La Bicyclette

Carmel, CA

When we searched for a lunch place in downtown Carmel, we read on Yelp how much people love la Bicyclette. We didn't come on our last visit with BroCo since people mentioned its not a kid friendly place. Probably because the menu varies with only a handful of options and is more catered for adults pallets. During our time there, we didn't see any kids either. We were probably considered the kiddies at the place since we opted to sit in a little covered house in the corner of the restaurant. I thought it seemed more private, but Chu-Toro thought i was being a huge dork. The daily offerings are written up on the blackboard, with about a variety of eight items. They also offer pizzas from a stone oven. We were intrigued by a couple things, and they all happened to be vegetarian. So, unexpectedly, we had a vegetarian lunch, starting with a Moroccan carrot soup. 

Moroccan Carrot Soupe

It was uniquely presented in a copper pot with a ladle and two bowls. The soup itself was rich, creamy and was a sophisticated blend of non overpowering carrot flavor.

Butternut Squash and Ravioli 

Next up was a butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sauce. Although it looked light, it actually ended up being a very heavy dish. Combined with bits of carrots, radishes, kale, hazelnuts and cheese, the individual items were fresh, but not sure if everything melded together as intended. Overall, an okay offering.

Forest Mushroom Pizza with Truffle oil

The pizza we ordered was also a little different from our normal orders, settling on a forest mushroom pizza with truffle oil. There's a heaviness about truffle oil that makes it the most predominant flavor in any dish. The pizza was decent, but not something I would especially recommend. I would say if you want a pizza, go to a Italian place. The whole French/Italian hybrid just didn't work well for the items we ordered. 

The service was good, and they obviously strive to utilize fresh ingredients, but maybe we just didn't order the best they had to offer. Although, two of the items we had, the soup and the ravioli were both on the fixed menu for dinner. While we sat in a half full restaurant for lunch, the phone was ringing off the hook for dinner reservations, so they must be doing something right here. Maybe its the proteins! I forgot to mention that during this meal I had the most expensive bottle of water in my life, a  $6.75 bottle of sparkling water, about the same price of the soup ($7), which was ridiculous. All in all, next time I'd try somewhere new or go back to Carmel Belle.

Rating 6/10

January 22, 2011