[Gemme]

Originally Posted by SassyLeo

Another place I like to go is >Chez Machin<

I found this little gem when I first moved to Portland just randomly wandering around in one of the neat neighborhoods we have, Hawthorne.

The restaurant is quaint and comfy. They decorate in the traditional "French" way...play french music, etc.

What I love about this place is the staff are really kind and always seem really happily mellow. They have great suggestions, are very patient with my weird food ordering ways...And the food is just good. Always good. It never wavers.

They have the best french onion soup I have ever had...so tasty.

They have lots of crepes (which are VERY popular here) but I typically order:
Croque Monsieur-Grilled Emmentaller swiss cheese, Black Forest ham and dijon mustard sandwich topped with melted Emmentaller swiss cheese
and/or
Salade Lyonnaise-Mixed greens tossed in homemade Dijon vinaigrette with bacon, diced tomatoes, homemade croutons and topped with a poached egg.

Sometimes I get the special - Chicken Cordon Bleu or Quiche.

If we are feeling especially decadent, we might get this appetizer: Brie en Croute-Brie cheese baked in savory pastry. Served with roasted garlic and sliced apples, sliced baguette, and local berry compote.

or a crepe for dessert (rarely for me since I don't eat much refind sugar) but if I do, it is often this: La Compote-Cooked apples and cinnamon with caramel sauce.

The prices are VERY reasonable as well. 2 for dinner is usually around $25 depending on what we order.

The salad with the apple-ginger vinaigrette sounded interesting. Okay, the dressing sounds interesting. I think I'll experiment and see what I can come up with.