Fabulous French

January 2010

Plan B combines Continental flavors and presentation with bistro charm

By Greg Sabin

For all the influence French cooking has in almost every restaurant dish we eat--preparation, technique, sauce making, etc.--Sacramento has a rather limited lineup of French, truly French, restaurants.

A smattering of eateries in Roseville and Fair Oaks, and a few small, casual cafes like Cafe Rolle and La Bonne Soupe in Downtown, are all the opportunities we really have to sample classic French cuisine. Which is why I’m so happy to have Plan B, a restaurant highlighting the flavors and preparations of the best French cafes, comfortably settled in the Arden/Arcade area.

Owner Lionel Lucas, who has split his life between France and the U.S., has put together a classic, unpretentious menu of bistro and cafe favorites that brings to life the staples of French cooking.

Each dish manages to combine classic French flavors with modern presentation. Every dish is a pleasure to eat, and more than a feast for the eyes. And while the creative and beautiful presentations never fail to impress, it’s the rich, layered flavors that truly stay with the diner.

He’s also managed to create an elegant space that feels more like a renovated medieval catacomb than the strip mall location it really is. Plan B’s former home in the Pocket neighborhood was truly minuscule. Narrow and crowded, it was a loud, boisterous cafe that lacked the sophistication of its current space.

The new location in Arden Town Center at Watt and Fair Oaks Boulevard, previously housed a toy store and a prepare-it-yourself dinner franchise. Lucas has transformed it into a spacious, reserved dining room, featuring whitewashed brick walls and a dark palette of colors for the dining and bar area. Clever touches like corn husks and wheat stalks used as table centerpieces, give the room a more rustic feel than it would have otherwise. It’s a well-decorated room of casual elegance.

During my few visits, I had a chance to sample a number of dishes, each one a reminder as to why French cuisine is still the world standard. Each salad, each simple appetizer was served with a presentation well above its station. A simple butter lettuce salad ($8.75) had been constructed to resemble a beautifully budding green flower. When broken down, however, the wonderfully pungent Dijon vinaigrette starred in the lovely plate and managed to outshine the presentation.

The scallop plate ($24.75), a simply engineered plate of three enormous scallops atop a bed of parsnip puree circled delicately with caramelized Brussels sprouts, got rave reviews from all who sampled it. The rack of lamb ($23.75), beautifully seared to a medium rare, was a standout too, well seasoned with herbes de provence and served with a side of decadent mashed potatoes and ratatouille.

The gnocchi ($16.50) came to the table smothered in a sophisticated cream sauce redolent of chanterelle mushrooms. Before long, each lovely, pillowy dumpling was devoured, melting delicately in the mouth like a perfectly made gnocchi should. The rack of lamb, beautifully seared to a medium rare, was a standout too, well-seasoned with herbes de provence and served with a side of decadent mashed potatoes and ratatouille.

For me, though, the highlight of Plan B’s menu was the choice of mussels. Choose one of six different preparations, ranging from a classic white wine and garlic recipe, to a more exotic coconut milk and cilantro preparation, each large serving is only $12 with a side of pommes frites for only $2.50. The rather affordable cost only makes the mussels that much better. I opted for the mussels provencal, which came swimming in a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and herbes de provence. Picking apart each mussel was joy, but not nearly as joyful as running the skinny fries through the ridiculously flavorful tomato broth left over once all the mussels had been dispatched.

The only letdown of the meal was the rather gummy, unlovely bread that came with dinner. Looking forward to sopping up all those French sauces with a crusty loaf, I was disappointed to find Plan B’s bread nowhere near up to the task. And it’s not for lack of baking skills, since those skills were well on display with the dessert selection. A memorable tarte tatin ($7.50) -- a thin pastry crust filled with spiced apples -- and a pear tart ($7.50), filled with chilled pastry cream and topped with intricately layered pears, both showed off some pretty impressive baking chops.

While not your stereotypical French bistro, Plan B manages to bring together all the threads that make French cuisine a world standard. Incredible flavors, beautiful presentations, and more than a touch of European charm from owner Lionel Lucas and his continental cast of servers, make Plan B a destination.