Une bonne petite porte à la côté

I'm usually on time. And I'm as efficient as an enema. Two things that make me a good assistant.

In belated celebration of "National Professional Assistant's Day" (did you know that was a holiday? There's also a Boss's Day--EVERY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR!...and on October 16th), my boss was so kind as to take me out to lunch. We went to a French bistro of my choosing, THE LITTLE NEXT DOOR, which is, ironically (or more like "obviously") next door to its sister food hang, THE LITTLE DOOR. Both owned and operated by real, live French people, the service was slow--or shall we say...leisurely?--and the food was delicious. Since the place had been recommended by friends who had visited for breakfast several times, I was stocked with favorable anticipation that let loose upon arrival. I spoke French to my waiter, and (hopefully) impressed my boss.

I chose the appetizer crab cakes as my meal. They were "Moroccan blue crab," and our waiter, who claimed to be from Morocco, assured me they were divine. I'm a fan of the cake du crab, and I usually judge a restaurant based on this particular patty, so I couldn't decline. The side salad with which they were served was light, of bitter greens and garbanzo beans, and dusted with salt, and the sauce that accompanied the cakes was generous and flavorful, if a touch too thick. But the crab cakes got a B+, if you wanted a score. A bit stiff at the interior, and not enough flake against the fork upon cutting.

My boss ate a pesto chicken sandwich partnered with peppered shoestrings. From the looks of it, he liked what he saw, though do note that the restau carries no ketchup. Ketchup is for les americains.

We finished our meal with cappuccino and an espresso, and with a coffee and a pistachio macaroon, respectively (I went for the pistache, natch; and my espresso was Lavazza, which I la-loved-ah), and then we hailed the tab. So I bid our waiter Au revoir and admired the dessert case from behind my dark sunglasses. Ah, nostalgia, you tasted so good.

IN FIVE: 3.5/5, but the macaroons get a 4. And I'm definitely willing to try Little Next for breakfast.

THE SPOT: http://www.thelittledoor.com/lndsplash.html