MARY FURR -- Dining Out

Taste of France, the bistro on Center Avenue and Gothard Street in

Huntington Beach, is all wide windows and open doors on this mild fall

day. It’s almost like eating at a sidewalk cafe. But you know you’re

inside from the warm aroma of fresh-baked bread brought to the table by

tall blond Ellen Kortizija, whose family is from Croatia.

The Taste is a place of hearty sandwiches and thick quiches -- who

says real men don’t eat quiche? The dozen or more wrought-iron and

glass-topped tables fill quickly at noon with business people and

professors and students from Golden West College, which makes a real

service challenge for Kortizija, who can be overwhelmed.

A lunch special ($5.50) can be a spinach quiche with the crust kept

moist by a thin layer of potatoes topped with steamed spinach and

finished with a thick, golden brown egg custard. The plate also has a

salad of baby spinach, field greens, radicchio and sliced apples in a

light dressing, and a cold pasta salad of colored pasta with fresh tomato

onion sauce. It’s a bargain -- very hearty and nutritious.

What is a French bistro without crepes? Here, the large, very thin,

char-blistered pancake ($4.95) is filled with chicken and mushrooms in an

earthy flavored sauce. It is quite light but hot and filling, served with

the pasta and green salad.

There’s nothing like soup on a windy day -- the Taste has the usual

French onion, chicken noodle and daily special, all served with bread

($2.75). The potato and leek is an excellent one. It’s pureed, served in

a heavy crock and just thick enough. The onion-like leek is an ancient

vegetable with a mild flavor, which was favored by Nero, who thought it

would improve his singing voice.

The glass pastry counter display of blueberry, apricot, apple and

strawberry tarts ($2.50) is as colorful as an artist’s palette and as

tempting, but there are also a variety of cheesecakes ($1.75 a slice),

eclairs ($2.50) and Napoleons ($2.50). The flaky Napoleon, baked by Chef

Jacques Berthelot, is layered with thick custard -- though light in

texture with a powered sugar top, it is a no-nonsense dessert, rather

like the French themselves.

The Taste also has a wonderfully moist carrot cake, and, for the

holiday season, a pumpkin cheesecake (both $2.50). And don’t overlook

coffee drinks -- both hot and iced. For a cool fall, there is cafe latte

($1.80) or on a surprising warm day, the blended ice mocha ($3). They

will also add a shot of espresso (50 cents).

Owner Christopher Rousseaux from Bordeaux and his partner, Pascal

Chedau, come from a French food industry background. It’s their first and

only bistro. Rousseaux said the most popular choices are the grilled

chicken and avocado sandwich ($4.95), chicken breast salad ($4.95) and

the spinach quiche ($4.85).

Taste of France has the feel of a casual California cafe, but its

heart is pure French bistro, right down to the crusty bread and flaky

Napoleons created to honor the Little Corporal’s military victories.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments

or suggestions for her, call (562) 493-5062.

FYI

TASTE OF FRANCE

WHERE: 7304 Center Ave., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 895-5303

HOURS 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, closed Sunday.

MISC.: Dine in, take out and catering.