Very few of you may know about my passion for French cuisine and culture. That passion is actually what first sparked my interest into the world of gastronomy, and my French cookbooks were my first friends in the kitchen. Well..that's enough about me. Let's talk a little bit about Chef Ryan Steyn and his wife who opened L'Escargot Bistrot just about a year ago. They will actually celebrate their doors being open for a year on July 18th. South Africa is where Chef Ryan Steyn was born and raised, as well as where he met his wife. She is a Sommelier with an incredible passion for French food. He moved to Tijuana just three years ago, and they embarked on their journey together of what is now known has this quaint restaurant.

As soon as I stepped foot into the garden of L'Escargot Bistrot I felt as if I was transported into my own world and French dining experience. The warm summer evening could not have been a better excuse to enjoy dining al fresco. As the sun began to set, there were lit lanterns that filled the garden with a romantic light.

A basket full of fresh bread that was baked in their wood fired oven, was accompanied by an absolutely gorgeous cheese plate. Food really is art, and there are so many ways to embrace its natural beauty. The three cheeses that made up this cheese board were Brie, Goat Cheese covered in ashes, and a wedge of Roquefort. The bread has a wonderful crunch on the outside, with a pillow like soft interior. Brie is usually one way to my heart, but in this case the Goat Cheese came out as my favorite of the three.

Following that were Escargots in a red wine sauce that surrounded bone marrow. Escargots and bone marrow on the same plate? Hello lovely! If you have never tried snails, please put L'Escargot Bistrot on your restaurant list and come and taste these. It's all part of the fun grabbing the shell with the tongs, and getting every bit of sauce possible with the meat of the snail.

For those of you in California that need a Foie fix, head on down to Tijuana. I have always enjoyed Foie Gras, and growing up I always remembered my dad ordering it any time that it was offered on the menu. Take a piece of the crunchy toast, then slather on the apple marmalade, and top that with a bit of the buttery Foie Gras. That my friends is what it is all about. The flavors, and textures will knock your socks off.

So there may be a few of you that even hear the word frog legs, and then divert in another direction of food choice. I am not here to try and tell you, "Hey, you must eat these!" Okay, so maybe there is a little bit of convincing going on, but really they do deserve some attention. The frog legs are cooked in their wood fired oven, and then placed on top of a ratatouille. The olives and red pepper really let that juicy meat shine. The flavors together are just divine.

The heartiest dish of the evening was the leg of lamb. The meat literally fell off of the bone, as soon as my fork touched it. The ideal bite of a piece of the tender lamb with a smear of potato puree, that is sitting there soaking up all of those juices is where its at. This is that dish of comfort food, that you just get an all around warm feeling in your stomach while eating it.

If you have read any of my recent posts, you will see that I have slowly been changing into more of a dessert person. I have always loved sweets, but have much rather preferred savory dishes. So it continues, my love is growing more and more each day for the sweeter side of things. The dessert plate came out with three different desserts. There was a creme brulee, 52% Cacao Chocolate Mousse, and an eclair filled with chocolate chantilly cream. Dad, if you are reading this, you would have been envious of us devouring that eclair. The Chocolate mousse was served in an orange peel, which I loved that little detail. I am a huge dark chocolate fan, and this was nothing short of fabulous! My husband's favorite was the creme brulee. Let me just say, it was so hard to pick a favorite from all of these, and looking back I would easily order each and every one of them again.

Whether you are looking for a spot to enjoy a nice romantic evening, or just a night filled with excellent French food, L'Escargot Bistrot is your spot. I want to thank Chef Ryan Steyn for his hospitality, and we will be paying you a visit very soon!

L'Escargot Bistro

Gobernador Ibarra 2730

Corner of Jalisco

Col. Cacho

(664)684 9999

For directions, click here.

By Kristin Díaz de Sandi

lifeandfoodblog@gmail.com

Kristin and Antonio blog at Life & Food and you can follow them on Twitter at @lifefoodblog and Facebook.