Jeanne D’Arc, in the Cornell Hotel de France, on Bush near Powell (715 Bush).

Looking for a new spot to have dinner near the theaters, Union Square, and the financial district?  Thanks to our daughter, Dalia, who lived in Paris for a year, we learned of a traditional French restaurant which is an affordable gem:  Jeanne D’Arc, in the Cornell Hotel de France, on Bush near Powell (715 Bush).

The dining room is downstairs in this very European feeling hotel, accessible by elevator, seats around 70 people, with kitschy French medieval décor – faux beams and vaults, suits of armor and chain mail.  Lighting is good and the room is comfortable.  We were there on a Wednesday night and the dining room was about ¾ full with a few diners rushing to the theater, a few guests of the hotel, and mostly folks like us who wanted a traditional French meal at a fair price.

The menu offers a four course dinner:  soup, salad, entrée and dessert, in the $32-$38 price range.  The wine list is mostly California and French, with very few bottles priced more than $50.  We started with fresh tomato soup (soupe rouge) which had a rich and creamy tomato taste with subtle seasoning.  Then we had a choice of a green salad accompanied by quiche Lorraine or mushrooms cooked in a tomato coriander sauce (à la grecque).  The salads were perfectly dressed, and the mushrooms exotic.  I’m told the quiche was wonderful.  Our party had the following entrees, all of which were very good:  Confit de Canard Sauce Bordelaise (actually, this, Moscovy duck leg confit with red wine and shallot sauce, was terrific and I plan to order this when we return), Roast Duck Breast in Raspberry Sauce, Black Pepper New York Steak flambéed in cognac, and Rack of Lamb with Red Wine and Shallot Sauce.  The menu had 5 other entrees which looked very traditional and interesting, including blackened salmon, scallops and prawns in a lemon-tomato-white wine sauce, and lapin chausseur.   All entrées were served with pommes duchess, fennel au gratin, and cherry tomatoes provencale.

The desserts, included in this fixed price dinner, were terrific:  a choice of vanilla ice cream with fresh fruit in a hazelnut-caramel shell or soufflé de Grand Marnier.  I had the soufflé!  Marvelous!

Bon appétit, Telegraph Landing!           - Nancy Spero, Bldg. 4, March, 2006