A Halloween Treat

Halloween is always a treat for little kids who are lucky to fill their bags with sweets from neighbors and friends.

We adults love to be treated too. Which is exactly what we got: a sumptious three course lunch at Mistral in Redwood Shores. For the main entrée the selections were: Thai Style Beef Salad, Oak Fire Baked Paella (see photo) and Meyer Lemon Chicken "Saltimboca". I can tell you that the paella was very good. It had gulf shrimps, mussels, chicken, Andouille sausage, peas, tomatoes, sweet peppers, saffron rice, all simmered in shellfish broth. I cleaned my plate.

For dessert we had a choice between Chocolate Chambord Ganache and Creme Brulée. The Ganache had a chocolate crumb crust, whipped cream to top it off and strawberry coulis, the perfect antidote to chocolate. It was a beautiful dessert to behold and the perfect way to end a memorable lunch.

The creme brulée looked good too. Now I'm haunted by what I may have missed.

Mistral Restaurant overlooks a lagoon and it's pleasant to dine alfresco even when it's cold out. They have gas heaters so you can comfortably sit outdoors even on chilly nights. Mistral is at 370 Bridge Parkway, Redwood Shores, California.

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Photos by John Zheng

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