Sofita – Broumana

I love going up to Broumana when Summer comes around, especially for an early dinner because of the cool breeze the evening provides. Situated in the Printania Garden, Sofita is an Italian restaurant with a relaxing environment. As for the food, I did appreciate the creative manner of treating pasta, turning it into a crispy appetizer. It had an interesting taste and a nice crunchy texture to it, but I found it to be a bit heavy as a starter. For my main dish, I ordered the shrimp risotto. I enjoyed the rich and creamy rice, and the grilled shrimp enhanced the flavor of the dish (although they were a bit salty). Also, maybe a few more of the sea creatures embedded within the dish would be great. There was no room for desert this time. However, they did offer us a drink on the house to end the meal. Here, I should add that the waitress was friendly and very dedicated to her job. On the whole, we had a pleasant experience.

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Goutons Voir – Achrafieh

Risotto, risotto, risotto. The only thing on my mind when it comes to food these days is risotto. I love indulging in a lemon risotto with shrimp, especially during this phase of my pregnancy. Goutons Voir has one of the best risotto I have tasted, if not the best (I did remove the asparagus ingredient though, but that is a matter of preference). It is so creamy and rich, and in addition to the shrimp lurking inside, they have placed a few shrimps at the top. This latter subtle component enhances the taste by providing a sort of lovely grilled flavor. I also ordered french fries on the side, and their fries are certainly the correct amount of salty and crispy. Feeling very full, I ordered half a portion of their pain perdu for dessert. I love the whole Goutons Voir, Charlotte, Cafe Gourmand, and Nonna enterprise, so I had tasted the pain perdu at Charlotte before yet I recalled that it was good but not out of this world. Still adamant to give it another try, I did. The caramel sauce smothering the bread is very good, without being overly sweet. However, I realized what it was that I found a little lacking. The bread was moist, but I prefer a pain perdu that is more soaked and filled with the milky mixture. Hence, I would still rather their heavenly moelleux au chocolat. Last but definitely not least, an important issue noteworthy of stating is that the waiter was very friendly and professional. We felt comfortable and we will definitely be back to Goutons Voir and all of the sister eateries that never disappoint!

Bar Tartine – Dbayeh

We wanted to have dinner at a restaurant located not too far away. I have tried the Brioche Tropezienne at the Hazmieh branch, but did not really like it. However, I have also tasted their pizza previously at this location, which I did like. So, finally we decided to eat at Bar Tartine in Dbayeh for dinner. The service was great; our waitress was a trainee and she did everything just right. She was professional and friendly, and worked efficiently. The ambiance was nice, although a tad noisy. For my meal, I had the Salmon & Couscous platter this time, and I loved it. The salmon was succulent and majestically stood on a bed of extremely soft and fluffy couscous. I enjoyed the delicious pairing of fish and fluff with each bite. It made me want to come back again to try more dishes, and maybe also brunch.

La Petite Table – Dbayeh

Ok, so I have a long list of restaurants I want to visit; most of them are in Beirut. However, we did not have the luxury of time on our hands, and so I began thinking about eateries located in Dbayeh. Although not on my list, I recalled that I had visited La Peitite Table at tea time and that we had sat in the cute seating area outside. It was cold this time around so we would have to sit inside, but I thought it was worth a try and I was pleasantly surprised. La Petite Table has a cozy interior with lovely colors and bursts of greenery. Amidst the comfortable ambiance, I would really like to highlight an issue: their lighting. I am a person that loves bright light and sunny days, and their globes lit the restaurant wonderfully at dinner. The staff was very professional, and we were warmly welcomed and led to our seats. Our waiter was friendly and politely took our order, and no mistakes were made; I actually loved the service. Now, for the part that satisfied our hunger. We chose the Salmon Crudo, the Fish & Fries, and the Double Cheese Burger as our salty items. First, a bread basket is placed on the table with olive oil to dip the slices in before they head to your mouth, and then your platters arrive. Considering the cheese burger, I found the patty to be juicy, and biting into the burger resulted in repeated deliciousness with every bite. The fries on the side were crispy, well-seasoned, and really good in flavor. However, the component of the dish I want to focus on the most is the Hickory BBQ Sauce. It was to die for! I put some on my burger, and when that was done, I smothered my fries in it. As for the fish and fries dish, the outer shell was crunchy and the fish within it seemed fresh. I enjoyed the fish, yet I was not really a fan of the accompanying soy sesame sauce. For dessert, we ordered one of each of the available Macarons flavors and the Chocolate-Peanut Waffle. The waffle was good, although not one of the best I have had. The caramel sauce was a tasty addition to the waffle, and I preferred it to the chocolate sauce, which was not as rich. At the end of the whole meal, I felt relaxed and was left intrigued to return and try other menu offerings, such as their Molten Chocolate Cake.