your amour in one
of the Sofitel’s elegant suites where a framed French love poem
graces the wall of each chamber. Order breakfast served in your room
where continental service includes fresh croissants and ripe berries served
on classic dinnerware that is French inspired right down to the oversized
white coffee cups.
With the cost of European travel these days, an escape to Paris can be
yours by traveling to Redwood Shores, a short drive from downtown San
Francisco. And you won’t have to go through Customs.
IF YOU GO:
SOFITEL San Francisco BAY: 223 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, CA 94065
Tel: (650) 598-9000 www.sofitel.com