Another bistro

Berkeley, May 5, 2014—

THAT'S ANOTHER STEACK-FRITES you see there, and I humbly accept your thanks, Constant Reader, for the assiduity with which I take on the responsibility of sampling them here and there to report on such important matters here.

The steak is a bavette, which is generally speaking a subset of flank steak, the source of hanger, flap, onglet, and who knows how many other synonyms. I bet the "tenderloin" in my lomo saltado, last Friday, came from the neighborhood. So do fajitas.

In general this cut gains by being cut into strips, across the grain, before it is cooked. Here at Rouge they leave the steak entire, tossing it on the grill, salting it, turning it once. (This is surmise; I'm working solely from observation at the table, far from the stoves.)

I'd ordered it rare, and had pronounced the word a little ferociously perhaps; I was hungry. The result was in fact not rare but bleu, which is okay with me, though a little hard to cut on your plate, especially when coated with this delicious marchand de vin butter. The fries were crisp, narrow-cut, skilfully cooked, salty.

Dessert: strawberry-rhubarb crisp, with a good-sized scoop of smooth vanilla ice cream to counter the sweet-sour fruit and the rough granola-like texture of the topping — a pleasant version of what's now a standby. And with it, because I couldn't resist its name, a glass of dessert wine.

Tempranillo blend, Telmo Rodriguez LZ, Rioja, 2010: solid and fruity; Muscat de Rivesaltes, Piquemal les Larmes d’Hélios, Roussillon, 2010: soft and pleasant though a little bland

• Café Rouge, 1782 4th St, Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone:(510) 525-1440

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BUT WE STILL have to finish that roast chicken, yes? So for supper I carved up the other half, and made a lemon-juice vinaigrette for the green salad, and we followed up with an apple and a tangerine. And tomorrow is Tuesday. But we won't be fasting.

Cheap Pinot grigio