The Best Meal I've Ever Had

Gitane - Eclectic Spanish, French (5 Stars)
http://www.gitanerestaurant.com

Aaaah, Gitane: you wandering gypsy, you. With a menu that spans multiple cuisines, from French to Portuguese, North African to Spanish, there truly is something for everyone. The interior is also as eclectic as the menu with lush, velvety seating, tons of non-matching sconces and lighting fixtures, quaint outdoor seating in the alley (it’s more romantic than that sounds), and an extremely friendly and competent staff.

(One note: the interior is dimly lit which offers a "romantic" setting, though it can also be somewhat difficult to read a menu or visually enjoy your food. While my experience wasn't diminished for the ambiance, my apologies ahead of time for the dimness of the photos.)

While contemplating the menu, I stumbled upon three main choices: Bastilla, Chicken Tajine, and Ananas Roti. The pizza was a complete afterthought as I knew I'd only have one opportunity to eat at Gitane and pizza's one of my favorite foods.

I couldn’t help but inhale deeply once I saw the crispy-brown, powder sugar dusted pockets of phyllo that was the Bastilla. To say they were succulent would be an understatement. Rife with almonds, golden raisins, duck, chicken, and spices like cinnamon and cloves, the sweet and savory meat pies were sinful and it practically took an act of God to prevent me from licking the plate clean. In a lovely and unexpected treat, they’re served with a side of tagliatelle cut cucumber in a dill-yogurt sauce. It offered a bright note that cut cleanly and coolly through the tremendously decadent appetizer.
For my entrée, I selected the
Chicken Tajine. To be honest, I haven’t shut up about this dish, or my entire experience at Gitane, since I ate there during my trip to San Francisco. This was, by far, the most incredible chicken I’ve ever had. The meat was so tender that I accidentally cut through it with my spoon while scooping off a part of the nearby potato. The Tajine featured large chunks of carrot, potato, zucchini, and several dried apricots that had been plumped to perfection in the incredible broth. Cinnamon and cloves along with the vegetable and chicken juices coat every last morsel of the buttery and golden-raisin topped couscous served alongside the Tajine. Even though I saved some of the Tajine for “leftovers”, I barely made it back to my hotel room without devouring the doggie bag contents.

The portabello mushroom and truffle oil pizza (the "
Champignon") was pretty good. Not great or stunning, but pretty good. The toppings were definitely the highlight of the dish as the portabellos were thinly sliced and plentiful, the truffle oil was earthly and warming, and the overall flavor of the pizza was woodsy and mushroomy – just what you’d expect from a fungi fest. The crust was okay; certainly not the best, but far from the worst. It was somewhat flaky and very mildly flavored; thin enough to not overwhelm with dough, but crispy enough to offer a nice contrast in textures to the gooey cheese and heady mushroom strips.

The
Ananas Roti was an unusually sized rectangular strip of white chocolate cheesecake topped with coconut crumble and served along with Tajine spiced pineapple and an incredibly thin dehydrated slice of pineapple as the headboard of this bed of deliciousness. The cheesecake was dense and creamy and the topping offered enough contrast to warrant its place on the plate, despite not adding much coconut flavor. The tajine spiced pineapple was tender and had spicy flavors that tied in beautifully the Moroccan flavors of the bastilla and chicken tajine.

For those of you who aren’t already aware, a special pet peeve of mine is seeing my water glass reach empty...and stay there. Ultimately, it bodes poorly for the waiter’s tip because it means they stopped paying attention to my table. That said, very special kudos to my waiter, Norm, who not only suggested exactly what I was already wanting to order, but was very attentive and never let my water glass empty (even though he provided me with a large bottle of water for all the self-help I could manage).

Without a doubt, this was the best meal I’ve ever had, even with the pizza crust being so-so. I’ve raved about it ever since and feel confident you will have a truly amazing dinner. I highly recommend Gitane and give it 5 Stars.

Gitane on Urbanspoon

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post! I'd be all over everything!

Monica H said...

Hi Jared,

It was so nice meeting you at the Fresh Express breakout this past weekend.

I enjoyed reading your review of Gitane and I have put it on my list of restaurants to try once I get back to SF. I don't know how it's possible, but the pictures and description of your food made me hungry again, even after eating everything this past weekend!

~Monica H
Lick The Bowl Good

Unknown said...

Parajumpers Parka Jacket fierce that in the end is what actually can Juzhua Yingkang magic in front of the crowd looked ragged hair was dressed like a cheap's chicken coop old man really hard to put it high and seniors people together, but the facts at hand. Parajumpers Kodiak Parka Smoke dispersed a huge ground of five meters deep handprint appeared out of debris around it completely cracked open. I say brother, you little feijian not to force ah ye old cheap faint words, lift the right arm, bones Juzhua lifted from beneath the ground, which also grabbed a handful have become Parajumpers Sale Uk dilapidated feijian .The amount of the master, so much, let alone a meal, we have enough to eat for three days some silent road, know their living came, took out a short dagger from the bag into the savings begin to gather up the bodies of those Wicked . But for a momen.

Unknown said...

woolrich parka donna diretto woolrich parka donna fece un passo avanti, le mani quasi trasparente potere spirituale spazzato fuori, non so quanti canali in un rasoio trasparente, viti sono tagliati in scogliera direttamente sopra il woolrich parka donna Powder.Side come l'oro per costruire su di essa come strano runa coperto con pareti cremisi comparso davanti al. Importo guardare qualche woolrich outlet italia silenzio, ha preso il loro ultimo lavoro trovare woolrich parka donna l'entrata così per molto tempo, ha voluto sfoggiare un po ', non credo che la gente sarebbe farlo easily.Fourth-ordine cerchio primaria, matrice oro elemento Gang puro. Guardando le pareti woolrich parka donna leggermente ma splendida pallido parole d'oro. Le ragazze sanno circle.You Biexia pensare che woolrich parka donna nutrono il proprio male sangue Dan millennio, woolrich parka donna ragazzi sono stati integrati nel l'anima di.

Unknown said...

20150728 junda
tn pas cher
cheap ray bans
polo outlet
coach outlet
chanel outlet
ralph lauren sale
burberry scarf
nike pas cher
fitflops sale
michael kors outlet
coach outlet store online
oakley sunglasses outlet
cheap oakley sunglasses
football jerseys
beats headphones
beats by dre
prada shoes
ralph lauren homme
ralph lauren polo shirts
burberry outlet online
abercrombie and fitch
tory burch handbags
mcm backpack
soccer shoes
oakley store
ray ban glasses
kate spade bags
kate spade bags
hollister outlet
true religion
gucci borse
michael kors outlet online
longchamp outlet online
true religion jeans
louis vuitton borse
gucci sito ufficiale
oakley outlet
mont blanc
longchamp pliage
true religion

Unknown said...

hollister shirts
ugg boots, http://www.cheapuggboots.net.co
replica watches, http://www.replicawatchesforsale.us.com/
ugg boots, http://www.uggboot.com.co
louis vuitton,borse louis vuitton,louis vuitton sito ufficiale,louis vuitton outlet
coach handbags, http://www.coachhandbagsoutletonline.us.com/
toms outlet
barcelona jersey
links of london uk
oakley canada, http://www.oakleysunglassescanada.com
yoga pants, http://www.yogapants.us.com
gucci outlet
san francisco 49ers jerseys
puma shoes
abercrombie
nike roshe run
longchamp handbags
hollister, http://www.hollistercanada.com
real madrid jersey
ray ban sunglasses
ray ban
michael kors handbags
atlanta falcons jersey
nike free uk
jordan 4
prada handbags
ray-ban sunglasses, http://www.ray-bansunglassess.in.net
babyliss pro
calvin klein outlet
chanel handbags, http://www.chanelhandbags-outlet.co.uk/
ray ban sunglasses
swarovski jewelry
michael kors outlet
cheap oakley sunglasses
oklahoma city thunder jerseys
0907maoqiuyun

Unknown said...

ralph lauren uk polo ralph lauren michael kors outlet online sale population michael kors outlet online sale tiffany lululemon uhren nike which bottega veneta coach bags ugg boots

adidas superstar free run

is calvin klein underwear lululemon canada nike air max new balance canada ferragamo

shoes
nearly toms shoes outlet prada outlet converse

sneakers
nike shoes for women beats by dr dre 60% burberry burberry nike roshe michael kors outlet online

longchamp outlet white. louis vuitton cheap boots louis vuitton outlet online salvatore ferragamo prada

outlet
Steele, supra shoes nike ugg australia new balance mcm handbags a

clothing websites hollister online omega

rolex watches for sale giuseppe zanotti former michael kors michael kors outlet online sale true religion outlet ray-ban sunglasses louboutin shoes

director louboutin shoes

raybanoutlet001 said...

cheap ray bans
oakley sunglasses
michael kors handbags
cheap oakley sunglasses
michael kors outlet
michael kors handbags
ed hardy outlet
oakley sunglasses
nike huarache
michael kors handbags wholesale

Unknown said...

ralph lauren outlet online
polo ralph lauren outlet
michael kors handbags wholesale
raiders jerseys
michael kors outlet
sac longchamp
miami heat
coach handbags
nike tn pas cher
los angeles lakers jerseys

Unknown said...

oakley sunglasses wholesale
coach outlet
michael kors handbags
ralph lauren
tiffany outlet
cheap oakley sunglasses
christian louboutin outlet
toms shoes
replica watches
links of london
20170210lck

xumeiqing said...

20170227meiqing
timberland boots
coach factory outlet
wholesale nike shoes
abercrombie and fitch
rolex watches
polo ralph lauren
adidas yeezy
adidas nmd
yeezy boost 350
ray ban sunglasses

John said...

harden shoes
fitflop
nike blazer low pas cher
ralph lauren uk
mulberry bags
sac louis vuitton pas cher
oakley sunglasses outlet
polo ralph lauren outlet
coach factory outlet
discount nike shoes
20170417yuanyuan

Unknown said...

hermes belt
nike blazer low
steelers jerseys
adidas nmd r1
nike outlet
nike store
houston texans jerseys
pandora jewelry
los angeles clippers jerseys
jordan 4

Digital Marketing Agency Delhi said...

Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing on your feed and I am hoping you write again very soon!

Unknown said...

cc0125uggs outlet
ugg outlet
ugg boots
adidas nmd
longchamp uk
canada goose jackets
adidas shoes
moncler coats
moncler jackets
ray ban sunglasses
cc0125

Unknown said...

puma shoes
mcm outlet
nike air max
canada goose outlet
ugg boots on sale
fitflops sale clearance
pandora jewelry
moncler outlet
air max uk
nike store
clb20180406

chenminghui said...

polo ralph lauren
canada goose jackets
polo ralph lauren outlet
polo ralph lauren
kate spade
cheap jordan shoes
pandora
mbt shoes clearance outlet
michael kors handbags
pandora bracelet
chenminghui2018428

zzyytt said...

oakley
retro jordans
yeezy shoes
fitflops sale clearance
hermes belt
jordan retro
balenciaga shoes
yeezy
golden goose sneakers
vibram fivefingers

Unknown said...


عندما تستعين بشركة متخصصة في عمل التنظيف الخاصة عندما تكون الشركة لها سمعة طيبة في مجال التنظيف ستحصل على منزل براق وأرضيات و حوائط نظيفة تماما مع الحفاظ على ألوانها من مواد التنظيف لنظافة شيئا ضروريا وخاصة عند تواجد اطفال صغار يخشي عليهم من الاتربة
افضل شركة تنظيف منازل بالرياض
شركة تنظيف واجهات بالرياض
شركة تنظيف فلل بالرياض
شركة تنظيف موكيت بالرياض
شركة مكافحة النمل الابيض بالرياض
www.nileriyadh.com

Obat Herpes zoster / Cacar Api said...

Thank you for sharing the full text. And allow me to share any posts that contain this health information. I believe this is useful for us. Thank you :)

Pengobatan Scabies secara Alami
Obat Penghilang Jerawat dan Bekasnya
Cara Menyembuhkan Batuk Berkepanjangan
Cara Mengobati Pengapuran Tulang
Obat Pengapuran Otak pada Anak
Cara Mengatasi Mata Bengkak

Unknown said...

Hard Drive Repair Reset Service ,
wifi network troubleshoot service,
printer installation service,
services of virus removal,
CCTV Camera service in delhi,
pc optimization,
AVRiQ

chenlili said...

chenqiuying20181009
coach factory outlet
canada goose outlet online
coach outlet online
canada goose outlet
michael kors outlet online
coach outlet store online
ed hardy outlet
ralph lauren uk
off-white clothing
longchamp bags

Coqicoqi said...

Yeezy boost 350 v2
Pandora Jewelry Outlet
Jordan 4
Kyrie Shoes
Pandora Jewelry
Air Jordan Retro 11
Pandora Jewelry Outlet
Air Jordan 4
Pandora Jewelry Official Site
Ryan20190107

PalaPala said...

Air Jordan 11
Pandora Outlet
Pandora Jewelry
Air Max 270
Air Jordan 9
Pandora Jewelry Official Site
Yeezy boost 350 v2
Jordans 11
Jordan Retro 11
Red Bottom Shoes For Women
Latrice20190214

nader galal said...

شركه الصفرات من اضمن الشركات بالرياض على الاطلاق من حيث العماله وادوات واجهزه التنظيف ومواد العزل وادوات كشف التسريبات تمتلك الشركه افض انواع المنظفات المستورده شركه الصفرات فى خدمتك وخدمه اسرتك فى اى
.وقت كل ما عليك هو التواصل مع مندوبنا عبر الارقام الموضحه سيصك فريق العمل المتخصص بافضل المعدات لأداء الخدمه المطلوبه
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف المنازل بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لعزل الاسطح بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف المجالس بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف السجاد بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لنقل الاثاث بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لمكافحة الحشرات بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لكشف التسربات بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف المسابح بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف الخزانات بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتسليك المجاري بالرياض

pubg mobile said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thenutritionsclinic said...

Thenutritionsclinic a pharmaceutical oil supplement is a product that is assured to be safe to take it is rather subtle to comprise very low levels of impurities and contaminants. There are other non-public businesses, which perform the equal testing as ifos, which includes eu pharmacopeia, council for accountable nutrients, and the norwegian medicinal widespread. Those groups, but, embody all dietary supplements in standard and permit higher degrees of contaminants compared to ifos.
https://thenutritionsclinic.com/

ketogenicpedia said...

ketogenicpedia If you have excessive blood strain, paintings in conjunction with your health practitioner to get it below manipulate. Many human beings do no longer realize they have got immoderate blood strain, which generally produces no signs but is a first-rate risk issue for coronary heart disorder and stroke.
https://ketogenicpedia.com/

Anonymous said...

waao lovely dishes . they are really looks very delicious.. thanks admin.
https://pinoytvtambayanreplay.com/

pinoytambayan said...

i like delicious foods. These dishes looks high above at delicious level that set in my mind. Thanks for sharing such nice posts.
pinoy teleserye

cara menggugurkan kandungan dan mempercepat haid said...

I thank you for the information and articles you provided

Unknown said...

https://kissasian.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-1.html

Unknown said...

https://pharmahub.org/members/4771/blog/2020/11/korean-entertainment

Unknown said...

https://pinoytambayan.ning.com/articles/korean-technology

Unknown said...

https://kissasianco.carrd.co , Congratulations You are Selected in Lucky Draw

خطوات تأسيس شركة في دبي للسعوديين said...

خطوات تأسيس شركة في دبي للسعوديين

cepeth said...

look at these guys get redirected here click to read more Check Out Your URL click here to investigate look what i found

thoatulou said...

click to read more replica chanel bags ebay web link replica bags london content replica bags china

seatysh said...

g9j18o3t86 j0q56v1r63 b1r70q2t40 s8g46e5g13 f3u34x9a93 o1r71b1x01

Post a Comment