We stepped into this Provencal restaurant eager to try the aioli house special we’d heard rave reviews about. As we ventured through the dim but colorful IKEA-chic interior, things got brighter thanks to a cheery skylight above a green corner. The aioli, handmade mayonnaise laced with garlic, arrived in a large serving dish surrounded by an impressive array of artichokes, carrots, cauliflower, olives, quail’s eggs and potatoes for a calorie laden veggie feast. The famed dip lived up to its reputation, with the garlic flavor appearing as a pleasantly tingly aftertaste. The healthier le mistral salad was a delicious mix of grilled asparagus and red pepper, watercress, eggs and olives, drizzled with olive oil and (at least to our taste buds) a hint of soya sauce. Moving on, the cod with tapenade (a Provencal condiment of blended olive oil, olives, anchovies and capers) melted in our mouths—and we couldn’t get enough of its tasty herb crust. Back on the decadence trail, we then tucked into coq au vin, just to see what chicken simmered in wine and Provencal herbs for two days tastes like. Incredibly flavorful, we discovered, although we found it difficult to divide our attention equally between that and the accompanying potato gratin, slathered with lashings of cream and aromatic with butter. To end the sinfully rich meal, we decided to go for dessert overkill with lemon tart, homemade chocolate mousse and flambee banana with ice cream. While a little sweet for our taste, the lemon tart was as good as they come. The dense, almost crumbly, chocolate mousse won our vote with its intense cocoa flavor leaving a smooth finish. Infused with Kahlua and Amandine, the banana’s caramel sauce was flavorful enough to lick off a spoon, though we managed to fight the temptation. As we tucked into pieces of liqueur soaked banana twirled in caramel threads, it seemed like heaven was at hand. Our only complaint, as we staggered out the door, was that the scrumptious caramel had dutifully caramelized on the plate as it cooled, leaving a brittle candy layer we couldn’t chip away at no matter how hard we tried.
