Cafe Beaujolais (French)

Cafe Beaujolais symbolizes the Mendocino Coast in more ways than I can count. It is situated in a charming, quaint, former home located in the Mendocino "Business District". It has natural beauty surrounding it (an amazing garden), and a very high price tag per person, per meal. Also, the restaurant plates up stellar, and very traditional, dishes. All the above traits scream Mendocino. A high Zagat rating and shining Urbanspoon reviews also follow this restaurant around, making it appealing to even the biggest  penny pinchers. For starters, there's the Duck Leg Confit. It's basically a plate loaded with tender, slightly dry, but still quite appealing duck, Brie and fresh, house made Sourdough Bread. Also, Cafe Beaujolais' first course (appetizer) section of the menu includes crab cakes, a personal favorite. The cakes are more crab than filling (always a plus), and are nice and crisp on the outside, allowing you to begin each bite with a satisfying crunch or crackle. The next course brings a delicious Bouillabaisse to the table. Bouillabaisse is a rich, Cioppino-like seafood and chicken stew. The tomato broth is surprisingly lighter and more savory than that found in a tasty Cioppino. At Cafe Beaujolais, they seem to know how to prepare their seafood. This particular example included nicely cooked fish and mussels, leaving each person at the table satisfied and quite absolutely stuffed. You have to love a restaurant that can do seemingly anything well (within their respective cuisine).