Cafe Rabelais in Rice Village

Eat here for a lovely French-inspired dinner. After eating lots of fabulous fresh fish in Florida, the landlubber in me was craving lamb. I decided to try the pistachio crusted rack of lamb with cranberry sauce at this attractively decorated French style bistro. It was delicious and served perfectly done at medium rare. The two thick chops were accompanied by fresh green beans (the skinny haricots verts would have been nice) and smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. The tomato basil salad featured three thick slices of beefsteak tomato (that actually tasted like a tomato...imagine that), topped with basil and roasted garlic balsamic vinegar. The salade niçoise had a generous amount of tuna and toppings for a dinner serving. The warm, rustic French bread was a stand out - crunchy crust on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth softness inside. Topped with the wonderful European butter, the bread was a highlight of the meal.  Next time we will try the mussels and pommes frites, both of which looked great. I can just picture myself dipping that heavenly bread into the white wine-infused herb broth. And I plan to leave room for one of the tempting French desserts. Service was excellent. The wine list was extensive and we enjoyed a half bottle of Côtes du Rhône. One drawback was the menu board. They only have one and it is high up and rather inconvenient to see from parts of the room. The tables are also close together, although the room wasn't noisy and we could have a conversation. This unassuming storefront holds a delightful dinner ahead, and a little taste of France, if you use your imagination.