Paseo: A California Bistro — Restaurant in Mill Valley

It might be more telling about me, rather than the restaurant, but it's seems difficult for me to reconcile the concept of a high-end, wonderful steak house on every level, not having a full liquor license. I know they're hard to come buy in hotly contested communities, and there's liability and expenses associated, but that simple fact might be important to other self-aware steak house lovers.

Their wine list is absolutely superb. I have lately defaulted to Willamette Valley Burgundian reds, but opted for a Provencial departure into Cassis... and found a wonderful bottle of the Bandol Domaine Tempier 2008. So freaking wonderful.

In traditional steak house style, we started with salads, ordered am overwhelming entree with mushroom and fries as sides. I am one for a steak the size of a deck of cards, and enjoy a Filet. My wife unhinged from reality and pined for the 32 oz Cowboy Ribeye. Originally she was entranced by the description such that she didn't notice the size. When she ordered it was obvious that it was for two and I would forgo my Filet for her fancies. =) In this, it was too much. Just far too much, even when I removed the gristle and fat that I don't enjoy. I think we ate 1/3 of the total steak, together. The leftovers were enjoyable, but if you don't like those ridiculous "bigger is better" texas steak experiences, I wouldn't order it. It's just overly gluttonous for two. For 3, maybe.

In that I was railroaded into a behemoth of gargantuan proportions, I am really excited to go back and rifle through the rest of the menu. It's a solid spot, one we will return time and time again.... and one that is good enough to be sad we hadn't yet visited. It's an important addition to our Southern Marin, one of the best steak houses around. The only drawback is that you might have to dig out your flask prior to visiting (this is, of course, a joke... it's not that important, rather just antithetical to the experience they cultivate).

A note on the layout and interiors: It is CHARMING. I love the restaurant's space. The front is cute, and I suggest you note a request for a booth, for your reservation. The tables on the floor are a bit tight. The open patio is cute, and the wine room and other reservable spaces are fantastic for small family events or intimate...

I was excited to visit this restaurant because my recollection of it from days past was that it was a cute and delicious French bistro. Granted it’s been at least 15, maybe 20 years since I’ve been there, but my expectations were still high given my past experience. The restaurant, unfortunately, disappoints. While the ambience is definitely cute, there’s not much more special about it than that. The best thing about the restaurant were the nonalcoholic drinks, which were delicious.

The appetizers were yummy, but nothing to write home about. The carrot ginger soup was good, but also nothing special. The beet salad was subpar because the beats were not cooked enough, the dressing wasn’t delicious, and the goat cheese was somehow off. Maybe it was feta cheese. I ordered the filet mignon expecting something very special. But it was pretty average at best. First of all, the waiter did not ask how I wanted it cooked. It came medium, which, is a little overcooked for me. People around me also ordered this dish and had it more rare. The mashed potatoes and the asparagus with which it arrived were fine, but nothing special. The sauce was pretty average and something I would expect to have at a local diner off a major highway. The dessert was fine and also nothing special. The service was friendly, and the waiters were quite nice, but not as top-notch as I would expect at this level. For example, they forgot to replenish the silverware so that when my entrée arrived, I had to ask for a fork. No big deal. But also annoying if you’re going to a fine dining establishment. Overall, I had high expectations and the food was very disappointing which is why it’s...

The experience was so BAD, we didn't even stay for dinner. It was my partner's birthday; we love Tyler Florence and Wayfair, and thought this would be a comparable treat. Our reservation was for 7:30p.m.on a Friday night; we arrived a few minutes late and they said they had a nicer table in a quiet space if we could wait a few minutes. We agreed. Could not even elbow our way to the bar; and the "lounge" was freezing - outside waiting area. 1 hour later we were still waiting in the "lounge", When we indicated we were very unhappy, the hostess who claimed to be a manager finally came to seat us . Where?? yes, in the crowded noisy bar. No explaination. In fact she tried to pass it off as the quite table she had reference. you've GOT to be kidding. SO after an hour, we were taken to a table by the back door, and treated as though we should of course be grateful for being in such a cool place. The attitude was unbelievable. We eat out 3-4 nights a week and know restaurants. These people should have some sense of graciousness, awareness that they've made us wait for an hour, AFTER having a reservation, etc etc. Just horribly rude!. What a birthday. We were so furious we just left and decided to pretend it just hadn't happened. In my 40 years of SF city living, I've NEVER experienced such dismissive, uncaring, treatment. Who even knows if the food is any good. We couldn't stand the place long enough to even find out. What's with the ATTITUDE?!?! Oh by the way, they have multiple managers, both the hostess and another man who was equally non plussed claimed to...